Blossom Caldarone - Might Smash a Window

Carved into the basalt cliffs of India’s Aurangabad region, the Ellora Caves are among the largest rock-cut cave complexes in the world. A UNESCO World Heritage site, they are renowned for their intricate carvings and monumental sculptures, including the Kailash Temple, a chariot-shaped structure dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.

Within these ancient walls are some of the earliest depictions of Virabhadrasana, or Warrior Pose. Deeply rooted in Hindu mythology, the stance - now commonly practised in yoga - symbolises a warrior confronting their inner adversaries such as fear, doubt and ego. 

On the cover of her recent single Waxing Lyrical, Blossom Caldarone adopts that very pose, dressed in a red leotard and patent leather shoes, she readies herself to do battle with matters of the heart. 

Since its release late last year, the single has gathered steady momentum, earning support and extensive airplay from the likes of Huw Stephens, Amy Lamé and Jo Whiley. Over three minutes she casts a wry, sideways glance at a relationship in slow deterioration. Delivered in Caldarone’s characteristically sardonic style, it is irresistibly replayable.

Built around a pulsing, heartbeat-like rhythm, the song gradually swells with luscious ascending instrumentation, its distinctly British sensibilities coming into sharp focus as she skewers an all-too-familiar romantic archetype. The result is something heartfelt - twee, even - yet carefully balanced between the sentimental and the self-aware. 

A BRIT School alum, Caldarone balances her work as a musical arranger with her career as an artist in her own right. She cites a wide range of influences ranging from Rufus Wainwright and Regina Spektor to Lily Allen and Karen Carpenter. There are also flickers of noughties nostalgia in there too, echoes of Kate Nash or Eliza Doolittle, albeit filtered through a more theatrical lens.

Her new single Wreck marks the second installment from her forthcoming EP, Might Smash a Window, set for release on 10th April via Nice Swan Records. The track is another impressive exposition, a plain-spoken anthem cut from the same cloth as ‘You're So Vain’ by Carly Simon. Written predominantly between 2021 and 2023, the EP functions as a personal time capsule - missives from a former self. 

Navigating your early twenties is rarely straightforward. They are often described as the best years of your life, yet the experience of finding your footing - particularly in a big city - can be tumultuous at the best of time. It is a reality Caldarone recognises. “I was miserable and I was unwell when I wrote those songs,” she tells me with a knowing glance as we discuss her new project that chronicles the ebb and flow of love and life in London town.

The distance between writing and release lends the collection a distinctive sense of humour that sits neatly alongside its obvious emotional resonance. It has also helped shift how Caldarone understands herself. “I’ve always been self-assured outwardly,” she reflects, “but I’m much more inwardly self-assured now.”

It’s a distinction that underpins much of Might Smash a Window: reflective lyrics staged against bold, confident instrumental arrangements that act as a sonic marker of her evolution, both as an artist and an individual. Taken as a whole, the project feels less concerned with certainty than it is with a personal curiosity - an attempt to understand not just what happened, but also why it mattered.

That curiosity has become a cornerstone of her songwriting. “I’m not somebody who enjoys writing about abstract concepts,” she explains. “I write about situations.” Over time however, the meanings of these tracks have naturally loosened from their original circumstances. “When I wrote these songs, they were about very specific things I was going through,” she says. “But in hindsight, they’re really not about that at all. There’s a lot of lyrical projection.”

For Caldarone, her artistry and personal identity have always been inseparable. “Some artists see their projects as a separate entity,” she says, “but I would wholeheartedly say my artist project is just myself.” That closeness allows the songs to reflect not only her experiences, but the process of making sense of them, lending the work a clarity and emotional honesty that feels increasingly rare.

That level of introspection, however, isn’t always comfortable or universally appealing. “Some people don’t ever ask themselves those questions,” Caldarone reflects. “For some reason they’re not digging. Fair fucks, I think those people are often the happiest. But I can’t do that, so asking myself far bigger questions is part and parcel of growing up.” It’s in that restless self-examination that Might Smash a Window finds its emotional core.

Across the EP, Caldarone leans into stylistic flourishes that demand confidence, inhabiting them with cast-iron conviction. Her sound feels less like ironic posturing than the product of a clear and settled sense of self. “I like the folky side of that silly indie-sleaze New York thing,” she says. “That’s the music I’m making.”

There are few artists operating in quite the same space. Pursuing something so wilfully unorthodox can be isolating, yet Caldarone remains steadfast in her artistic vision. “When it really matters, when I know what I want to do and how I want to do it, I would never get pushed in any sort of way,” she says. “I just post what I think is good, write what I think is good, say what I think is funny and move on.”

Recorded at Middle Farm Studios alongside producer Pat Pearson, the EP was shaped using what Caldarone describes as a “fairly old-school approach,” an ongoing artistic back-and-forth that gives the project some of its distinct character. One of its defining features is the use of sumptuous string arrangements, woven throughout with restraint and clear intention. Classically trained, Caldarone worked on these parts around a demanding touring schedule, creating a sound that juxtaposes the plainness of her lyrics with a more ornate musical framework. “All the artistry I love is about juxtaposition,” she says.

In that sense, Caldarone’s evolution mirrors the excavation that revealed the Ellora Caves themselves, a gradual stripping back of layers, allowing meaning to emerge slowly and often unexpectedly. With time and distance, this collection of songs have loosened from their original context, becoming something more expansive for both their creator and the listener. They capture moments of great emotional intensity without ever insisting upon their permanence. The gentle reminder, embedded throughout, is not to take the present too seriously. In a few years’ time, we may look back on these feelings with the same mixture of fondness and embarrassment reserved for all those old photos of ourselves from 2016 that are currently doing the rounds.

Might Smash a Window by Blossom Caldarone is out 10th April via Nice Swan Records.