Q&A: The Deep Blue Find Home Away from Home on Poignant New Single “Porcelain”
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
MANCHESTER INDIE-FOLK QUARTER THE DEEP BLUE return with “Porcelain,” a stirring reflection on homesickness, change and the quiet strength found in friendship. Blending their signature three-part harmonies with introspective lyricism and warm, folk-inspired instrumentation, the track explores the bittersweet process of leaving home and learning to build new ones along the way. As the band recalls the moment they traded familiarity for the rain-soaked charm of Manchester, “Porcelain” captures both nostalgia and renewal—anchored by the band’s deep connection to one another.
Recorded fittingly in their adopted home city, “Porcelain” marks one of the first songs The Deep Blue have tracked in Manchester. Produced alongside Rhys Jiang, the song radiates a raw intimacy that mirrors the themes at its core: connection, comfort, and the growing pains of independence. The band’s lush harmonies and tender storytelling create a world that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable, offering a reminder that even as we drift away from where we started, we carry pieces of it within us.
The release arrives alongside the announcement of their Sleepover Tour, which will see the four-piece performing across Manchester, Glasgow, Dublin, Belfast, Leeds and London. Known for their humor, warmth, and boundless onstage chemistry, The Deep Blue promise an evening that’s as heartfelt as it is fun - “a night of stories, secrets, and probably some silliness,” as they put it. With “Porcelain,” the band continues to carve out a special space in the indie-folk landscape - one built on harmony, honesty and the joy of shared experience..
LUNA: “Porcelain” is such a tender, nostalgic song about leaving home and finding belonging in new places. What first inspired you to explore that theme, and what did the writing process look like for this track?
THE DEEP BLUE: We all came to Manchester to go to uni so I think for all of us, it’s a city we love and adore but will never replace our true homes. We left our sisters, our parents, our safety nets of familiarity and swapped them for breeze block student halls and rain soaked urbana. Did we know when we left home we would not be returning? No. Seems silly now! I could try and be poetic about it but I think this song is basically just us four saying we miss our Mum’s… The writing process, hmmm. Like a lot of our songs, it started with a wee tune with no words, it’ll be on a voice note somewhere on someone’s phone. It started with the verse and the first two lines;
“What’s a girl to do in the face of it? What’s a girl to do when the air gets thicker?” Those two lines informed the rest of the song’s direction.
LUNA: You mentioned that “Porcelain” was one of the first songs you’ve recorded in Manchester, which feels so fitting for a band rooted there. How did that experience shape the energy or intimacy of the track?
THE DEEP BLUE: The song is all about coming to Manchester so to work with Rhys Jiang, our fabulous Manchester producer, who also came here to go to uni - it felt full circle. Also Rhys’s studio though fabulous, is a little snug. So it all felt a bit like being crammed into a bedroom in student halls. Albeit, much warmer and much less disgusting. Thankfully no mountain of unwashed dishes either.
LUNA: How do your individual relationships and dynamics as friends inform the way you write and perform together?
THE DEEP BLUE: Haaa good question! Well! We recently announced on stage that we are officially BEST FRIENDS. No going back now. We have such a laugh together and honestly I can’t express in words how lucky we feel to have each other. The other day we got into the car after 10 whole days of being without each other's company and it was like we’d each been cast to desert islands in the four corners of the earth for a couple of decades. All of this best-friend-goodness and silliness forms the bedrock of our performances. It sometimes feels like we’re just having a laugh on stage and there happen to be instruments involved.
LUNA: You’ve said that “Porcelain” is about finding “a home away from home.” As you’ve toured and grown together, what does “home” mean to each of you now?
THE DEEP BLUE: Our band vehicle, Gloria, feels like home sometimes. She keeps us safe and we’ve spent many many hours napping, laughing, chatting inside the safety of her aluminium walls. We call it ‘The Deep Blue Vault’ - it’s where we share all our secrets and they never come out. When we’re on the road a lot (and we have been this year), climbing into the back of Gloria and setting off - it feels like shutting the door after a long day. It feels safe and it’s just us in there, cosy and warm and on our way somewhere new.
LUNA: You’ve shared the stage with The Waterboys this year, performing across Europe and even lending your voices to their live show. What did that experience teach you about performing, collaboration, or creative trust?
THE DEEP BLUE: Oh, so much! The Waterboys are an incredible live band. The thing that impressed us most I think was their ability to make every show different. Even though they’ve played these songs hundreds of times, they bring an unparalleled energy and electricity to the stage! Front-man Mike Scott is a sensational band leader. He keeps them on their toes, changing structures and dynamics live on stage - it’s so god damn exciting and the audience feels it. It’s a masterclass in live performance.
LUNA: How do you hope listeners feel when they enter The Deep Blue “bubble of love,” as you’ve described it?
THE DEEP BLUE: Like they’re in the back of Gloria with us. Singing, laughing, crying, chatting. Feeling like they’re part of something and that something is pure joy and pure freedom in who you are. Feeling supported and inspired to be who they want to be with no apologies.
LUNA: You’re heading out on your Sleepover Tour soon, what kind of atmosphere are you hoping to create at these shows, and what makes this tour special compared to past ones?
THE DEEP BLUE: We themed this tour as a ‘Sleepover’ because we’ve been talking about having a massive Deep Blue sleepover for aaaaaages. We’ve got a film list ready. We’ve got the menu all worked out. It’s a little ironic because we’ve slept in the same rooms many many times on tour but it’s never been a proper sleepover and we want one! We want the fans to come and hang out with us for a night, come and be part of the band, come and have some fun and yeah we’ll probably play some tunes. Maybe even some new ones… Plus there’s going to be loads of sweets. Plus there’s a weird bit in the show where we all take off dressing gowns (not in a naughty way). It’s probably going to be a gig like no other if not for the hilarity and joy but for the sheer spontaneity. Who knows what will happen on the night.
LUNA: Who or what has been inspiring you lately - musically or otherwise?
THE DEEP BLUE: Jacob Alon’s stunning album In Limerence. The album is masterful and when Niamh saw them live, she was floored. CMAT - we keep a close eye on her. She gives us, if nothing else, courage to be brave and bold performers. Also Georgia went on holiday to Scotland and now we’ve got a song coming up about worms of all things. Nature never fails us.
LUNA: What can fans expect from this next era of The Deep Blue?
THE DEEP BLUE: You know what, I get a tingling feeling in ma belly that we’re about to wade out into the deep blue depths of creativity. Take off our arm-bands, swap them for glimmering mermaid tails and dive into the murky ocean of our hearts and souls. There, I believe we will find pure creative freedom.
