WORDS

In the heart of Portland’s vibrant music scene, Blair Borax emerges as a beacon of warmth and authenticity with her tender folk-pop tunes. Her journey into the musical landscape is both a nod to the past and a heartfelt embrace of the present, creating an intimate space for listeners who seek solace and connection through song. Blair’s unique sound, a delightful blend of 1920s jazz vocal stylings and contemporary folk-pop melodies, sets her apart in a crowded field of singer-songwriters. Her music, characterized by its emotional depth and lyrical prowess, resonates with anyone who’s ever felt a bit lost in the vastness of human experience.

Blair’s debut album “Keep Walking,” released in June 2022, was a testament to her ability to weave stories that speak directly to the soul. Her songwriting, bold and unafraid to explore the taboo, draws inspiration from folk legends like Paul Simon and Bob Dylan. Yet, it’s her vocal charm, reminiscent of Regina Spektor and First Aid Kit, coupled with the tender vulnerability found in the works of Haley Heynderickx and Adrienne Lenker, that invites listeners into a world of introspection and emotional discovery. Her newest single, “Call Me Lazy,” is a poignant reflection of the moments when life’s relentless pace feels overwhelming, when the thought of jumping back into the dating pool or socializing feels like an insurmountable task. This song is an anthem for those who’ve ever felt the pressure to constantly be on the move, to always be seeking something more, yet find themselves craving a moment of stillness, a pause in the endless cycle of seeking. “Call Me Lazy” is not just a song; it’s a shared sigh of relief, a collective acknowledgment of the times when we just can’t.

Through Blair’s rich lyrics and soul-stirring melodies, listeners are invited to take a step back, to find comfort in the knowledge that they’re not alone in their desire to simply be. Juniper Klatt, a poet, perfectly captures the essence of Blair’s music when she says, “With rich lyrics and a voice like molasses, Blair Borax makes music that moves you to the heart of being human, offers you a warm cup of tea, and invites you to stay a while.” In Blair Borax, we find an artist who not only understands the complexities of the human heart but also possesses the rare ability to articulate those feelings in a way that connects us all. As “Call Me Lazy” gently reminds us, it’s okay to take a moment for ourselves, to not always have to be “on.” In a world that often demands constant engagement and productivity, Blair’s music is a much-needed reminder of the beauty of taking it slow, of the power of music to heal, to comfort, and to bring us closer to the heart of what it means to be human.

Read the whole review here:

https://fusionostalgia.com/the-lyrical-comfort-of-call-me-lazy-by-blair-borax/

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“Defying external pressures and expectations, “I’m Not Listening” is a serenade that will strike an immediate note with many. A delightful brainchild of Blair Borax, this record weaves a deep narrative that unfolds over unfaltering vocals and a shimmery instrumental.

The titular song of the latest EP (which itself is a part of her album “Tender Love), the song has other intriguing companions such as “Call Me Lazy” and “While The World Grew Wicked”; the American singer-songwriter chooses various topics anywhere from worldly changes to intimate heartbreaks, interpreted into bold and creatively written songs with her distinct vocals acting as a guiding hand. Her inspiration ranges from eminent figures like John Prine and Cat Clyde, among veritable others. Sure enough, a sizeable and growing audience has already found themselves admiring these attributes, with today’s song already being her top most streamed track on Spotify (among other tracks closely following suit) as she has already announced a country-wide tour touching across multiple states in the US (while also performing a sold-out album launch show).

“I’m Not Listening” graces the listener with a mellow guitar strumming first, and the vocals accompanying moments later. The lyricism sparks strong emotions with penned words like “Why can’t I will away the wanting, something to be different, it’s starting to haunt me.” The graceful ensemble is then joined by a drum groove and lustrous piano chords, although giving enough compartment to the crooning. Add to this the solemn chord progression, the song turns into an appealing embodiment of the hopefulness of staying true to oneself, even if facing judgment from others that can cause bitter angst and pain.”

Read the whole review here:

https://www.asonginlife.com/post/blair-borax-s-admirable-self-resilience-in-i-m-not-listening

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“It is singing that sometimes resembles the idiosyncratic folk singers who made their way within psychedelic folk in the 1960s, but I also hear something from idiosyncratic singers of the moment such as Regina Spektor, Adrianne Lenker and especially Haley Heynderickx. In the few lines it wrote about the album, the British music website Americana UK makes a comparison with Anna Tivel, Kassi Valazza and Alela Diane and that too has some merit, but it is not really spot on. 

