COULD BRITTANY BINDRIM BECOME THE JOAN BAEZ OF HER GENERATION?
A CONVERSATION WITH BRITTANY BINDRIM
Brittany Bindrim has been bubbling with excitement as she eagerly awaited the launch of her much-anticipated album, Velella Velella, on March 8, 2024. This is a whole new adventure for her as she sets out on her solo journey. If you’re familiar with the electro/rock band I:Scintilla, you might recognize Brittany. If you’re unsure how to pronounce their name, ask Brittany herself—she has a knack for adding a touch of pizzazz to the name that nobody else quite possesses.
Bindrim remains a vital and significant part of I:Scintilla. Since the band’s inception in 2003, she has been involved in writing or co-writing and lending her vocals to all the band’s songs. All the members wholeheartedly support her solo career and are there to help her when she needs them.
In the midst of her writing sessions back home in Chicago, Bindrim discovered a new sound that was uniquely her own. These songs had a touch of her essence, and she couldn’t resist the urge to create a solo album.
But before diving into this exciting project, she embarked on a journey to Secret Hand Studios in Los Angeles, CA. It was there that she crossed paths with Matt McJunkins, renowned for his impressive bass guitar prowess for bands such as A Perfect Circle, Puscifer, The Beta Machine, and Poppy. She also meets with Ken “Hiwatt” Marshall, the owner and music producer of Secret Hand Studios. Both of these geniuses enthusiastically lend their expertise to help Bindrim record, produce, and mix her songs and inject them with vibrant energy.
VELELLA VELELLA ALBUM REVIEW
While soaking up the California vibes, Bindrim tapped into her surroundings for that much-needed album inspiration. As she strolled along the stunning beaches, she found some fascinating sea creatures that were washed up in the sand by her feet. After a bit of digging around on the internet, it is easy to run across this awesome sea critter called Velella, also known as Velella Velella. They sport a captivating deep blue hue, but what sets them apart is their astonishing ability to glide across the ocean’s surface using their very own built-in sail. Just imagine yourself completely unburdened, sailing through the vast expanse of the ocean on a solo adventure– And so, it was this very idea that ignited Bindrim’s creative juices when it came to choosing a title for her extraordinary solo album.
But her creativity knows no bounds. Bindrim decided to utilize an Obelisk, a tall and sleek stone pillar in the shape of a pyramid from ancient Egypt, as her object of choice for composing the initial track on the record. During the era of the Egyptians, Obelisks symbolized a potent earthly divine force, precisely the type of power that Bindrim sought to infuse into her song.
Simona Noreik was the brilliant mind behind the direction of the music video for “Obelisk”. Noreik cleverly incorporates the Egyptian shapes as a symbol that allows the video to take on a powerful and victorious tone, showcasing the transformation of this once beautiful area into a desolate wasteland. Through this artistic portrayal, Noreik sends a clear message about the consequences of failing to attain peace.
“FEVER DREAMS” SINGLE & LYRIC VIDEO
Bindrim and Noreik only met a few times on Zoom for collaboration, and it didn’t take Noreik long to capture Bindrim’s vision of the song. Noreik also directed the music videos for “One Fixed Point” and “Fever Dreams” and is currently working on videos for other songs on the Velella Velella album.
Noreik graciously invites Bindrim to join in the artistic process. It’s no surprise, really, considering Bindrim’s impressive array of talents. She’s a true luminary in the art world, with her captivating paintings and drawings that you can find and purchase across the internet. Not only that, she’s also the brains behind her very own creative business, aptly named Black Dove Design Company. And as if all that weren’t enough, Bindrim dons a coder cape while working as a front-end developer and programmer at her day job. As you can probably guess, Bindrim is the artistic force behind all the album covers for I:Scintilla and now for her solo album Velella Velella. If this doesn’t scream that Bindrim is a total powerhouse in the music world, then I don’t know what will! She clearly has the tools to make it as a solo artist.
One of the most fascinating aspects of this fierce female vocalist is the deep political messages she injects into her songs. She’s all about letting her music do the talking when it comes to the never-ending social unrest that plagues our world. But, above all, she wants to remind us that peace begins within ourselves – just like John Lennon’s iconic words, “Give Peace A Chance,” or the countless messages of peace and non-violence from Joan Baez and now passionately echoed by Brittany Bindrim. Who knows, maybe Brittany Bindrim will be the Joan Baez of her generation.
Artist Links
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BRITTANY BINDRIM – VELELLA VELELLA
