Guy Blakeslee

Interview by Kendall Brown (Editor)

Live images by Oliver Walker

Portraits by Eliot Lee Hazel

Album image by Amanda Charchian

Guy Blakeslee
Guy Blakeslee is an artist & musician residing in LA as well as the front man/guitar player for The Entrance Band.

Guy Blakeslee is a Los Angeles based musician and artist known for his work as front man of the psychedelic blues outfit The Entrance Band. Fresh off the release of the band’s second album, Face the Sun, Guy follows up with his first solo album in ten years. Ophelia Slowly is highlighted by masterful guitar work and poetic, searching lyrics delivered in Blakeslee’s signature wail.

We meet Guy at his record release show at Lolipop Record Store on Glendale Blvd. He was nice enough to talk to us about future plans, confusion on his name, and his thoughts on the reemergence of the cassette tape. Lolipop is planning to release a cassette version of Ophelia Slowly in the coming weeks.

Kendall Brown: So is this your first solo album? I know you had previous solo project called Entrance.

Guy Blakeslee: This is the first release with my actual name. This project is new. Before we had The Entrance Band, I was making records on my own and it was called Entrance and it was just me. Then it kind of evolved into a band. So now this is the first time I’ve put something out just as Guy Blakeslee, so there’s no confusion. If I called myself Entrance now I think people would assume that it was the band. So it’s like a new branch of the tree. We’ve been playing as a group for almost ten years. So yea that name [The Entrance Band] includes everyone.

Interrupted by girl selling tickets for the Low End Theory Festival taking place next door.

KB: Do you have anything in the works for the band at all?

GB: We’re going to do some shows in August on the west coast.

KB: Awesome! Well this seems like a really intimate environment to have a show.

GB: Yea my friends opened this store (Lolipop Records) like a year ago and they’ve been having free all ages shows so yea it’s intimate for sure.

KB: Do you prefer that type of vibe or do you have a preference?

GB: It kind of depends but this being a record release show, I just wanted it to be kind of like an informal, intimate kind of thing.

KB: Yea it’s fitting that it’s in a record store right?

GB: Yea the guys that have the record store are going to put out tape versions of my album.


“…this is the first time I’ve put something out just as Guy Blakeslee, so there’s no confusion. If I called myself Entrance now I think people would assume that it was the band.
So it’s like a new branch of the tree. We’ve been playing as a group for almost ten years.
So yea that name [The Entrance Band] includes everyone.”

KB: So what do you think about this new resurgence of cassette tapes?

GB: I think it’s awesome! I listen to cassettes. I have tapes that I still listen to that I’ve had for like 20 years.

KB: They haven’t worn out or anything?

GB: I keep track of them and keep them in good condition.

KB: I have to break down and buy a cassette player. Remember Walkman’s?

GB: Yea that’s what I still use to play them on the stereo.

KB: Nice. You’re originally from Baltimore right?

GB: Yea.

KB: Yea I actually just moved over here from Baltimore. I used to live off of Charles St.

GB: Yea I used to live near there…I always lived on the northern edge of the city and then further into the city.

KB: Do you ever miss it or are you pretty ensconced here?

GB: Actually in a couple of days I’m going there. I’m going to play New York and Baltimore and Philly and DC. So I get to play in Baltimore and see my family which is cool.

KB: Well I appreciate your time! Thanks for being accessible. I’m a huge fan.

GB: No problem, anytime!

Ophelia Slowly is out now on Everloving Records.

Twitter: @GuyBlakeslee
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guyblakesleeofficial
Tumblr: http://prayerofdeath.tumblr.com/

Kendall Brown is the blog owner of The Nautilusss.

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