Ultimately, no comparison can hold up for very long, so let me just say that Blair Borax has a special voice and personally I think it is a very beautiful voice. It is a voice that certainly draws attention to Tender Lately, which is Blair Borax's second album. 

Then you hear that the musician from Portland has much more to offer than a special voice. She writes personal and, without exception, appealing songs, which easily impress and linger. These are songs that fit into the indie folk category, but the American musician certainly flirts with folk pop and also adds some jazzy elements to her songs.”

Read the whole article here: https://dekrentenuitdepop.blogspot.com/2024/02/blair-borax-tender-lately.html

Erwin Zijleman - De Krenten Uit De Pop

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“It seems almost mandatory to mention an artist from Oregon’s Portland every month and here it’s Blair Borax who, on ‘Tender Lately’, cleaves to the folkier side of the Portland Community. If you can consider her midway between Anna Tivel and Kassi Valazza that might give you an indication of how she sounds although we’d also toss in Alela Diane for comparison. Anyhow, Borax has a delightful voice which seems full of innocent delight, there’s a moment on the best song here, ‘A Wink Or Worse’ where she positively yelps. That song hovers around the hazy psychedelia which permeated Valazza’s last album but songs such as ‘Tender Lately‘ and ‘Bootstrap’s are very impressive while, once again, the album ends on a high note with ‘Who Cares’ which shoehorns all of Ms. Borax’s talent into one very likeable song.”

-Paul Kerr, Americana UK

Read the whole article here: https://americana-uk.com/auk-shortcuts-january-2024-doug-schmude-cary-morin-lars-nagel-sturt-avenue-dusty-wright-puppets-for-poets-grey-delisle-thanks-light-light-coloured-coat-the-lovely-basement-rain-town-seers

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I am an American Jew, educated, like most American Jews, in a Zionist way. I snapped out of it ten years ago, when I lived in Israel-Palestine for four months, studying the complicated conflict and rich cultures of the region. I lived on a Kibbutz in the Negev desert, attended a water rights conference at the Dead Sea alongside Israelis, Jordanians, and Palestinians, and met international peace workers striving to find a better way.

I visited, not just Jerusalem & Tel Aviv (as most American Jews do), but also Bethlehem & Hebron (as most American Jews are told to be too scared to do). I saw "the other side" of the wall, cut straight through the heart of a Palestinian city, not neatly tucked away against an Israeli highway. I saw the colorful calls for freedom painted upon the concrete. I walked through the clanking metal-gated checkpoints made to make us feel more animal than human, and watched as 18-year-old boys in uniforms pulled men aside and told them that they were not allowed to go to work that day.

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Blair Borax awarded “Echo Fund” grant to support the making of her sophomore album ‘Tender Lately.’

“Musicians must be able to make ends meet in Portland, where disappearing revenue streams—sales of recorded music have dried up thanks to streaming platforms like Spotify that pay very little—make it increasingly difficult to afford the city’s rising cost of living.

“Musicians were considered too commercial to receive arts and culture grants, but they’re also considered too creative to get business grants, even though they are, in fact, creative entrepreneurs,” she explained. “So they’ve been left in the middle.”

“So we created MusicOregon to support creative empowerment in a way that says, ‘These are culture creators and they are important. They needed to be sustained or … they will stop what they’re doing or they’ll move away to find a creative life somewhere else.’”

Read the whole article in the Portland Mercury here: https://www.portlandmercury.com/music/2023/11/27/46895613/musicoregon-awards-57000-in-grants-to-18-portland-and-vancouver-area-musicians

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Portland’s Blair Borax talks with Indie/Alt about her upcoming album, Tender Lately, her latest single “Call Me Lazy”, and her years-long journey to finding herself in her sound and her music. Photos courtesy Blair Borax.

Borax’s latest single from the record, “Call Me Lazy”, which dropped on September 29, finds its origins on the road. At the beginning of this year, Borax moved into her new apartment, throwing her stuff quickly into the new space before immediately leaving for another tour—a residency at Suttle Lodge in Sisters. Staying in a little cabin on the lake, it was there that Borax found time to focus on her art, making a goal to write a song everyday.

Read the whole thing here.

