Amanda Blank | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Amanda Blank changes course with new single “Put Me Out”
In 2009, when Amanda Blank released her brash and wildly fun debut album I Love You, no one would have guessed what kind of music she’d be making ten years later.
Where I Love You is a nightclub hip-hop album full of beats and attitude, her latest release is more like Amy Winehouse’s collaborations with Mark Ronson. The new single, “Put Me Out,” has a strong melody, a hypnotic chorus, hazy guitars, and absolutely no rapping. Blank’s voice is raspy and sweet. Recorded in her teenage bedroom alongside her brother and childhood friends, the song feels nostalgic in the best way. It is far removed from Blank’s earlier work, but is a very welcome left turn.
Blank came up alongside Santigold and Peaches in the late 2000’s. They were at the forefront of the harsh, in-your-face vocal style that later dominated the charts through artists like Kesha. Her work with Spank Rock and Diplo‘s Major Lazer spread her playful rap to broader audiences, and her irreverent project Sweatheart endeared her to her hometown scene.
In recent years though, Blank has been very quiet. “Put Me Out” marks her first solo release since she put out her album a decade ago. The single is the first taste of Blank’s upcoming record, The Ruiner. Blank produced the entire record herself. In discussing the new single with Paper Mag, she said that it was largely inspired by the photos of her childhood heroes that she found intact on the walls of her teenage bedroom. The music feels a lot like a diary and proudly wears its influences on it sleeves.
There is no word yet on when we can expect The Ruiner nor if it will feature some of Blank’s signature rapping; her recent Johnny Brenda’s show, Blank’s first time onstage on years, was largely made up of material in the vein of “Put Me Out.” When pressed about this by Paper Mag, all Blank said was:
“I love rapping. I’ll always rap. I rapped yesterday and I’ll rap tomorrow.”
While we wait for The Ruiner, check out “Put Me Out” below, and clear your calendar for this Friday night, when Blank plays a pop-up gig in Harrowgate with Spank Rock’s Naeem Juwan and the incredible DJ Delish. More information on that show can be found here; they’ll also play a Brooklyn show together on Saturday at Turk’s Inn.