05: Max Bloom (of Yuck)
The British musician and ex-Yuck frontman discusses his favorite London running routes, finding adrenaline through music, and how running is like writing an album.
In a year of global upheaval, Max Bloom braced for a series of more personal shifts. After a decade with London garage rock phenoms Yuck, the composer and singer released his first solo album, Perfume, a month into lockdown. In the absence of live shows, he adapted quickly: he performed his album at livestreams from his bedroom, released a coronavirus anthem, and picked up running in full force after years of casual interest. Just last month, Yuck explicitly declared what Bloom and its other members had began implicitly hinting at last year: after a decade and three albums together, they’ve finally called it quits. But the breakup doesn’t mean Yuck’s members have been stagnant; Bloom has instead spent this year of isolation renewing focus on distance running, mental health, and his work as a solo musician. For him, the three seem intrinsically linked.
When did you get into running?
I’ve always loved running, but I always saw it as something I had to do, not necessarily something I wanted to do. I started going to the gym when I was in my early to mid-twenties, just as a way to improve my mental health and general wellbeing. When gyms were still open, I would always focus my attention on running on the treadmill, but it was always something I found very mentally challenging and the temptation to stop was always there. As a result I would find as many ways to distract myself as possible, mainly by listening to music or watching Netflix shows on my phone, ultimately because I found running on a treadmill to be really boring.
I had tried running outside a few times when the weather was warmer, but I found it really difficult and my stamina was really bad. I could manage about 3km on a good day. At the start of the lockdown in London last year, my girlfriend and I decided to try running outside again. When I started I found it very difficult again, but I persisted, and every week I found I was able to run just a little bit further. Eventually I got to 5km, and then to 10km after about a month or so. Setting that goal for myself and slowly working away to achieve it was really fulfilling, and it has taught me a lot about how to approach life in general.
Can you describe an average running schedule for you in a given week?
It depends entirely on the weather. It has been freezing in London recently, and I didn’t have the appropriate running gear, so I developed really painful chilblains on my fingers and toes. On top of that, I think I’ve been running a bit too hard recently and I’ve developed tendonitis in my ankle. Nowadays I’ll get out about once a week, but last summer it was 3 times a week. I have about 5 running routes that I like, each one a different terrain and distance depending on how I’m feeling. They’re all between about 8-10km. I’m lucky enough to live near the River Lea in East London which is a fantastic running location. It runs all the way from the outskirts of London and connects to the Thames. The ground around the river is quite soft, which is good for my ankles. Living in London can be quite stressful, but when you go to the river it’s like being in the countryside.
Do you try to run on tour? What’s that like?
Touring is a very tricky balance, and it takes a long time to find your flow. The temptation is always there on tour to eat terribly, drink every night and generally put your body through hell. Of course, I’ve gone through periods of that and it didn’t work out well. Similarly, I’ve gone through periods of not drinking at all on tour and waking up early to go to the hotel gym. When I’ve done that, those 9-hour drives are a hell of a lot easier. I was happier, mentally more positive, and I played better shows. That’s way better than spending a 9-hour drive feeling like shit and trying not to throw up.
What’s the longest distance you’ve run?
Right now it’s about 15km. I think it’s important to listen to your body when you’re running, and when I reach 15km, my body is screaming for me to stop. My legs physically can’t move anymore. So now, I only run in 10km bursts. I am planning on running the Hackney Half Marathon (when it’s allowed to happen), so nearer the time I’ll need to try and find a way to get up to 20km, but I think I’ll be able to do it.
What’s the run you’re proudest of?
My first 10km run was a really proud moment. Considering only a few months earlier I couldn’t get past 3km without having to stop, 10km was a huge milestone. I use the Strava running app and a lot of my friends are on there, and a lot of them were doing 10km and further, so I would message them and ask for tips. My main problem is that I run too fast and expend all my energy early on. Running fast is easy, running slow takes a lot of mental awareness. However slow you think you’re running, you could always be running slower. That’s how you get the long distances.
Do you have any running goals?
As I said, I would love to run the Hackney Half Marathon one day. That would be my first goal, but ultimately, the London Marathon would be the ultimate. My aunt is actually a sports therapist and used to regularly run marathons all over the world. She’s done London, New York, Boston, Chicago, and more. She also trains people who are attempting to run marathons. She’s given me a lot of really good tips for running, and I think she’ll be a really good person to know if I start trying to do marathons.
What, if anything, do you listen to when you run?
I have a very selective handful of bands and artists that I listen to when I’m running. They all somehow unlock something within me and give me a huge burst of adrenaline. One such album was Solid State Survivor by Yellow Magic Orchestra. I find the melodies and the rhythms so energetic it has the power to push me forward. It’s the same with LCD Soundsystem and Kraftwerk. Two albums that always push me forward when I’m running nowadays are Hot Thoughts by Spoon and Colours by Beck. Funnily enough, the music that I listen to when I run has been a huge inspiration for my new record.
Max was kind enough to share his excellent running playlist for the newsletter—click through if a mix of high-energy, expertly paced, moderate BPM songs from Yellow Magic Orchestra, LCD Soundsystem, Sleater-Kinney, Soccer Mommy (& more) seems like your running jam.
What, if anything, do you think about while you run?
Nothing. I don’t think I’m able to think about anything when I run, which is why running is such a mentally healing thing for me. I’m unable to meditate, so running is my meditation. When I’m feeling tired or feeling like I can’t run anymore, I’ll usually stare at the sky. Looking at the sky while I’m running seems to allow me to think of the bigger picture beyond myself and the way I’m feeling in that moment.
If you could go on a run with any musician, dead or alive, who would it be?
I just Googled ‘musicians who run,’ and found out that Bjorn Ulvaeus (ABBA) ran the 1980 Stockholm Marathon. I would love to run with him. He seems like a really lovely guy and would probably give me lots of encouragement if I needed it.
How has running impacted your life during lockdown? Musicians might otherwise have other creative outlets that have been cut off by the pandemic, so I’m wondering if running has been more helpful as an escape during this time.
Learning how to run has probably been the best thing that has happened to me during lockdown. Other than vastly improving my mental health, it has given me energy and focus which I’ve applied to making music. I wrote and recorded a new album faster than I’ve ever done before. I didn’t plan for it to happen that way, it’s just that running gave me an intense creative focus which I’ve never had before. It was like a door had been opened in my mind, and all these thoughts and ideas which had been piling up were allowed to spill out. Much like running, writing an album is not about speed, and arguably it’s better to take your time with it. For me though, I didn’t have a choice, this was just the way it happened, and I’m so overjoyed and proud of the results.
Did you run while writing any of Yuck’s albums? Do you have any particular memories about running during this time?
Running was not a part of my life when I was writing the Yuck albums, but it probably should’ve been. We recorded Glow & Behold in possibly one of the most beautiful locations I’ve ever been to, in a converted church in a forest in upstate New York. We spent 3 weeks there, and by the end I was feeling intense cabin fever. I would wake up with headaches every day, and I completely lost track of time. I didn’t consider running as an option because I wanted to spend every waking moment recording. As a result, I quickly burned myself out. If I had taken the time to run during those sessions, I know that it would have given me more clarity, and perhaps the album would have turned out different. I don’t have any regrets though - I’m happy I discovered running at this point in my life, and I’ll always apply the lessons I’ve learned from running to everything I do in the future.
Follow Max Bloom on Twitter.