Damson Blaze

The rock band Damson Blaze – meaning, Purple Flame – was formed by core members Valerie Lloyd (Lead vocals / keyboards /songwriter) and Patrick Gates (Guitar / backing vocals / songwriter), who met while playing in Valerie’s brother’s band. They formed after that project ended and completed the line-up with Roger Poole (Bass) and Roger Lee (Drums). Damson Blaze released 7 singles during 2016 and are currently working on an EP. In the meantime they have dropped a brand new single entitled, “All Locked Up Inside”. With so many hard rock bands sounding sterile and calculated, it makes the rawness, emotion and originality of this female fronted unit stand out even more.

Damson Blaze are back with even more aptitude and passion than ever before. The guitars are heavier, the bass is thumping and the drumming is impeccable. Talk about empowerment, Damson Blaze is just the band anyone needs to get their full dose of originality and rock n’ roll.

Banging, beautiful, and beyond brilliant, this group of rockers probably know exactly how to blow the roof off of any venue, kill a crowd with one look, and stop time with a single chord. All that said, Damson Blaze is something else, always creating smashing music and performing like nothing else matters.

Rock n’ roll is a lifestyle, let’s be honest. With hearts of gold and minds of steel, Damson Blaze have been a formidable group right from the start. Always having music in mind, the band formed with the ultimate goal of creating their futures.

Taking girl power to a whole never level, Valerie Lloyd sounds like she has had music running through her blood since birth. With their extreme musician mastery and insane skill to make anything sound phenomenal, this band is more impressive with each passing release.

In my honest opinion “All Locked Up Inside” is Damson Blaze’s best work yet. It takes me back to a time when the music was the driving force for artists, creating something they loved and not simply conforming to the mainstream and the expectations of the top charts.

Though to be fair this song is very relatable and catchy. The track switches between hard and heavy rock passages, to softer, melodic verses, giving listeners a break to focus on the lyrical content of the song. It is a modern translation of what made rock music of the late 70s, 80s and early 90s so great.

The song gives Valerie a place to show the range of her voice, proving she is here to stay and that she and the band can not only sing us to sleep but wake us from that slumber with a punch in the face and a broken nose. “All Locked Up Inside” kicks off with an understated intro, deep-grooving drums, and an immense, spiraling breakdown, before taking flight.

Damson Blaze pulled out all the stops and fine-tuned every aspect of their sound, from the songwriting and arrangement, to the lyrics and even the production which showcases a resonating lead guitar solo section. The track, as a whole, transports you to a different time but remains firm in the rock story that needs to be told today. - Jam Sphere

Review by: Justyn Brodsky
Female vocals? Check. Catchy chorus? Check. A guitarist with enough Flying V’s to fill an entire room? Check.

With a great combination of 80’s and 90’s Female-fronted rock with some of today’s mainstream sensibilities, Virginia quartet Damson Blaze delivers a fresh in-your-face rock anthem with their newest single “Hush”.

You can definitely hear some of our favorite iconic influences from this band, including Deep Purple, Rush, and a pinch of Pearl Jam. However Damson Blaze have manifested into a sound that is recognizable, lovable, and focuses more on writing some killer rock songs to entertain the crowd rather than delving into some sort of “experimental multi-genre” spinoff that falls flat most of the time. This band is ready to be loud, fun, and always makes sure there’s room for a shredding guitar solo.

“Hush” is not designed to be your next overly-versatile daring take on rock, they just keep it real. Good riffs, fun live show, a swell Martha Davis style vocal approach, and something that easily sticks in your head. It’s not aimed to change the game, it’s aimed at making it better altogether. Because when it comes to Rock nowadays, some bands and artists tend to insult the genre by over analyzing their mixes and using far too many EDM or electronically integrated plugins for their final touch. But in my opinion Damson Blaze doesn’t have time for those kind of fratty antics. This is simply a “plug in and rock out” persona. No BS needed.

I recommend “Hush” based on the formula that has always worked with Rock. And that’s to simply keep it loud, make it catchy, and never forget to leave room for a guitar solo! “Hush” is the title track of their upcoming EP of the same name. We are itching to hear more of it. And after giving this song a listen yourself, you will be as well. - Artist Reach

In this edition of the Independent Spotlight, we shine our gaze on Damson Blaze, an indie outfit formally known as Dragonfly. The hard rocking trio from Virginia has dropped their latest single, an endeavor entitled ‘Jealousy.’ It’s a punchy, hard-hitting romp through in-your-face rock and roll that means business. Is it worth checking out, though? Let’s dig into the new single and find out.


‘Jealousy’ would probably be best described as heavy rock - it isn’t metal, but it’s definitely not for the faint of heart. It’s a female-fronted band, which is always refreshing, and Valerie Lloyd really commands a unique presence on the tune. Oddly enough, her powerful delivery reminds me a bit of Patti Smith. She performs and emphasizes her phrasing very similarly. (That, of course, is a complement. Who doesn’t love Patti Smith?)

As one might expect given the title, the track is about the trappings of jealousy, aligning it with a dark, brooding ‘green-eyed monster.’ Lyrically, the track is brief, almost written in a punk-esque fashion that emphasizes Lloyd’s epic declarations over a cinematic soundscape. A critique, though - Lloyd is mixed very dry. A little bit of reverb or atmosphere on her vocals would blend her into her surroundings far better.

Instrumentally, the track is sound as could be. Guitarist Patrick Gates and drummer Dakota Gutierrez have a good musical rapport, and the track is executed rather flawlessly. I like Gates’ intermittent solos spaced around the song rather than a traditional, elongated ‘solo section.’ It’s a tiny thing, but it’s enjoyable, nonetheless. Gates’ stylings border into metal territory, but they perfectly accentuate the other pieces of Damson Blaze’s puzzle.

‘Jealousy’ is a fine track. It’s slickly produced, very well performed, and a good excursion through heavy rock and roll. To be blunt, most indie bands in this territory fall flat on their faces, burdened by tropes and poor production. Not Damson Blaze, though, and that’s admirable. My only real critique is the vocal mix; I think it could have been organized into the landscape of the track a bit better - Brett David Stewart