motel void

MOTEL VOID: You’ve just released your new single Jacaranda. Can you tell us more about the writing and recording process? Will it be part of an upcoming album?

BLANCO TRANCO: Jacaranda is indeed the lead single from our debut album, due out later this year.

Our writing process usually starts with Matt (guitarist) creating an instrumental demo, then Tiff (vocalist) writes the lyrics and melodies, and we workshop it together. This album, however, saw a bit more collaboration: Mark (bassist) wrote instrumental demos for a couple of tracks, and on one song, Tiff wrote the vocals first, with Matt building the instrumental parts around them.

We’ve been recording the album with Calum Newton over the last year, spreading sessions across three weekends in Autumn, Winter, and Spring of 2024, and (Aussie) Summer 2025. Juggling demanding day jobs and personal lives means one long recording session just wasn’t feasible. But this practical constraint actually turned into a powerful creative catalyst. Roughly half of the album’s songs were written during those recording periods themselves. This organic songwriting process led to a new and unexpected sound for some of our tracks. It’s been pretty cool to see how real-world limitations can spark exciting artistic breakthroughs.
Our usual process involves recording bass and drums together to lock in the rhythm section, then overdubbing guitars and vocals.

MOTEL VOID: In 2023, you released the single Lara, which saw considerable success on streaming platforms. Has that success had a noticeable impact on your career?

BLANCO TRANCO: The success of Lara on streaming platforms has definitely raised our profile overseas, even if it hasn’t drastically changed things locally. It’s cool to get messages from new fans in the States and Europe. We’ve heard some funny stories about where people first discovered the song – apparently, it’s gotten a surprising amount of play in gyms!

MOTEL VOID: Were you involved in any musical projects prior to launching Blanco Tranco in 2021?

BLANCO TRANCO: Before launching Blanco Tranco in 2021, we were all involved in different musical projects:

Tiff has, and still maintains, an awesome solo project that’s definitely worth checking out.

Matt was in a UK band called The Moomins as a teenager, drawing influences from bands like Sonic Youth and Pixies.

Mark played in various punk bands in Canberra.

Sophie studied jazz drumming and also played in funk bands, also in Canberra.

MOTEL VOID: You’re based in Melbourne, Australia – how would you describe the local music scene? Are there any local artists or venues you’d particularly recommend?

BLANCO TRANCO: Melbourne’s music scene is incredibly vibrant! We’re lucky to have a wealth of great venues like Old Bar, Bergy Bandroom, The Retreat, and Night Cat.

For local artists, we highly recommend checking out:

Flyying Colours (shoegaze)
Gut Health (dance punk)
Dogworld (post punk/folk)
TILE (post punk/rock)
Human Intrusion (gothic post punk)
Close In (darkwave)
Wilding (britpop)

MOTEL VOID: Who are your biggest musical influences at the moment?

BLANCO TRANCO: Matt has been diving deep into ambient music lately, including Aphex Twin (SAWII), Brian Eno (Apollo), and Burial (Untrue). He’s also been obsessed with Siouxsie and the Banshees’ album ‘Tinder Box.’ Tiff has been listening to The Story So Far, Dora Jar, Yumi Zouma, Spacey Jane, Day Wave, Charli XCX.
Sophie has been listening to Clairo, Chappell Roan, Bon Iver.
Mark has been listening to CCFX.

MOTEL VOID: Do you have any plans to support your new album with live shows?

BLANCO TRANCO: Yes, absolutely! We definitely plan to support the new album with live shows. We have a couple more singles lined up for release, and live show dates in Melbourne will be announced on our socials soon!