Blusher, the Melbourne-based alt-pop trio of Miranda Ward, Lauren Coutts, and Jade Ingvarson-Favretto, are embracing life on the move.
Late-night dancefloors, spontaneous songwriting, and post-party moments keep their creativity flowing.
Right now, LA’s their home base. “We’ve got six more weeks here,” Ward says, chatting to Rolling Stone AU/NZ from their shared spot in the city. “We travel so much these days. We’ve just embraced living out of a suitcase now.”
Ingvarson-Favretto adds, “We’ll go out together, have a big night in New York or wherever, and those are the moments we love to write about. Honestly, I think our best stuff comes out of a hangover cloud.”
With their high-octane EP Racer and a recent North American tour supporting Swedish duo NOTD, Blusher are picking up serious momentum. Now signed to Atlantic Records in the US (and Warner Music in Australia), Racer is set to introduce their euphoric, club-ready sound to new listeners.
“It used to be people we met at shows messaging us,” says Ward. “Now we’re getting DMs from places we haven’t even been to yet, asking us to come play. We’re like, ‘Cool, let’s do it.’”
Since forming in 2021, Blusher have carved out a space in alt-pop with empowering lyrics, nostalgic synths, and a sound that’s both polished and chaotic in the best way. Their debut EP, Should We Go Dancing?, made a statement, and Racer is their way of turning up the volume.
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Much of Racer was written during a three-month sprint in LA, where they found themselves at the heart of a buzzing creative scene. “There’s this season when all the Swedish songwriters are in town,” laughs Ward. “It’s super collaborative. We’ve learned something from everyone.”
For Blusher, collaboration is key. “Our music comes from the three of us being on this journey together,” Ward explains. “We give each other energy and confidence, and we write songs for each other. It’s our way of reminding ourselves that it’s not that deep, or that it’s time to go out and have fun.”
Packed with high-gloss, high-energy tunes, Racer is full of joy, love songs, and plenty of dancefloor anthems. Their live shows serve as a testing ground, with Ward adding, “It’s great to try songs out before releasing them. It’s always unexpected which ones people respond to.”
They’ve even been handing out demo CDs, calling them “little secret mixtapes.” “We ask fans for feedback,” Ingvarson-Favretto grins. “It’s a little old-school, but it’s super fun.”
Blusher’s concept for Racer revolves around clubbing as a sport. “Pop music is what I go to when I need energy,” Coutts says. “Jade had this idea of our music community being like a sport, and we leaned into it.” They packaged the EP around that concept: sparkly fun “for the girls and the gays.”
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Fashion, visuals, world-building — it’s all part of their universe. “We’re always thinking about how it all connects,” says Ingvarson-Favretto. “We want Blusher to be bigger than the music.”
The bond between the three of them is at the heart of Blusher’s process. “We’re all overthinkers, so making each other laugh and being silly is how we get out of that,” says Ward. “It’s so important to bring it back to the bubble of the three of us and remind ourselves why we started this band in the first place.”
“It still feels like cousins at a sleepover making up songs and dances in their bedroom,” laughs Coutts.
The trio’s humour keeps it lighthearted, even when big moments arrive. Like the time they played their first-ever live set at BIGSOUND, then signed a major label deal immediately afterwards. “We came off stage, popped a bottle of champagne, and carried our gear out through the back door,” Ward recalls. “It was a huge moment for us.”
“I remember a friend once said, ‘You might go to America,’ and I was like, ‘No way, surely that can’t happen.’ And now here we are, in spaces most people never get to experience. It’s crazy,” says Coutts.
Blusher are ambitious, self-described “music nerds” at heart. “We want it all: more tours, remixing the EP ourselves, inviting other artists to flip our tracks, leaning into fashion, maybe even living in New York for a while. And we definitely want to go to Japan,” Ward adds. “We’re really living in this era.”
Take “Last Man Standing”, one of Racer’s high points. It’s about being the last few still dancing, drenched in sweat and joy. “It’s nostalgic and hazy, like the peak of the night,” says Ingvarson-Favretto. “It’s got a real ABBA soul to it… There was something magic in the room.”
Blusher may not be chasing medals, but their passion is undeniable. “It’s not about being the best dancer or runner, it’s about giving it your all. There’s this line, ‘Doing it for the love of the sport,’ and we love that,” Ingvarson-Favretto adds.
Blusher are doing just that. Pop music is their sport, and they’re in it for the long game.
This Blusher interview features in the June-August 2025 issue of Rolling Stone AU/NZ. If you’re eager to get your hands on it, then now is the time to sign up for a subscription.
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