She’s a vessel for intense emotional growth, and just the same, a waterfall of expression when she hits the stage, expelling all the moments that made her, leaving nothing but sweat, tears, and a crumpled up piece of silky lingerie- maybe metaphorically, maybe literally, depending on the night. She overcame mountains without even knowing it, through 18 and 19 year old lyrics, foreshadowing the strong woman she didn’t know, but would soon become. Her voice, striking and whaling, pierces through the room as the instrumentals dance around it, pairing together like flames rising out of a fire into the night. And far from a producer, she’s produced theatrical shows so people can fall in love in front of her. But who’s writing about her? Who’s giving her praise? Well, honey, consider this piece a polaroid left on the sticky, beer stained floor from the last installation of Uma’s Room because I may have fallen in love with YOU during our interview 😉

Okay, that last sentence was dramatic. But Uma Bloo knows how to bring on the drama. With a background in acting, theatre, and most impactful to her music, burlesque, Uma Bloo was a burlesque character Molly Madden created to transcend… in her new life in Chicago, in her self confidence, and shortly after, in her musical persona. Originally a solo project, Uma Bloo opened up her dazzling, dreamy doors in 2016 and is now a full fledged band consisting of Molly’s main artistic collaborator, Mike Altergott on lead guitar, Luke Blanco on bass, Steven Rutledge on drums, and Carla Badami on violin and guitar.

Uma Bloo continues to redefine what performance means and how truly divine the experience can be if you make it your own. Doing just that, Uma Bloo created a series of live shows that invite people into Uma’s world, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. Playing with the idea of live-action museums, epic opportunities for photo opps you’d never find at a regular venue, and the palpable satisfaction of making a space for herself where other people can experience something different and experience HER the way she dreamed up in her imagination- now that’s divine. 

Having seen major success with these shows, Molly said every show would be a version of this if she had the resources. The ideas are endless when it comes to her stage. However, when you think of a powerful rocker, and someone who puts so much value in creating a space for human experience and interaction…you could imagine where Uma Bloo finds the mundane in the world of music and art. It rhymes with WELL FUCK ME I GUESS-A- GRAM. Yeah, Instagram. We had a long chat about that old flick of the wrist. Here’s the thing. Instagram….as much of a necessary and opportunistic platform as it is, it couldn’t be further from Uma’s Room. She doesn’t have anywhere to scream, anywhere to dance, anywhere to be let off her leash. Uma Bloo doesn’t like being confined to captions, crops, or how many times she should post, and I don’t blame her. As a person, I mean, sure. But artists aren’t supposed to be people on instagram. And it’s that phrase: “supposed to” that frustrates the royal hell out of artists like Uma Bloo who recognize the need to be on social media, but wish they could live in that fantasy world they created and have it last longer than just one amazing night. But Molly and I both know better than that.

In a nutshell, Molly is a dimensional woman and performer and Uma Bloo is a wildly fun, daring, and vibrant band. She explores juxtapositions sonically and visually, whether by wearing a slip and feathered heels while laying in a macho, messy bedroom, or singing what some would call a love song while vomiting up green goo and being seemingly possessed by a monster in her “All for You” video.

Uma Bloo has a single coming out titled “Coming Home,” about estrangement, and if you guys aren’t on the edges of your seats, SCOOT. Personally, it reminds me of burning, fields, fires, and dancing- dancing hard-like really jerking around in ways your body didn’t ever move before in unapologetic, somewhat angry ways, and then peacefully by the end. Instrumentally and vocally, the song is a closer. It’s big, it’s final, and it’s a statement, from the soft suggestive and coy beginning to the mighty cry at the end. Once you hear this single, you’ll be flooding Uma Bloo’s instagram DMs ( much to her dismay ;)) asking her when her next show is. Uma Bloo is WELL worth the see, and Molly is worth the years of unanswered questions to be as captivating and honest as she is today.