Blond

London, U.K.): The band that is Blond was raised in London before it was ever birthed in Hollywood. The first radio single from the songwriting and production duo, “Watcha Gonna Do About It?” bursts onto the airwaves with its mix of London style and Hollywood glitz. Blond’s self-titled debut is high fashion getting gritty on the dance floor; artistic tension dressed up as dramatic pop. This catchy construction, as alluring and as dangerous as any first time romantic encounter, sets the scene what producer and co-writer Chris Standring calls “a beautiful mess.” “I’m always trying to undo something that sounds perfect,” admits Mary Cassidy who, in “Killer Love,” sings that she “wants perfection.” This is the drama from which beauty is born. Hypnotic pop provides a solid base for edgy emotionally charged lyrical content as Mary’s sensual vocal undertones wrap around Chris’ intricate musical layers. More than the voice of Blond, Mary Cassidy embodies its emotional essence. Her Irish extraction and convent school education give her a unique perspective. Her background includes a lead singer and songwriter of Lulabox, signed to Radioactive Records and subsequently with London based indie band Agnes, signed to Island Records. After studying Jazz & Classical music at the London College of Music, Chris Standring permanently settled in Los Angeles where he has concentrated on songwriting, arranging and production. His talent at both, as well as his way with a guitar, led to much success Stateside. When Mary expressed admiration of a Seventies-style soul record Chris had recorded, their impromptu jams immediately veered away from that influence, suddenly creating a brand new designer music that is at once raw and electrifying. Blond has a style all its own, equal parts Kate Moss and Twiggy. The result is something very Vogue, as Mary says, and very much rooted in the UK. Ultimately, Blond is London style as interpreted through an L.A. filter; pop music for tastes on both sides of the Atlantic.