Interview with Forest Blakk

Bringin' it Backwards

We had the pleasure of interviewing Forest Blakk over Zoom video!
Acclaimed singer/songwriter Forest Blakk announces The Love & Loss headline tour across North America with stops at Los Angeles’ The Troubadour, New York City’s Bowery Ballroom and more - see here for full tour routing. Blakk’s headlining trek follows his recent tour run with James Arthur as direct support on his Bitter Sweet Love Tour across the United States and Canada.
Alongside the tour announcement, Blakk has released the deluxe version of new EP Undone (Love & Loss), available now via Atlantic Records. The new track, “The Anchor & The Kite” arrives today alongside its companion animated short film which has clinched 7 awards across various film festivals including Best Animation Film at Cannes World Film Festival, Best Animated Music Video at Rome Music Video Awards, Best Animation and Best Original Score at Rome International Movie Award and more. The award-winning film was directed by long-time creative force Jeff O’Brien Myers, who has worked on notable projects for Coca-Cola, the Obama re-election campaign, Dolby-Atmos and more as well as directed by Blakk himself. The film features music from Blakk, Steve Soloman and David Hodges and was mixed by Michael Freeman.
“"The Anchor & The Kite" is one of the most special pieces of art I've ever created. I had the incredible opportunity to write it with my dear friends, Steve Solomon and David Hodges. The inspiration came to us while chatting in David's studio about love and the unique roles we play in each other's lives. Of course, I was thinking about my wife, Tooley. I was sharing this idea of how some of us are like kites, soaring and inspiring others to dream big, while others are anchors, providing grounding and safety. My wife Tooley is my kite. She floats effortlessly in the sky, inspiring me every day, while I have always felt as though I was grounded, weighted down, that was until I met her. We are perfect for each other, each being the other's counterpart.
As the song took shape, I realized it needed something truly special to bring it to life. I reached out to my multi-talented, genius animator and friend, Jeff Myers. For nearly a year, "The Anchor & The Kite" was at the forefront of our minds, and now, the film is a reality. We’re finally ready to release it like a kite into the world, searching for its anchors. I can’t believe I’m even writing this right now. It feels like a dream.”
-FOREST BLAKK
Released last month, the EP houses “You Were Mine,” and “Love Somebody Again” – both of which recently joined much of Blakk’s discography as featured music on Netflix’s Love Is Blind. Blakk’s catalog has become somewhat of a sonic-staple, with him having been named the “patron saint” of the show by creators with the Los Angeles Times pointing out “(Blakk’s) earnest mid-tempo love songs turn up on ‘Love is Blind’ nearly as often as hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachey.”
Blakk has spent his career soundtracking love stories of all kinds, most recently including his own with “Love Somebody Again” and “I Choose You” – the latter having arrived just days after his Nashville wedding to Tooley Jones in a beautiful ceremony covered exclusively by PEOPLE Magazine (read here). Both songs followed 2022’s intimate and relatable Every Little Detail EP, having featured his breakout Platinum-certified smash single “If You Love Her,” which alone has amassed over 470 million total global streams, earned Blakk his official US chart debut on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart, his national US TV debut on ABC’s Live with Kelly & Ryan, top 30 placement on the Hot AC radio chart & saw the singer/songwriter collaborate with Meghan Trainor on a stunning duet version. Meanwhile, Blakk’s follow-up single “Fall Into Me” (co-written alongside Matchbox Twenty front man Rob Thomas and Gregg Wattenberg) reached top 30 on the Hot AC radio chart and Gold-certification status in his native Canada, in addition to being featured in a perfectly fitting ad campaign for Kay Jewelers.
Highlighted as one of PEOPLE Magazine’s “talented emerging artists making their mark on the musical landscape” and deemed an “artist on the rise” by Billboard, Blakk made his debut with his 2018 EP Minutes and follow-up 2020 sophomore EP Sideways – the latter of which saw Blakk collaborate with the likes of Will IDAP (Train, Florida Georgia Line), Nick Long (King Princess), Carl Ryden (Ricky Martin, David Guetta), Ollie Green (Freya Ridings, Gavin James) & more to tell a love story through an incredibly realistic and candid lens. The 6-track collection featured singles “I Wish I Knew” (deemed an “introspective look at love and love lost” by American Songwriter) and uplifting anthem of resilience “Put Your Hands Up,” which debuted on an episode of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy. A compelling live performer, Blakk has toured extensively supporting NEEDTOBREATHE, Gavin James, Dean Lewis & earlier this year embarked on a sold out 17-date North American headline tour.
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