Synthetik Blonde’s Synthesized Sensational Album Pieces Unleashes A Musical Revolution on Canada’s Prairies
From Canada’s prairies comes Pieces, the latest album and single by the synthesized duo Synthetik Blonde.
Not unlike the relationship of creative masterminds, Stefani Michele Kleppe and Bradley Evanochko, Pieces is a white-hot, back-arching, hypnotic movement of melody and beats. The album is an electrifying soundtrack to the nights you can’t remember, but won’t soon forget. A fusion of synth-pop and guitar-driven rock, Synthetik Blonde hat tip to the 70s and 80s and rim the glass with modern flare. Pieces, and its title track, dare you to move, compel you to sway, and whisk you away into the tantalizing madness of symphonic bliss.
The match of Synthetik Blonde is one made of rock and roll fantasies. Stefani was brought up in a musical family and is a multi-instrumentalist, model, and teacher, while Bradley was a lead guitarist in several past bands, in addition to being a long-time instructor with Long and McQuade.
“On a fateful night,” recalls Stefani, “I pulled into a venue and watched Brad on stage. My body lurched in all the deepest places. I had found my muse, my partner and my best friend!”
The duo was born.
Synthetik Blonde asks the listener to “break mirrors” on their sophomore release Pieces; an 8-track concept album that showcases Stefani’s exceptional songwriting and ability to delve into the depths of the human condition. The album, written solely from a female’s perspective, is a cheeky and empowering feminine finger-pointing at breaking free of societal norms. Layer by layer, each track is harnessed with an honest and fearless approach. The songs are a kaleidoscope of exploration; looking inward to the parts of oneself usually kept masked, and hidden.
“The album is all about breaking down walls and inspiring proud authenticity, self-love, self-acceptance,” Synthetik Blonde says.
Leading the LP is the title track, “Pieces”; a genre-bending turn for the duo. It’s a downtempo, guitar-driven pop song, giving the listener a six-plus minute foray into the emotional depth of its message and melody.
“I struggled most of my young adult life with severe depression, often resulting in poor choices and self-destructive relational patterns,” Stefani reveals, adding: “After years of being healthy and strong enough to end toxic relationships including an abusive marriage, I had a major relapse and wrote ‘Pieces’ during a deeply personal and challenging depressive episode during which I spent time reflecting upon my experiences.”
Going on to say she’d wanted to share something both positive and beautiful from her experience, Stefani also acknowledges that she hopes the song will empower and help someone.
“I poured my heart and soul into writing ‘Pieces’,” she notes, saying: “it’s quite literally my life story.”
“I keep the guitar melodic and feeling to serve the emotion behind the song,” Brad continues. “I love a good, diminished arpeggio. Lonian, Mixolydian, Lydian and Aeolian, are the holy known guitar modes…this is where my heart, mind and fingers go. I play to bring depth to the lyrics and style of Stefani’s force.”
Together, the pair sum up “Pieces” as: “the shattering and the putting back together; stronger, fuller and ready.” The lead to an evocative and introspective album of finding light in the dark, and truth in the night; both the song and the album serve as an anthem of resilience, celebrating the process of learning to love oneself despite the jagged edges and shattered pieces.
“There was a time in my life when I was convinced by the voices of others and the voices inside my own mind that I wasn’t worthy of love, nor would I ever be,” Stefani shares, saying: “I know there are many who can relate.”
Leaving it all on the melody line, Synthetik Blonde offers Pieces to the masses, the muses, and the music lovers. The broken souls, the groove seekers, and the twilight dreamers. These are the Pieces. And Synthetik Blonde is serving them to us all.
Watch the video for the title track, “Pieces” below and learn more about Synthetik Blonde via our mini-interview.
Care to introduce yourself?
We’re from the Canadian Prairies though we have shattered expectations, transcending the stereotypical prairies sound and imaging with our unique musical prowess. I, Stefani Michele Kleppe am the composer, writer, vocalist, and producer and the talented and beautiful Bradley Evanochko absolutely slays on guitar while co-producing. Together we make up the synthesized duo of Synthetik Blonde. With what is most definitely our unique “Synthetik Blonde ” genre-defying sound; we effortlessly combine the best elements of electro-pop and rock, making music that blends pulsating synthesizers, infectious beats, and scintillating guitar riffs. With each song, we want to take you, the listener on a thrilling roller coaster ride creating an explosive and mesmerizing auditory experience that will leave you craving more.
Tell us about the process of writing and recording “Pieces?”
“Pieces” is the title and opening song to our 8-track concept album. And the story/process of writing and recording…well it’s actually pretty wild and still amazes me. I had just come out of a season where I really struggled, no stranger to depression, this particular relapse hit me very hard and at the time I struggled to love, struggled to breathe, and because of this, struggled to write. I try to approach even dark times with a positive attitude so I engaged in a lot of reflection and embraced this dark period as part of my journey.
Well after many weeks one very frigid Canadian January morning, I woke, and I wrote and wrote and wrote… five songs in one week. I must have stood at my Roland from 8 am to midnight most days. But I had music in my heart and in my mind; songs I had to get out. Almost as if I had to release them in order to breathe again. And the funny thing is, I can’t even tell you which track came first, because it all happened so fast, it’s a blur… But, I fell in love again, with each base beat, twisty lyric, and riff. And by the end of January both composition and lyrics had been born in what became PIECES, our second album. Shortly after this we began recording and producing in our home studio and fired our tracks off to be mastered by the amazing Justin Bender at Divergent Sound.
The song “Pieces” delves into breaking free from the grasp of depression and toxic relationships that manipulate and hold individuals back. It serves as an anthem for resilience, celebrating the process of learning to love oneself despite the jagged edges and shattered pieces. There’s freedom in loving your jagged edges.
The album takes an honest and fearless approach with each individual track exploring the parts of self we keep hidden and the parts we bare; a multitude of masks we wear when operating in our day-to-day; only fractally showing our true selves. With unapologetic lyrics and captivating melodies, the PIECES album is all about breaking down walls and inspiring proud authenticity, self-love, and self-acceptance.
What’s it like being a musician in Regina?
We’ve faced some challenges living in a small city center, but we’ve found our audience and it’s growing rapidly. We initially had more fans globally than in our community but since starting to perform live it’s grown exponentially and we’re excited to continue to watch it grow.
What Canadian artists are you loving right now?
Some of our long-time favorites are I Mother Earth, Loreena Mckinnit, Saga, and Deadmau5, but we still love us some Bryan Adams and Corey Hart. Also, I’m [Stefani] part of a large Indie Community [NAS] and am in love with so much Canadian talent I’ve met there: Ed Eagle, Kele Fleming, and Blue Dirt Girl are just a few amongst the many.
You’ve been making music for a while now, what’s one piece of advice you can offer to those starting out?
Make music that you love, and that moves you; the passion will be present in the finished product. Musicianship is only about 5% music and a lot of work behind the scenes but so worth it; so keep at it and never give up! Speak positive words over you and music: It’s a long way to the top; we’re not there yet but we will be!
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