Lead singer Charlie Hilton  Photo by Katie Howard

Lead singer Charlie Hilton sings for the Bottletree crowd, March 19
Photo by Katie Howard

When Portland-based Blouse came to play the Bottletree Cafe on March 19 with the Dum Dum Girls, I had the pleasure of sitting down with the band – in one of the famed Bottletree Airstream trailers no less – to chat about their dark and dreamy sound, as well as their sophomore album Imperium (which is a permanent fixture in my car’s 6-disk changer). Conversation turned to blue corn grits, Southern hospitality and a mishap with a hearse-turned-limo.

Listen below as we discuss:

The Origin Story of Blouse

Their daring entrance into the music scene

How much of Portlandia is true (apparently a solid “70 percent”)

The Legend of Bottletree

The Stockholm syndrome that is South By Southwest

Blouse at Bottletree Cafe in Birmingham Photo by Katie Howard

Blouse on the Bottletree stage in Birmingham, March 19
Photo by Katie Howard