As seen in Guitar Girl Magazine Guitar Girl Magazine Special Edition – I Belong – July 2023
Self-described as “everyone’s fav auntie,” Astin literally rocks your world. She is the lead singer and guitarist for the R&B rock band Thee BLK Pearl. Her Mississippi roots come through in her music; you can hear the influence of blues and soul in Thee BLK Pearl’s distinctive sound. But Astin is not just a musician of Thee BLK Pearl. She’s also a filmmaker. Her background in music and film gives her a unique perspective on how she approaches making her art. In this exclusive interview, learn more about Astin’s musical muses, the music-making process, and advice about working in the film industry.
Who is Astin Rocks and Thee BLk Pearl? How would you describe your style of music? Where did you pull inspiration from to write your debut EP, 2:22?
Whew! I would describe Astin Rocks as everybody’s favorite auntie. She is a lover, a fighter, a truth-teller, and a riot. She’s got Cardi B and Stephanie Mills on the same playlist—a modern mystic with classic tastes and a chronic addiction to buying boots.
Thee BLK Pearl is a modern rock culmination of every era of Black music. At least, I say so. My roots are from Mississippi, so when I pull musical influences, I’m taking directly from the blues that birthed American music in the first place and marrying it to modern-day punk expressions. Simply put — I be yelling!
Shortly before turning 30, I hit a wall working in the film industry because I had been holding in this anger; these unexpressed and suppressed emotions walking around stone-faced and smiling on set weren’t doing it for me. I needed to create again, but I didn’t want it to hinge on some grant that would never come or some editor that I couldn’t afford. I was mad at many people, and arguably myself, and needed to express it now. I didn’t want it in a script, and I didn’t feel like being poetic about it. I wrote “Top Notch Goddess” first, with the lyrics, “You know I don’t f**k with you!” and started there. I leaned into that. TNG is a song of wrath, “Thank You” of gratitude, and “Unholy Shrine,” calling pleasure into my life after experiencing so much shame.
When I got to a friend’s event, I enlisted an old friend, Fred Robinson, and a newer friend Noelani Manami. Thee BLK Pearl started as a trio with guitar-bass-drums, then back down to a bass-drums duo, and now we’re inching back to a trio! I want to keep the sound stripped like a backyard punk band, with the soul and fervor of your great-great grandpa’s favorite blues artist.
You picked up the bass guitar during the 2020 pandemic; what made you want to learn the bass guitar?
Funny enough, I avoided it for years! I’ve wanted to learn bass since I was 16, but I bought into this idea that it was too late. So one day, at 29, this filmmaker I met was casting actors for a punk music mockumentary — that’s where I met Noelani. I landed that role and had to learn bass for the role. I was terrified because everyone told me bass was harder than guitar, and well, I’m sorry, y’all, but lead guitar and I do not get along! I picked up the bass, and it immediately felt like an old friend. My favorite part was coming up with simplistic, hard-hitting basslines. I only needed one finger on the string at a time to do it!
The film didn’t pan out, and then the pandemic shutdown hit. In the meantime, our music supervisor and teacher, Mike, sold me one of his old basses and encouraged me to keep going. So I did.
What does your current practice routine consist of?
Currently, I’m on my worst behavior, practice-wise. For my band, we practice once weekly, twice when we’re in our writing bag. I like to listen to a favorite song repeatedly before finally playing the bass along with it, especially when I am learning different genres. It allows me to access a different part of myself. I hit up my friend and mentor, Carlos Laquanious when I want to practice stage presence.
I love Orange Amp products — honestly, I just want to shake the floor.
What is on your dream list for gear? What makes your bass guitar unique to you? What aspects of your setup are essential for performing live?
Charlie is my bass’ name! She means so much to me because she kept me from hitting rock bottom. Dream lists for gear?! Okay, I want a Golden Age Vintage Ribbon Microphone, a BOSS VE-20 Vocal Processor for voice. For bass – ah, man, I’m still learning! I am still researching. I know I love Orange Amp products — honestly, I just want to shake the floor.
Do you feel like performing live on stage allows you to escape to become Astin Rocks?
I think, at first, I concentrated on sounding “legit.” Now, into my second year, I wouldn’t say it’s an escape but a super-charged version of myself.
What is the most rewarding part of being a multifaceted artist?
The most rewarding part is that I have multiple ways of telling a story. I can visually tell stories through film, and even then, I have the choice of telling a linear or nonlinear story. Or I can tell the story through music — a song is like a bite-sized time capsule, and it doesn’t even have to be the whole objective truth, just my truth. The story doesn’t have to die inside me; I think the greatest reward is that I get to see or hear the story live on.
Where do you feel the most powerful as an artist, on stage and in the studio?
I liken stage power to firepower and studio to waterpower — both strong and valiant, but very different.
Stage power reminds me of a superpower that can be underestimated. So whenever someone expects me to sound one way or play a specific type of song or flowery poem, I get to quickly dispel the noise. It’s fun telling them, “Nah!”
The studio is a waterpower because it requires a lot of trust, team-building, team-leading, and relinquishment. You go into the studio with a direction, but you must flow with the environment to get there. It takes a strong person to know how to flow.
My favorite is the stage because I can throw my instruments in a car, load in, do my business, and leave immediate impressions. But there is a reward in playing the studio long game.
What do you love about being a musician? Who are your influences?
I love expressing my sensual side as a musician. When I perform, I do so with my whole body. I love giving rage, giving touch. I love interacting with the audience. I love improvising with my team on stage. I genuinely like making the performance a whole experience.
SO MANY influences! So here’s a short list of some faves:
- Jill Scott
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
- Motown/Disco from 1975-1982 (esp. Frankie Beverly & Maze)
- System of A Down
- Leon Bridges
- Gary Clark, Jr.
- Alabama Shakes
- CAKE
- Ben Hill UMC Music Ministry
- Shirley Caesar
- Amy Winehouse
- Sade
- Nina Simone
You have been a vocalist for over a decade. What does musicianship mean to you? What makes a good singer? How do you balance singing and playing bass guitar?
Musicianship means treating your body like an instrument. You are an extension of whatever instrument you play. The voice is no different. I’m square with it — I don’t smoke before singing, drink dairy or red wine that much — I am adamant about drinking fluids that hydrate my throat. I don’t play about dieting. A good singer practices silence and knows their tone.
What are some pros and cons of being an independent artist? How did you transition into writing and producing for others?
Cons: The finances. The grants, loans, and struggle to prevent a lack mentality. Some nights you feel alone. Sometimes you have to pivot, and there’s no direction. The pressure is suffocating at times.
Pros: The team-building. You are learning to trust, learn your best skills, sharpen the challenging ones, and make lifelong friends during the process. Creating something you’re proud of. Transforming into who you want to be is fun when you let it.
Writing and producing for others and myself worked in tandem. I produced for others before producing for myself. I wrote for myself before collaborating in others’ writing rooms. What makes writing for self easy is that you can find your voice before lending it out to other people. With producing, there’s no similar formula. You are the parent, and the project is the baby. You are responsible for everyone’s needs, from costuming budget to the vegan pa’s lunch. Producing is consulting yourself about accepting responsibility.
Importance: We’re all building. We’re all climbing up together. We all have different perspectives. Nothing happens if we all sit around and wait for opportunities to fall out of the sky.
How much of yourself is poured into your work as a producer and writer? Do you ever write about your experiences as a woman in the arts? Why is it vital for you to give your work and the work you produce/write for others a voice?
I’m just learning to set myself as the person away from myself, the producer. I conflated what I do and who I am for a long time. Separating the two has definitely impacted my workflow, but I think for the better. I write about my experiences as a woman in the arts ALL the time.
Importance: We’re all building. We’re all climbing up together. We all have different perspectives. Nothing happens if we all sit around and wait for opportunities to fall out of the sky.
During your 13 years ( and counting) in the film industry, you have written and produced a large body of work, including narrative films, you have written and produced comedy series, and you are currently working on Season 2 of your latest counterfeit-crime comedy, “Real Fakes” set be released summer 2023. You have also produced visual albums and short promos of local businesses in your hometown of Atlanta, GA. Talk to us about your experiences in the film industry as a writer and producer.
The highlights of my experience come from collaborating with other filmmakers. That bit Issa Rae said about networking across — works every time.
What made you want to become a writer and producer? Where did you pull inspiration from at the inception of your career?
I’m a storyteller first. I wanted people to see the stories I wrote. I started as a Disney kid wanting more Black Disney princesses, then slowly transformed into a Billy & Mandy fanatic, which informed my sardonic nature in storytelling.
Let’s talk about your show, “Real Fakes”; what is it about, and what can fans anticipate for Season 2? How did Season 1 end? Where can we catch Season 2 of “Real Fakes?”
Season 1 is on YouTube! Season 2 — wait and see!
Why was it important to you to give a voice to the current climate of society and its shortcomings?
When I create things that touch on society, it’s me just processing what‘s around me. It’s me making sense of the absurdities.
Watching submissions inspires me and my creative process as a storyteller for one.
You work as a Narrative Shorts Programmer at the Atlanta Film Festival. Can you tell us more about that? How do you use your voice to celebrate other creators you believe in? Why is it important to you to uplift emerging and underground talent?
I love it! All of it. Watching submissions inspires me and my creative process as a storyteller for one. But aside from that, I’m reinvigorated from learning about issues that impact us on different sides of the planet and who gets to tell that story. How and what tools are used to tell those stories? It’s exciting to see who we’ll all be fans of tomorrow! And, in an industry that marginalizes filmmakers — intentionally or unintentionally — I like to be a part of the team that pushes diverse voices through the noise.
What advice can you give those wanting to work in the film industry as writers and producers?
It’s a practice. There is this inclination or this notion about “making it.” It can cloud you. It can make you feel discouraged faster because you’re looking for validation as your reward. Your reward is the process. Your reward is practice. Practice producing for your friends. Write films simple enough to shoot on an iPhone. So when you get hired in writing rooms or producer’s offices, you have some experience. You can practice taking the initiative without permission because that will take you further.
By Guitar Gabby, Jennale Adams and Fayola White