Mal Blum


Mal Blum is an American songwriter, musician, writer and performer from New York. Blum has released six full-length albums, most recently Pity Boy in 2019.

Career

They spent their early career promoting self-booked DIY solo tours and also self-released their early albums before signing to a record label
In 2014, they signed to Don Giovanni records and announced they would be working on a new album produced by Marissa Paternoster of the band Screaming Females. After the Don Giovanni release of You Look a Lot Like Me in 2015, Blum began touring nationally as a band with a bassist and drummer, contributing to what critics called a "more developed but still gritty, punk" sound. Describing the process of making You Look a Lot Like Me, Blum says:
When I wrote all the songs on the album I was so depressed at that time that I actually didn’t have a concept that I was writing songs. But when I started feeling better everything started to come into place: Don Giovanni wanted me to put out the album, then they put me in touch with Marissa to produce it.
Blum was a recurring musical and non-musical guest on The Chris Gethard Show. and has had their music featured on Logo TV's and NewNowNext Music They also have appeared as a musical guest on the Welcome to Night Vale podcast and toured extensively with WTNV live shows in 2018.. In February 2019 Blum released a new single, "Things Still Left To Say," and in March 2019 they toured with Lucy Dacus. That year they released the album Pity Boy.
They have contributed non-musical written work to Autostraddle, Huffington Post, and The Fader.

Personal life

Blum is openly transgender and queer. They attended State University of New York at Purchase. They are Jewish. Of their songwriting style, a recent reviewer writes:
Although their songs’ subject matters often touch on heavier subjects, Blum’s dry approach to otherwise difficult topics typifies Jewish humor.

Discography

  1. Pretty Cute
  2. Christmas Eve
  3. Timebomb
  4. This Is Not A Date
  5. Vegan Song
  6. Westchester County
  7. Worst of All
  8. I Forgot You Were a Feline
  9. Westchester County
  10. Brand New Pivot
  11. When It's New


  1. Cut it off
  2. Dysmorphic
  3. Country Song
  4. Hypocrite
  5. My Name is Earthworm
  6. Waiting In Line
  7. The Suburban Summer Polka
  8. Tumbleweed
  9. Ode to Kulele * video reached number 10 on LOGO's Video of Year for 2009
  10. You Should Be Here
  11. The Jugular
  12. I have been listening


  1. Baltimore
  2. New Year's Eve
  3. For Making Art
  4. Wagon Wheel
  5. Tumbleweed
  6. I Could Tell You


  1. San Cristóbal
  2. Watercolors
  3. Baltimore
  4. New Year's Eve
  5. Fine!
  6. Wait Forever, Baby
  7. Circus Heart Pt. 1
  8. Circus Heart Pt. 2
  9. I Got Drunk
  10. Weary


  1. Overseas Now
  2. Side I'm On
  3. Altitude
  4. The Bodies, The Zombies!
  5. Counting My Breaths
  6. Brooklyn
  7. With Samson In Washington State
  8. The Difference
  9. Valentine's Day


  1. Archive
  2. Better Go
  3. Robert Frost
  4. Cool Party
  5. Split, Splitting
  6. Reality TV
  7. Iowa
  8. Better Than I Was
  9. New Orleans
  10. The Shrink Thinks


  1. Things Still Left To Say
  2. Not My Job
  3. See Me
  4. Odds
  5. Splinter
  6. Black Coffee
  7. Did You Get What You Wanted
  8. I Don't Want To
  9. Salt Flats
  10. Well, Fuck
  11. Gotta Go
  12. Maybe I'll Wait