Bluai

In the organizer's words:

In 2022, the Belgian female trio BLUAI caused a sensation when they won Belgium's three most prestigious music awards within just a few months: De Nieuwe Lichting, Humo's Rock Rally 2022 and Sound Track. Since then, they have been the talk of the town and have been inspiring audiences with their unique sound. The band's creative influences combine contemporary indie folk with the mellow sounds of 90s guitar pop. Their sensitive songs deal with relationships, love and broken hearts and touch the audience in a special way. With the release of their debut album "Save It For Later", the band is expanding their musical horizons to include elements of Americana and country-pop. Following their upcoming performance at this year's Reeperbahn Festival, BLUAI are looking forward to playing a concert in Cologne on December 19 as part of their "the SAFE IT FOR LATER tour". Fans can look forward to an unforgettable evening of captivating music and emotional lyrics.

Originally created as a personal project by photography student Catherine Smet (vocals, guitar), she formed an all-female band together with Mo Govaerts (drums) and Caitlin Talbut (bass). Smet comments on this conscious decision with a smile: "Our success is based on a strong friendship. We just spread love, friendship and great music. The fact that we are women is just an added bonus."

In 2022, the trio released their first EP entitled "Junkyard". BLUAI's debut album followed in March 2024. "Save It For Later" is reminiscent of the soundtrack to a nostalgic youth movie, as if Adrianne Lenker from Big Thief had formed her own band under the direction of Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird). The band combines elements of Americana, country pop and indie folk and takes listeners on a musical journey to their Belgian homeland. With their eyes closed, images of galloping horses on a ranch in Mississippi emerge, providing the perfect backdrop for BLUAI's musical adventure. Together with producer Willem Ardui (blackwave.), they have created an inspiring work that is strongly influenced by the visuals of photographer Anneke D'Hollander. This combination of musical and visual storytelling gives the album a cinematic character. Through the use of banjo and lap steel, as well as the "Nashville tuning" introduced by sound engineer Tobie Speleman, the band expands their sound and incorporates influences from artists ranging from Maggie Rogers to The Japanese House.

With the tailwind of boundless ambition, BLUAI is heading full steam ahead into a promising future. Now the three women are coming to Cologne for a show and will be demonstrating their live skills to the German audience.