We are pleased to announce the release of Blouse’s sophomore album, Imperium, out September 17th. Download and enjoy the first single now and enjoy our interview with the band below.

What does Imperium mean to the sound of the new record?

Charlie Hilton: Imperium refers to illusory power, unforgiving but fragile. The sounds of the record and the feeling of making it are the same thing to me. It was always leading us somewhere but we had to be careful not to crush it.

Jacob M. Portrait: Sometimes Imperium means being deliberate with sounds and how they relate to the lyrics. On “Eyesite” we used layered swimming phaser and tremolo guitar sounds to accompany Charlie’s lyrics about seeing out of focus, giving the illusion of floating off balance. When the lyrics change to ‘but I’m so good at seeing you’ we cleaned up the sounds to make the music feel more direct and focused.

Other times Imperium meant picking up an instrument and doing whatever felt right. I think “Capote” is a great example of this. I played the guitars banging a pair of scissors on the strings and the drums are a toy drum set placed in the big room of the warehouse we recorded in.

What have you each been up to since your debut was released in November of 2011?

CH: We toured Europe and the US, then came back home for while. Patrick and I went back to art school for a couple of terms.

JMP: I’ve been touring with UMO and making recordings. I just made a LP for Gauntlet Hair which comes out in the summer.

Did you write any of these songs touring the last record?

CH: Just one. We missed a connecting flight in Salt Lake City, so the airline gave each of us a hotel room. Everyone on the plane was shuttled to this tiny hotel on the tarmac and we all went up to our respective rooms. We were kind of bummed about it, but it was strangely freeing to be in this nowhere place. Being alone is rare on tour, so I took out my guitar and hummed the melody to Capote.

“No Shelter” the first single off Imperium. What is the song about?

CH: I felt pretty bad at the time and wanted to escape myself. The song is about the anxiety of not being able to do that.

Is there a general theme on the new record?

CH: No, but vision is a pretty big motif.

How would you describe the record to someone in 5 words?

CH: That’s a talent I don’t have.

JMP: Pretty, dark, ugly and happy.

If the past, present and future music from Blouse could be summed up in a painting, what would that painting be?

CH: “Ceci n’est pas une pipe”

JMP: A blank canvas.

What were you listening to when writing the songs on this record?

CH: What springs to my mind is Television, Antena, and this Verve record “Music for Zen Meditation and other Joys.” These were all in heavy rotation last summer.

JMP: Love – Forever Changes, David Bowie – Low, Christian Death – Theatre of Pain, Love and Rockets – Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven and The Velvet Underground – Loaded.

What would you like to say to someone before they put the needle to this record for the first time?

CH: I will if you will.

JMP: Whoa, hey!! Wait. Oh well.

If you had an unlimited budget to make a music video from any song off Imperium’what song would you choose and describe the dream video in as much detail as possible.

JMP: I’d want a video for “Capote” that was a short film of the band drowning when our balloon was savagely destroyed by bloggers in red baron outfitted planes. To make it great, we would really drown.

Download “No Shelter” below: