Meet Arielle O’Keefe (Girl Blue)

Vocal powerhouse coming THROUGH. Arielle O’Keefe a.k.a. Girl Blue a.k.a. Rod Stewart’s best opener lives up to her (stage) name with a whole lot of bluesy and soulful and mournful sounds. This girl’s got more emotion in her thumb than I ever will. Does that make her a “blue thumb”? Is that a horrible horrible pun? Are you cringing? I’m cringing / crying.  

Regardless, Girl Blue delivers with a whole lot of heart and hooks and love that oozes through her songwriting and vocals. We called up this artist (peep that portrait below) to chat about her creative process, drinking games, and sneezing. Check it out and give her latest release, Home Movies, a listen below!

Would You Rather…

get to go into space, or visit the titanic? Why?

SPACE. Because it’s space. The new frontier.

Some Questions Girl Blue

What did you want to be growing up?

A famous musician :D

Describe your sound in three colors.

Blue (obv), purple and red-orange

Your latest release "Home Movies" seems to be a departure from your previous releases. What drew you towards the more stripped-down sound?

I've played like 250 solo shows over the past two years, because it's just way easier to travel that way, and because it felt like a good way to "introduce" myself intimately to crowds. After shows a lot of people were asking for an acoustic CD that felt like the live shows, so I made "Home Movies".

What was the best encounter you had with a fan?

Hmm. There was a woman at one show who I could see was really having an emotional time listening, and afterwards she hugged me for a long time and told me my music was helping her get clean and sober. That was pretty heavy.

What was the creative process like producing your live Solo album "Home Movies"?

Super simple. I just went in and tracked live takes. Did each song twice I think and picked the better take. I wanted to leave in a couple little moments that weren't "perfect". I just wanted it to feel raw and live.

What does your family think of your music?

They are big fans and supporters, I'm lucky in that way.

What is the best drinking game to play with people? (have you ever invented one?)

Ha! We used to play one where you had to drink liquor like it was water and you were reaalllyy thirsty -- your face couldn't betray you, you had to look like you were really enjoying it. Actually we only did that once. That was a really bad idea.

What do you like best about the NYC music scene?

It's vibrant as hell. There's so much talent all around. I love how competitive it feels -- makes you wanna push, be better.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

When people sneeze a lot of times in a row. I know it's not their fault, it just annoys the hell out of me.

Which was better Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network?

Ahhh, I was more a Nickelodeon kid. But no disrespect, Cartoon Network had some great stuff going on too.

Any final comments? (This is your electronic soapbox for one last answer.)

Thank you for the easiest most convenient interview ever.