We were lucky to catch up with Michael Bolland recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on would be my upcoming EP, “Square One,” which is set to release summer of 2023. This is the first work that has truly allowed me to push the envelope in sound design and to find new ways of implementing my guitar and vocals. Each track is set to encapsulate the various feelings that we call grief. This project will take the listener through a rollercoaster of emotions, yet each track remains upbeat and energetic. Whether it is anxiety, anger, sadness, or realization, you don’t necessarily experience one emotion while grieving. The Square One EP has forced me to expand my writing by deep diving into uncomfortable but inevitable emotions, which I have yet to do in previous projects. I am insanely excited to share this work of art with everyone!

Michael, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a Denver-based electronic producer, singer / songwriter by the name “CLRBLND.”. I was born and raised in Plymouth, Wisconsin. I began taking guitar lessons when I was 7, partly due to my love and admiration of John Mayer. Throughout middle school and high school, I played in my school’s jazz bands as well as learning classic rock in my free time. I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for my family’s consistent support listening to me play guitar in our family room on a weekly basis throughout my childhood. As electronic music wasn’t very prominent in rural Wisconsin while growing up, I didn’t fully discover the genre until I moved to Denver for college. While studying at the University of Denver, my friends and I started a greatest hits cover band, which was the start of my singing career. Around that same time, a friend of mine at DU, who is an incredibly talented DJ and producer, began teaching me the ins and outs of electronic music. He and I went on to create the duo project, Who’s Calling. We’ve had the opportunity to perform at festivals, such as High Ground Music Festival here in Denver as well as headline a sold out New Year’s Eve performance at Larimer Lounge. At the beginning of 2022, I began working on the CLRBLND. project, which is a combination of electronic / house music and electric guitar. As electronic music advances, I envision more and more of a shift towards implementing live instruments / vocals on top of DJ sets. The CLRBLND. live set consists of DJing, singing, and live guitar over the top of tracks. I released my debut single, ‘Falling Back’, on January 13th, 2023. With this new CLRBLND. project, I am most proud of signing my next original release to a label, set to release in February of 2023. As the year progresses, listeners will see releases of both original songs and remixes that encapsulate a wide variety of sub-genres within the electronic space. I am beyond excited to announce that I will be releasing my first ever EP, titled “Square One” in the summer of 2023!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me personally, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is to receive messages from listeners mentioning that songs have helped them through a difficult time or that they found a personal connection to the song. It means so much for people to truly support the music that I love. It’s rewarding to see an entire crowd dancing, singing and giving energy that I try and return to them up on stage. The amount of joy and peace I find in creating music is enough of a personal reward, and it makes it even better if there is just one person out there who can find that joy and peace in my music as well.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

One book that has significantly impacted my mindset and outlook on life is “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” by Mark Manson. As someone who tends to worry a bit too much about what others think, I’ve been able to use the lessons in this book to work on my self-confidence and feel more comfortable sharing my creations with the world. It has forced me to reflect on my values and reevaluate my personal priorities based on those values. It has helped to remind me to live in the present and find importance in the little things.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/clrblnd.music/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clrblnd.music
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/CLRBLNDMUSIC
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_zWPvQXUN5NYI5cukvHaKA
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7KAV6dOfFIeCKWgag7HeoZ https://music.apple.com/us/artist/clrblnd/1661030301 https://soundcloud.com/clrblndmusic https://www.tiktok.com/@clrblnd.music

Image Credits
Alex Kittoe @alexkittoephotos