The American-British Alt-Rock artist and singer-songwriter Blake Collins releases a blast from the past with his swinging single, "I'm Not Gonna Take It Anymore."
Striving to create a contemporary and timeless sound, Blake Collins' music is often compared to the stylings of The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and The Kinks. Continually writing from a personal and intimate perspective, Blake Collins hopes that his lyrical content will engage listeners to make for a memorable experience.
Recently releasing his upbeat single, "I'm Not Gonna Take It Anymore," Blake Collins takes us back to the groove and swing of the 60s through the high-energy drum patterns, reverb-soaked guitars, and biting piano melodies. While offering an energetic call-and-response vocal arrangement to keep listeners fully locked in, Blake Collins has us moving our feet to every beat.
Taking a listen to Blake Collins' single, "I'm Not Gonna Take It Anymore," he wastes no time and jumps into the tune with layered and retro guitar melodies, lively drum patterns, and his bright McCartney-Esque vocal stylings. Listening to his lyricism, Blake Collins puts an uplifting spin on a troubled relationship as he exclaims his need to flee from someone's unhealthy hold.
We're completely and utterly submerged into the song's nostalgic feel as Blake Collins gives us all the grooves to get up and dance to the song's lively instrumentation and his powerhouse vocals. We highly appreciate the ode to the 60s with this anthemic breakup tune, as Blake Collins livens our current days with hints of the past.
Don't miss out on Blake Collins and his upbeat performance on "I'm Not Gonna Take It Anymore." With help from the exhilarating and reminiscent instrumentals, Blake Collins has crafted an exceptional piece to take us back to simpler times.
We love the nostalgic feel within your single, “I'm Not Gonna Take It Anymore.” What inspired you to create this uplifting and groovy piece?
‘Uplifting’ is the perfect word to describe my new single! It’s a bouncy, upbeat, fun rock song and I’m pleased with how it turned out. As a music listener, my ear naturally gravitates toward music that is interesting and bold while also being fun, catchy, and timeless. With “I’m Not Gonna Take It Anymore,” I was inspired to create a song that satisfies all of these descriptions and moves the listener to feel something.
When creating your single, “I'm Not Gonna Take It Anymore,” what did you initially want listeners to feel from your lyrics and accompanying instrumentation?
For this single, I wanted to produce a catchy rock song with a fun atmosphere and universally relatable lyrics. The story in the lyrics tells of quitting the reliance on others and stepping into a new sense of independence and self-determination. Ultimately, the song is about new beginnings and fresh starts, which can translate into any situation that any one of us have lived through or outgrown. To my mind, it’s a perfect way to start a new year, thematically speaking, which is why I chose it as my first single of 2021. As to the arrangement, I wanted a pared-down, no-frills energetic rocker that excites my listeners and gets them going. Everything I initially wanted for “I’m Not Gonna Take It Anymore” is present here in the single, so I can confidently say that this song — from the feel to the instrumentation — turned out exactly as I wanted it to.
How did you manage to create the instrumentation within “I'm Not Gonna Take It Anymore” to be so nostalgic and reminiscent of the swinging 60s?
The instrumentation in this song is very straightforward: drums, bass, guitars, piano — the type of instrumentation that is characteristic of 1960s rock, but which we also associate with the best-known timeless rock & roll songs. The truth is, these are the instruments that are most immediately accessible to me in my studio residence, so I’m using what’s readily available! It also helps that several of my instruments happen to be vintage pieces from the 1960s. But more than that, to say “I’m Not Gonna Take It Anymore” sounds nostalgic or reminiscent of the 1960s is really to recognize that it has only what it needs to be a great song, and nothing more. Nothing extraneous. No fluff. Only what is necessary. The way so much great music has been produced. My decision to feature only the necessary instrumentation is a significant part of how I make music in general, which has, I think, become a recognizable aspect of my overall sound and brand. That, and “I’m Not Gonna Take It Anymore” has a healthy dose of reverb on it.
Could you tell us more about what inspired your overall sound and brand? Why did you want to create music that gives listeners a blast from the past?
Much of the music that moves and inspires me is pop and rock music of the 1950s, 60s, and ‘70s. There’s a sense of artistry and ingenuity there that I don’t think I hear in modern records, and even in the best-produced records from then there’s a rawness: they’re not auto-tuned, they’re not pristine; they’re in the moment, alive, often spontaneous, and full of indescribably magical energy. When I make music, I try to maintain the spontaneity and immediacy of a take, capturing the fingerprints and the magic of being in the moment. This can easily translate as being a “blast from the past” because it’s not exactly the way music is made today, particularly when contrasted with modern music trends and the production techniques they require. But I’ve always worked this way (especially when I was making music on a tape machine with a limited amount of tracks I could record) — this approach has, I’m sure, contributed to my overall sound and brand.
What has been keeping you inspired to create music? What can we expect to see throughout 2021 from you?
I am always inspired to create music — that never changes and never will, haha! But what’s been really keeping me motivated is the anticipation of releasing my full-length album, “There’s Nowhere Like Here.” “I’m Not Gonna Take It Anymore” will be on the album, as will my two other previously released singles, “She Gives You That Look” and “Your Love Is Good.” My album is the big project for 2021, and you can expect to see more content around this release —including music videos and merchandise — from me; so stay tuned!
