While still riding the high of their 2022 debut album, Summer on A Salt Flat, Denver-based alt-rock group blankslate almost came to an abrupt end last year when they parted ways with their lead singer. Founded by University of Denver roommates Tess Condron (keys, drums, percussion, and backing vocals, often simultaneously) and Rylee Dunn (guitar, bass, vocals), blankslate’s name ironically became a premonition for the duo, who had to start over–then start over again. Originally the band’s guitarist and bassist, Dunn’s recent shift into the role of vocalist has revitalized blankslate’s sound. On their much-anticipated sophomore album Lookout Mountain Charley, blankslate settled comfortably into their new identity, tackling love, loneliness, and their near-demise with grit and gusto.
Though only the last two tracks on Lookout Mountain Charley were written after the band downsized, Dunn and Condron have tag-teamed writing blankslate’s songs since their 2018 beginnings. While both collaborate on the song compositions, Dunn has always been blankslate’s lyricist. “I definitely felt empowered by the idea of singing the lyrics that I had written, and bringing them to life that way. They ended up being a pretty grungy batch of songs, which I feel like fits my voice really well, so I was excited by the prospect of exploring that too,” Dunn shares. “It’s kind of a chicken or the egg thing. Are they grungy because you sing them, or did you sing them because they’re grungy?,” adds Condron.
Dunn has reclaimed her lyrics, imbuing them with a fresh sense of immediacy while propelling blankslate into the punk and grunge territory where they’ve found their footing. “There are times when my voice is like, not pretty. It’s like a yell-y, almost punk thing that’s allowed us to explore an edgier side of our musicianship,” explains Dunn. “Tess and I both really love 90s grunge music, and grew up playing in that style. For a while, we became a little more indie, more pop, and got used to playing that. It’s cool to take the techniques of that, and dirty them up a lot more.” Though a few folkier tracks harken back to early blankslate, the duo’s affinity for ‘90s grunge and garage rock presides over their second album, manifesting in the form of fuzzy basslines, distorted guitars, and bold, uninhibited drumming from the ever-spirited Condron.
Blankslate just kicked off their first international tour, but are coming home to open for Trestles at Black Buzzard on September 12, where they’ll play the new album–and maybe a few old favorites. As they travel across the continent, they continue to remind themselves that despite some low lows, blankslate has also achieved some really high highs. “If this is as far as we get, this moment right now, that’s far enough,” reflects Dunn. “We obviously are ambitious and want the whole world, but if you told eighteen year-old Rylee and Tess that we would play Red Rocks, and travel the country–we’re heading to Canada now–we would have just been completely stupefied.”
