Nicole Brice
Sep 3, 2024
Few Blue has the rhythm that will bring you to your knees.
In my many years of discovering new music, it never ceases to amaze me how Louisiana talent can be so different in so many ways. Louisiana has become known for its intense metal scene as well as zydeco and jazz, but often, the more unique bands coming out of this state tend to get buried. It’s not because they are not talented but because people’s musical tastes are focused elsewhere.
When a band is recommended, I never know what to expect. After receiving the recommendation to check out Few Blue’s music, it only took one listen to fall in love.
Few Blue is one of those bands with an infectious lead singer who reels you in with her pure talent and powerful vocal stylings—stylings reminiscent of great female singers like Miranda Lambert, Pat Benatar, and the ever-forgotten Alannah Myles. Camryn Wisniewski’s energetic persona and insatiable personality are a perfect fit for the well-rounded outfit of talented musicians she shares the stage with, who play a style of music so rowdy that you can’t help but get excited. This band is so tight. If Miranda Lambert were to front Pat Benatar’s band from the 80s, then you would have Few Blue.
Their first EP, So Damn Wrong, was released in January 2024 and is an intense kick to the gut with standout tracks such as, ‘Oops,’ which makes you snap to attention instantly because of how powerful it is. It’s an ass-kicking female anthem with pure, fierce sonic energy. ‘Call Me Crazy’ is another high-powered track with impressive and compelling lyrics that speak of love and longing. To be honest, this entire EP kicks so much ass. Truly, it does. There is not one single bad song. Put So Damn Wrong on your list of EP’s to check out NOW!
A tight-knit group of friends who began their careers together at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Few Blue is on a path to greatness because of its intense energy in the musical landscape. The band is comprised of: Brad Boozer (guitar), Rob Schexnayder (drums), Christian Liang (bassist), and Camryn Wisniewski (vocals).
If you were to ask me how to describe Few Blue’s music, I would have to say that it’s just good. It's as simple as that. Based in New Orleans these days and fresh off playing a show at LSU’s Welcome Week, the band has a busy rest of 2024 lined up with even more planned for 2025, so I was thrilled to catch lead singer Cam on an off day. We discussed the history of the band, vocal influences, what the future holds, and more. Read on below.
MaM: So Damn Wrong was just released in January. What has the response been so far to the EP, especially with such a strong opening track as ‘Oops’? That song is a swift kick to the ass.
Cam: This song was a joke song. I think we were hanging out and drinking a few beers when it was written because we do these jam sessions when we go on trips together where we sit down and write songs. Brad will start strumming random chords … like B, A, D, right? As he’s playing, I’ll freestyle on top of it. ‘Oops’ is one of those situations. It started with a story about this red-haired girl, and she’s one of my good friends, but it was a strange situation at the time, and it made a great song which the term “Oops” is one of Brad’s favorite terms for when something wrong happens, like “Oops, my bad.”
MaM: It’s just such a powerful track!
Cam: That’s the attitude we wanted to convey, too. It’s like an instant rollercoaster.
MaM: How do you usually approach writing material?
Cam: Well, we’re actually writing some new material now and figuring out a process that works for us. This is going to be our first album but our second release. When we started the band, it was just four kids in college who wanted to jam together, but now things are getting more serious, and people want us to make more music, so we’re trying to figure out how to become actual songwriters.
When we started writing the So Damn Wrong EP, usually we would have the melody first, or Brad would have a riff first, but for like ‘Call Me Crazy’, that was my melody with some simple chords that we jazzed up. We also changed the chorus to make it more upbeat and exciting, but for the rest of them, it was all Brad with a riff, and we would build on it. Once you get the first verse done, then you can pretty much do anything with the song. It’s been a challenge because we just started off having fun. For ‘Song Why,’ the bass player came up with this simple bass line, like three notes back and forth. Then, I wrote on top of it next, and it started to build. Build the base and then put layers on top of it.
MaM: I love that. You never know where the song could go when you have a mass collaboration like that.
Cam: I will say, though, that sometimes, if you have too many minds involved, it can get a little crazy, but it worked out great when we recorded ‘Oops.’
MaM: Where did the name Few Blue come from for the band?
Cam: For a long time, we have tried to come up with a meaning to tell people about the name, but it is just from a random word generator. None of us could think of anything at first, so one of the names the guys threw out was “Piraha”.
(laughter)
They wanted to be different and stand out, but obviously, “no” with that name.
(laughter)
My drummer, Rob, had this random word generator and was messing with it. These two words pop up each time, and you must decide which word to keep and which to toss. So, it generates the word “few” and another word. He liked “few”, and then “blue” came up, and we liked it, but it was a bit of a tongue twister, but I think it’s different from what we’re seeing around us. Fleetwood Mac probably sounded like a terrible name at some point but look at what the name means now.
MaM: Right?! So, what made you want to pursue the type of music you play?
