BlVck Hippie

Blvck Hippie is an Indie-rock band hailing from Memphis, TN. The absolutely unique and talented band makes VHS-inspired music that not only carries meaningful messages but also beats and tunes you want to bop your heads to. The band teaches all the black kids that it’s okay to be different and even weird.

The indie-rock band was born out of frontman Josh Shaw’s bedroom in 2018 when they created music together in their Junior Year of college. They got their name from Shaw's mother, who nicknamed him a black hippie. But the name perfectly fits the band because of the kind of music. They combine deep, meaningful, and melancholy lyrics with dreamy guitar and stylistic drums to create music that can be best described as 'VHS-inspired rock.'

 The entire sad boy indie-rock band consists of Josh Shaw as a guitarist and vocalist, Casey Rittinger on Drums, Tyler Marberry on Bass, and Kathy Zhou on Keys. The band brings fresh tunes that are simultaneously a nod to punk rock from the past. Truly, they are a rising force in the current Memphis indie music scene.

Blvck Hippie’s debut LP is considered an apt soundtrack to many young teens' lives. Titled 'If You Feel Alone at Parties,' it talks about those late nights when you are surrounded by lots of people at parties but simultaneously feel all alone. It also discusses the self-doubt that washes over you in those moments. From the lyrics to the sound, the entire song brings a coming-of-age realness that only a few bands can do.

This band’s music is ultimately unique and incorporable to any sounds of the current rock bands. They lend inspiration from Kid Cudi, The Cure, The Smiths, The Strokes, and Violent Femmes. The man leading the band, Josh Shaw, credits his inspirations Kanye West and Kid Cudi to allowing him to create music like If You Feel Alone at Parties. He was motivated by them to push his boundaries and embrace his uniqueness. And this is what he wants black kids worldwide to learn as well.

Blvck Hippie creates an amalgamation of powerful sounds unmatched to an indie-rock band. The guitar tones are a reinvented version of 80s dream pop while the drums and vocals cannot be more R&B. Truly, they combine all genres from pop, rock, grunge to R&B and indie.

The melancholic, heartfelt, and anxiety-riddled music of Blvck Hippie showcases their personalities and tells everyone that they are not alone as much as they think they are. In a lot of ways, they represent the current generation's yearning to be seen and heard. It is clear that they will become the voice of the generation that is sometimes marginalized and pushed to the side in the future.

Blvck Hippie represents all the black kids who are ridiculed or made to feel different. It tells them that they are not alone in their struggles and embrace this uniqueness. It is clear that as the band continues to grow, so will its fan base.