FEATURE: Spotlight: Blusher — Music Musings & Such

FEATURE:

Spotlight

Blusher

__________

MAYBE I am…

a bit late to this wonderful trio. An Australian group whop released their E.P., RACER, earlier this month, they are on my radar now. I am going to end with a review of the E.P. I want to start out with an interview from last year from The Line of Best Fit. They shone a light on the amazing Blusher. This is a trio (Miranda Ward, Jade Ingvarson-Favretto and Lauren Coutts) that you need to have in your life. They are going to go places:

“Formed in reaction to the isolation of pandemic, the camaraderie of the three members is the propelling force behind Blusher. Completed by Lauren Coutts and Jade Ingvarson-Favretto, they began writing in bedrooms as lockdown lifted, before signing with Atlantic off the back of their first ever show. Their ascent has been something of a whirlwind ever since, taking in international headlines, a wealth of new music, and a slot supporting homeland queen Kylie.

Although based in Melbourne, it’s only Ingvarson-Favretto, who is part-Swedish, that grew up in the city, playing in an ABBA tribute band with her family. “My parents are still in it and that's been their career for my whole childhood and life up to now. I perform in it with my siblings as well. I would play the part of Agnetha and we would do the accents and the outfits and everything,” she says. “I used to force my dad to play piano for hours and I would make up gibberish songs as a kid with him. That was kind of my first taste of music and writing.”

As they’ve progressed, their creative process has become more collaborative, working with outside songwriters and producers in sessions around the world, and collaborating fluidly in the studio. “We all do a little bit of everything. We all play multiple instruments a little bit, we all have a hand in the top lines,” says Ward. “We do fall into creative patterns sometimes, but a lot of the time we just see what happens. I guess we have the things that we gravitate towards; Jade's very melody-focused and Lauren’s really production and lyric-focused and I love a good bassline. But also we all do everything.”

Their recent releases are an explosive rush of slick production and instant songwriting, platforming their combined talents and sugar-rush delivery. Tracks like “24 Hours in Paris” tread a sophisticated line of feeling familiar yet idiosyncratic, while previous offering “Rave Angel” glows with sass, clever construction and inventive hooks.

Blusher also individually worked on their own versions of the singles, bringing different aspects of their own sonic identity to the music. “We got the stems for ‘Accelerator’ and I was like, ‘God these stems are good,’” laughs Coutts. “I think that was just a bit of a passion project for me, I didn't really think anything would necessarily come of it and then it became something quite special. We talked about releasing it and then I think it was also just a really good opportunity for us to showcase our production skills.”

With a sold out London headline behind them and headline dates in Australia awaiting their return, Blusher are ready to continue their breakneck progression, still developing and expanding while keeping that formative connection at their core. “We're working on a remix for another artist altogether at the moment, which is something we haven't done, but maybe the next step is a Blusher remix where we all collaborate on it,” says Ward. “We're just experimenting a lot at this point and writing in different ways and who knows what is gonna be the vibe for singles coming up. We are collaborating a lot but we're also just bringing it back to the three of us a lot as well. Just bringing it back to how the band started, in the room with the three of us”.

There is quite a lot to cover when it comes to Blusher. There were a lot of interviews from last year and there is some stuff from 2023. They have been out there for a little bit, though I think this year is their biggest and most important. Wonderland. included Blusher in their New Noise feature. I have heard them on the radio here, though I don’t think they are been giving enough airplay. Blusher are pushing Pop boundaries:

“Congrats on your new EP, “RACER”. How are you feeling about the release?

Miranda: I don’t think we’ve ever been more excited for a release. RACER feels like the perfect combination of our three individual tastes and experiences coming together to make something that is so us, but also so much bigger than us. We’ve been working on the EP in one way or another for more than a year, and it’s pretty surreal at the moment to think that we get to see how everyone else connects to it. The best feeling is hearing peoples’ stories of our songs helping them get through a breakup, or pumping them up when they feel terrible, or that they’ve made their new best friend at a Blusher show. We’re hoping these songs lead to more of those moments.

What’s the story behind the project’s title?

Jade: Being a RACER is a state of mind where someone is their boldest, brightest, most magnetic and unapologetic self. They’re their own stunt person, they’re the ones starting the dance floor while the rest of the party is trying too hard to be cool. Being the most authentic possible version of yourself is very “RACER”.