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It’s been one year (and some change) since I said goodbye to my day job (teaching at a K-8 school) and hello to self employment. That also meant saying goodbye to alarm clocks, the Monday through Friday grind, a steady (albeit very modest) paycheck, paid time off, and employer-sponsored benefits. It meant saying hello to being my own boss, having way more fun but way less structure, racking up the miles on my lil soobie, and making who-knows-how-much money each month.

It’s been a weird, wild, and wondrous year, so I wanted to take a moment to reflect..

If I could tell my past self one thing, I’d say, “Take the leap already! What are you afraid of?” If you wait until you feel ready / without-a-doubt / perfect, you’ll never do it. Yes, it will feel scary as all hell, but it will also make you feel alive. And, it would be a shame to waste your one and only lifetime feeling anything less than alive. Oh, and… It may not be as scary as you think, after all.

~~~

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On Sunday, my pal Hayley Lynn and I finally got home after a month on the road and, boy oh boy, were we tired. I treated myself to twelves hour of sleep and permission to stay in bed past noon. It was fantastic.

Now that I am well rested, it’s time to reflect on this rollercoaster ride.

Being on the road is not easy….

I found myself constantly calculating, assessing, and planning:

How long will it take us to get from point A to point B? Where could we find the cheapest gas? Which friend (or friend of friend)’s house would we sleep at tonight? Should we schlep every (and I mean every) thing out of the car and into the house so it wouldn’t get stolen? Did I eat any vegetables today? What time is sound check? Will we get paid tonight?

Oh yeah, and where can I find *a moment* of alone time in between driving 3k miles and playing 16 shows in 30 days?

Spoiler alert: The answer to that last one, most of the time, is no!

~~~

Kvetching aside (that’s yiddish for complaining)…

it was absolutely 100% worth it. 10/10 would (and plan to) do again….

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Tune in to hear Blair’s single ‘Fish Out of Water’ featured on the radio as Kink’s PDX song of the week!

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“On the 7th episode of the board walk I got to sit down with the bold and beautiful Blair Borax. Blair is a folk-pop singer/songwriter based in Portland, Oregon whose music helps us all feel less alone. We sat next to each other on her sunny back porch in NE Portland. Nori, her cat, was staying cool under Blair’s seat. Our throat coat teas were at the brim of our cups. You might want to take this one on a walk and join us as we talk about stepping outside of comfort zones, processing big feelings, taking action, and hope for the future. Oh and of course her new album and upcoming West Coast tour.”

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“Keep Walking” is about trusting my intuition, listening to my body, taking my power back, and moving forward. It will take you on an emotional journey through fear, grief, a lot of anger, some sadness, and eventually, a sliver of hope to keep you going. These are the most vulnerable, honest, and personal songs I’ve ever written, and I offer them to you in the hopes that they will help you keep walking too.

Making music is what I love (more than anything) to do, but it is also expensive. That’s why I am asking for your support.

Your contribution to this kickstarter campaign will not only help me to continue making my art, but it will also support several talented local artists and small businesses to keep making theirs.

The money we raise will help me fund the production, mixing, and mastering of these songs by talented sound engineer and producer James Villa, the making of beautiful album art, music videos, posters, and merchandise by several local Portland artists and businesses, and of course the digital distribution, promotion, and marketing campaign to get this music heard by more ears and healing more hearts.

Donate to the campaign here.

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Blair Borax was interviewed for Portland-based publication Bridgeliner for their “locals to know” segment.

“Now, if you’re ready to jump on this good-thoughts bandwagon, but don’t know where to begin, try this: listen to the music of Blair Borax. She writes songs that are meant to bring joy, laughter and healing, and she sings them with, surely, the new, best voice to come out of Portland. If you like Suzanne Vega, Charlotte Martin, Sam Phillips, Hayley Williams, Tori Amos, Georgia Buchanan (Call me Loup), Regina Spektor, and, yes, maybe even a little FKA twigs, you’ll want Blair Borax on your playlist.

Luckily, since you’re in Portland, you can hear Borax live at theAtlantis Lounge next Saturday, March 5th (she’ll be with Glitterfox). Until then, head to bandcamp on March 4th, to download the entire album.”

Read the whole interview here.

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I did something big today. I sat in the same coffee shop that I have sat in for countless hours over the course of the last five years; the same coffee shop below the yoga studio where I pondered yoga philosophy, and studied for my yoga teacher training tests, and built my yoga business website. I sat in the same coffee shop and took it all down. It’s amazing how little time it takes to click delete on something that you spent hours, months, even years, creating.

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