Cam: My background is a little crazier and different than the guys. The guys are all about classic rock legends and own tons of vinyl. I did musical theater growing up. That’s where I get my confidence and stage presence from. I was not a musical theater kid, but I did musical theater. Does that make sense? It was an excellent outlet for me. I wouldn't say I liked the acting part, but I loved the dancing because it was fun and carefree. Through the years, I found that ABBA was my favorite music for musical theater. I always pick the ABBA songs for karaoke and whatnot when I sing. When the guys said they did classic rock, though, I had to convince them to blend a little of my style with theirs, but finding the perfect mix is doing what I do now.
MaM: Your sound is big. What is it about music that makes you feel so passionate?
Cam: I get an adrenaline rush going on stage, and it is just a feeling. It’s my outlet I could not live without, and I’ve written poetry for years since I was a kid, but I would sit down with my ukulele and put all these puzzle pieces together through song while staying genuine and authentic with what I wanted to say. I love all the alliteration and wordplay with music, too. I feel emotions deeply, also, and I’ve always been a writer. It’s just something I need to do. Even if no one hears it.
MaM: What’s your favorite song to perform?
Cam: Right now, it differs, but ‘Zombie’ by The Cranberries is one of them. We rock that song up enough to where everyone is headbanging, and it sits so perfectly in my range that I can easily let it all out and scream. It's such a fun song to perform.
MaM: What would you say your songs are primarily about, and how would you describe your music to a random stranger if you were trying to sell it?
Cam: We love rock music and are just trying to pay homage to our inspirations, but lyrically, we’re just telling a story, and people are relating to it. Heartbreak and tough times will always be an influence, but ‘So Damn Wrong’ is about a bad relationship at the time. A bad guy and a good girl trying to make things work. It’s so damn wrong, but it could be right, and she’s not gonna wait for ya. That’s exactly how I felt at the time, too. ‘Call Me Crazy’ stemmed from high school and relationships with the message that if you’re not crazy, are you really in love? At that point, just call me crazy because I am in love, and I’m crazy. I’m sure a lot of the lyrics are from boys pissing me off.
(laughter)
MaM: Life experiences.
Cam: Exactly, life experiences.
MaM: Life experiences make the best art! Tell me about your worst and best performance so far.
Cam: So, our worst performance … we got hired to do a private event, and as you know, in the south, the rivalries go hard. At this event, half of the LSU people and half of the Alabama people were there. The two parties didn’t quite know each other well, so when it came to the music being played, we weren’t told much. In fact, about a week before the event, we were told we needed to learn a bunch of new songs. The problem was that the girl who hired me was for LSU, so I started singing more Baton Rouge-based songs like ‘Calling Baton Rouge’ and ‘Louisiana Saturday Night’ because I was ready to get people going. At one point during the party, one of the Alabama people came up to me because they said I was only singing LSU songs, and they wanted Alabama songs. We didn’t mean to do anything wrong, so at one point, I even got on the mic to tell people we would play whatever they wanted to hear. It was just one of those events where you don’t have enough information and then shoot yourself in the foot once you get there. It was so awkward. We packed up early because the Alabama people wanted us to stop playing and turn on other music.
The best performance … there are quite a few. We just played at FLORA BAMA, and they scheduled us for the 6:30 p.m. -10:00 p.m. spot, which is a fantastic spot to have. I’ve done that spot with another band before because it was a great spot, but once we played the 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., it was just insanely packed. There were people all the way to the back, and all were engaged with us the entire time. I’d tell them to put their hands up, and everyone had their hands up. It was phenomenal! Everyone was so into it.
MaM: Have any other musicians ever given you any advice, and if so, what was it?
Cam: I talked to Randy Jackson from Zebra, and it was so surreal since the guys in the band love them. Zebra means something to me. I finally got to meet Randy Jackson because my music teacher is friends with him. He gave me advice on how to preserve my voice. I used to have this very princess-sounding falsetto voice, which I still do, but it’s changed because I’m screaming so much on stage. I’m learning to control it. He told me some excellent singing advice, told me to drink grapefruit juice, and told me tea dehydrates you, too. I have talked to older bands on the scene, too; everyone has told me not to worry about what I’m writing and to write what I feel.
MaM: Is there anyone you would like to collaborate with in the future, and if so, who?
Cam: David Shaw and the Revivalists. Our drummer, Rob, has gone to so many of their shows. Rob and I are close, so if we sit around and need some cheering up, he’ll play their music for me. It’s special to me—dream collaboration.
MaM: What do you have going on for the rest of the year, and where do you see yourselves headed in the future?
Cam: We’re trying to get some new music out by the end of 2024 / early 2025. We have a few more shows scheduled at FLORA BAMA, some others, Southport Hall, Rock N Bowl, etc. We’re booked through the year's end so you can catch us somewhere. We play almost every weekend. We’re just going to be putting our heads down and grinding. Everyone is so passionate about moving the band forward, and it’s not easy, but we’re doing it.
As Few Blue continues to grind it out on the local scene and beyond, they stand poised to influence a new generation of music lovers with a refreshing sound that can only be attributed to the cohesive energy found within this well-rounded and talented group of musicians. With a busy rest of 2024, be sure to try and catch a show with this up-and-coming act before they sell out stadiums worldwide.
To learn more about Few Blue:
New Orleans Young Band - Live Music (fewblue.com)
*Cover photo by Gary Governale
Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com.