Blondshell, the stage name of Sabrina Teitelbaum, has rapidly made her mark on the music scene. You might have caught her recently performing with Weezer or seen her at major festivals like Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, or South by Southwest. She’s opened for heavyweights like Liz Phair, Queens of the Stone Age, and Suki Waterhouse, and was even featured on A24’s Talking Heads tribute album. Despite being relatively new to the industry, Blondshell is already a ubiquitous presence in alternative rock, whether you’re aware of it or not.
The artist is currently on tour in support of her second album, If You Asked For a Picture, which she released earlier this year. Blondshell’s upcoming performance at Delmar Hall on 18 November is part of this tour. The album delves into personal themes like relationship struggles, addiction, body image, and broader societal issues, following in the footsteps of her 2022 debut.
Many of her tracks explore intensely personal and vulnerable topics, prompting fans to wonder how much of the narrative is autobiographical. In a recent interview, Teitelbaum revealed that she once described 99% of the album as autobiographical. However, she admits that perspective has shifted as her life has become less turbulent.
“I feel like less of it is autobiographical now, because my life is less tumultuous,” she said. “So if I did that interview now, it would be a lower percentage.”
Teitelbaum’s musical influences predominantly come from the ‘90s alternative rock scene. Listening to Blondshell is akin to flipping through a musical history book of that era, filtered through a modern indie rock lens. Her sound subtly nods to the likes of the Pixies, with their distinctive guitar tones and dynamics (e.g. “Docket”), and Queens of the Stone Age, with hard-hitting guitar rock interludes (“He Wants Me”) and melodic breakdowns (“Arms”). The Red Hot Chili Peppers also have a marked influence on Blondshell’s style.
“There’s nothing that those guys can do that I don’t think is available to me right now… I think in my music, I’ve tried to make it feel really tough, because for me, that kind of feels like armour in a way,” she explained.
The songwriting process is something Teitelbaum approaches with fluidity and introspection. She tends to write songs in a single day, later refining them during the recording process. Her lyrics are deeply personal, driven by a commitment to honesty and vulnerability.
“It would never occur to me to hide stuff about my life when I’m writing,” she said. “Writing is supposed to be that one place for me where I don’t think about people’s perception. I don’t think about if something is too private or too personal.”
Songwriting, for Teitelbaum, is a crucial creative outlet, one that provides an emotional release in the face of an often soul-crushing, productivity-driven world.
“There’s so much going on that’s uncreative, and obviously, like late-stage capitalism, everything is just about optimising your time and getting as much done as possible,” she said. “But if you do something creative—make a song, or just sit down and play guitar—it makes me feel much more alive than everything else.”
While songwriting offers Teitelbaum a way to express herself, live performances provide a more direct connection with her audience. For her, performing in front of a crowd is where she feels the strongest bond with listeners.
“I think every show is different… everything’s online, but this is an opportunity to actually be with people in person and share music,” she said.
Her shows also take on added significance as Teitelbaum is keenly aware of the importance of representation on stage. As a woman in rock, she understands the power of seeing oneself reflected in art.
“I think it’s so important to see women on stage… I think everybody, no matter who you are, needs to see yourself and your experience reflected in art, music, TV, film, whatever. Everybody needs to see themselves represented and reflected back,” she explained. For Teitelbaum, early experiences like listening to Avril Lavigne on the radio were some of the first instances where she felt represented by music.
“I didn’t really grow up talking about feminism or just talking about things that are unique to being a woman,” she added.
For her upcoming performance in St. Louis, Blondshell is offering fans an alternative way to gain access: instead of purchasing a ticket, they can volunteer two hours of their time at a local non-profit in exchange for entry.
“I was like, ‘Hell yeah, that’s so exciting,’ so of course I wanted to do it,” she said, reflecting on the idea.
Blondshell’s deluxe album, Another Picture (a reimagined version of If You Asked For a Picture), is set for release on 14 November. Fans can also look forward to a forthcoming collaboration with singer-songwriter Samia, “hopefully soon”. In the meantime, Blondshell will be performing at Delmar Hall on 18 November.