What inspired the thematic direction of the EP?

Lauren: The camaraderie we share with each other through all of our experiences being a band — from the start it’s felt like we’re a tight knit team encouraging each other to be our most RACER selves. The energy you have when you’re in the ‘getting really into fitness’ part of a breakup. Girlhood, confidence, and clubbing as a team sport. The first song we wrote for the EP was about taking your best friend on a marathon night out to help them through their breakup, and the concept snowballed from that moment.

Across the project, you flirt with the expectations of what pop is and has been — is that intentional or emblematic of your fluidity as musicians?

Miranda: I think that’s unavoidable with us, to be honest. We’re all total music nerds at heart. We all have a lot of respect and love for our elders. We’re always listening to ABBA, The Beach Boys, Madonna, Kylie. We’re also obsessed with futuristic, boundary-pushing pop and dance music. One thing we basically never do is reference something that’s big or trending at the moment. We’re super fluid with what we listen to and what we’re inspired by, but creating through the venn diagram of the three of us means it will always turn out quintessentially Blusher.

You’re hitting the road once again later this year. What can attendees expect from a live show?

Miranda: Bangers, bubbles, bass, choreography, remixes, covers, new merch, CD’s, energy, afterparties.

You’ve previously toured with Sugababes, Tove Lo and played with Kylie Minogue — what did those experiences teach you?

Lauren: These shows were such a dream come true. We definitely took many notes from each of their shows from choreo to band set up to fashion – but I think the most inspiring thing for me is just to see these women having long, sustainable, fun careers in the music industry. Our job is made a lot easier by the path that these women have forged.

What else is to come from you — this year and beyond?

Jade: We’re so excited for the RACER era and we have big plans for remixing the EP and touring and travelling a lot. We love writing when we travel and we find a lot of inspiration from whichever new city we’re in at the time. We want to write for the next project, make as many new friends all over the world as we can, and find some matching vintage Adidas boxing boots”.

The final interview I am including is from The Honey Pop. It is great that Blusher have some U.K. dates coming soon. It is going to be an opportunity for fans here to see the trio being their new E.P. to the stage. That will be some experience! Go and follow them on social media if you have not done so already:

“One thing we’re obsessed with is how every part of the band has a creative voice—from something as simple as ‘mp3’ in your Instagram handle to Jade’s iconic ribbon fishnet tights. But to really get to know you as individuals: if each of you had to pick one thing as your personal brand—a signature move, look, or vibe—what would it be?
Impossible! Artists are complex creatures with way too much going on under the hood to be able to explain themselves like that – it’s why we have to keep writing songs. But okay, we’ll try our best

Miranda: violin nerd turned bass-drop fiend

Jade: dorky fairy who shreds omnichord and does the worm at weddings

Lauren: golden retriever with headphones on

‘Racer’ is the perfect opener for the EP—the name alone sets that wild, handkerchief-flailing kickoff for the whole body of work, especially ending with ‘Running To You.’ What was it about that track that made you want to grab listeners by the collar and hook them right from the jump?

Jade: Thank you! We wanted this song to feel like your best friend bursting into the room, convincing you to come on a night out and filling you up with chaotic energy. It feels like it’s daring you to be the boldest, most unstoppable, and fizzy version of yourself. Like a lot of the songs on the EP, it was inspired by the bond the three of us share and how we bring out the RACER in each of us. The RACER ethos is about being the person to start the dance floor while everyone else is worrying about what other people think.

We love the lyric “The track is fading out, you know the feeling” on ‘Marathon’—it captures that wistful moment of something ending, both sonically and emotionally. Is there a closing lyric on the EP—whether literally the final line or just one that feels like a full-stop—that you’re especially proud of? Something that really lands the plane for you?

Miranda: “Crying in the club, yeah, I’m so cliche. But I’m crying in the club in a cool new way” – really sums up how I feel about writing pop songs. There’s always an interesting new perspective to explore on the classic topics of pop like heartbreak or love.

Lauren: “We’ve got matching blisters now, they call us sisters, wow” – this is a special one to me because it’s a direct window into our friendship, which is the heart of RACER and everything we do.

Jade: “I do it for the love of the sport” feels like it captures our passion and grit completely. We formed this band because we wholeheartedly love making music. As long as we can say we have put every ounce of sweat and conviction into the art, who cares if anyone else likes it or not?

Supporting Kylie Minogue at British Summer Time in Hyde Park is a massive moment, but it also feels like two eras of Australian pop colliding. What kind of wisdom do you think you can take from how she broke out in 1988, and how does that merge with what you’ve learned navigating 2025—where handing someone a cassette has turned into chasing virality on socials?

Lauren: Supporting Kylie was such an unbelievable moment for us; even now, it’s hard to believe we did that! She’s such an icon and an inspiration for us. There’s obviously a lot to take from her and her performance, but for me, I think it’s the everlasting nature of great songwriting. The music industry is always changing, whether we’re burning CDs or becoming video editors, we’ll be adapting with it for our entire careers – but the thing that doesn’t change is the power of a great song, a great performer, and their ability to bring people together. It’s really inspiring to see the way Kylie has sustained this incredible pop stardom for decades, plus she seems to be really happy and healthy, which we love to see!

And finally, because Aussie music deserves all the love, who’s an Australian artist you’re really vibing with right now? Someone you think more people need to have on their radar?

Jade: Memphis LK

Lauren: Phoebe Go

Miranda: Sycco”.

NME were among those who shared their views on the sensational RACER. There have been some incredible E.P.s. released this year. Blusher’s is among the best. I am excited to see where the group goes from here. One of the brightest names in new music:

“In a post-‘Brat’ world, it’s easy to draw a line between Charli XCX’s culture-shifting record and any project of hard-hitting, bittersweet club sounds that comes after. While shades of the British popstar’s impact can certainly be found on Blusher’s second EP ‘Racer’, the Australian band have been drawing from a similar well of influences since their sublime 2023 debut EP, ‘Should We Go Dance?’.

The pop-minded trio – made up of Lauren Coutts, Jade Ingvarson-Favretto and Miranda Ward, who all trade roles as producers, singer-songwriters and multi-instrumentalists – recommit to the dancefloor on the six-track ‘Racer’, where they’ve sharpened their sound and, more importantly, their hooks. Take the cheeky ‘Don’t Look At Me Like That’, where the chanted cadence of the chorus ( “Don’t make it / Ro-man-tic / Don’t look at me like you’re in love / Don’t make it / Dra-ma-tic / Don’t look at me like that”) is an inescapable earworm.

The same stickiness can be found across most of the EP. High-octane title track ‘Racer’ is a gorgeous cross between ‘Tension’-era Kylie Minogue and ‘Brat’’s rave energy. Meanwhile, ‘WHATEVERWHATEVER’ might be light lyrically (“I wanna go out, I wanna stay in / I want to get delirious and do it all again”), but the breezy synth-driven anthem about brushing off pressure is great for setting the mood for a night out.

Not every song can be a banger, though. The melody of ‘Marathon’ is instantly familiar, even if you can’t put your finger on it – but once you realise it’s reminiscent of the children’s tune ‘Camptown Races’, the song is ruined for good. Pair that with lyrics that are more cringe than cool (“Crying in the club, yeah I’m so cliche / But I’m crying in the club in a cool new way”), and you have the EP’s only skip.

A better surprise is earnest closer ‘Running To You’. At first, it comes off as lovely but quite typical – like one of those label-mandated ballads you’d find on almost every K-pop album. But, just as it’s winding down, the lasers and synths start swirling and the hi-hat kicks in, transforming the song into a euphoric Boiler Room-esque instrumental as their vocals loop in the background.

It’s Blusher themselves who best encapsulate the EP on the joyous, ABBA-coded disco tune ‘Last Man Standing’, where they sing “And I do it for the love of the sport, and I do it ’cause I just want more” over a driving bassline and shimmering synths. Both the line and song sum up the band’s entire vibe and ethos: turning the dial up to 10 and giving it their all just because they love pop that much. It comes through in droves on ‘Racer’, where they’ve turbocharged their fun-loving electro-pop sound, bringing it to the next level”.

Anyone who has not heard of Blusher, go and check them out. They are primed for big things. Even if I am slightly new to them, I will make up for a bit of lost time. I am definitely invested now. Following the release of RACER and some tour dates in their diary, the group will grow and build their fanbase. There is no doubt that Blusher’s Miranda Ward, Jade Ingvarson-Favretto and Lauren Coutts are going places. This year has been busy for Blusher. I am looking ahead to see what is in store…