Stanley Bloom talks Belladrum, new music, the move from Boy Genius, and why Keep Smiling could be his big summer moment.

Stanley Bloom arrives at Belladrum with a new name, a fresh run of songs, and the kind of energy that feels made for a festival field. Formerly known as The Boy Genius, the chef-turned-songwriter has been building things from the ground up again, writing from a home studio in Scotland and pushing his music into a new chapter.

You were a chef before all this started properly. Was music always there in the background, or did something happen that made you think, “right, I’m actually going to do this”?

Yes, music has always been in the background of my life, from the early age of five when I took up the piano and then progressed onto various other instruments.

I then auditioned for a band in London and, from that, various things happened musically. We got signed up to the same management as Scouting For Girls, wrote an album, and then disbanded after a couple of years.

Alongside that, I still had the day job of cheffing to pay the bills, and I actually had a very successful career as a chef, but I’ve always had music in my life.

Moving up to Scotland 13 years ago, I kind of gave up on following music and pursued cheffing again. Then, through various things that happened last year, the scratch to get back into music came back. So I built a home studio, started writing and recording songs, and started going for it again. But this time it felt different. I really felt like I was writing my strongest songs to date, based on experiences from the last 10 years. I then got taken in by a team in London who loved the songs I was writing, and so the journey has begun.

You’ve recently moved from Boy Genius to Stanley Bloom. Was that just a name change, or did it feel like drawing a line under one chapter and starting another?

The name change came about because when I was living back in London, I went by the name The Boy Genius. When I started doing music again recently, I thought I would go by the same name. However, there is a US band called Boygenius, and through talks with the London team we decided a name change now would be a good idea, and hence Stanley Bloom was born. Stanley is my middle name, so that was easy enough, and the word Bloom just came about and seemed to work.

A lot of people talk about “organic growth”, but you seem to be right in the middle of it: posting, playing, asking people to share, and trying to make things move. What has surprised you most about building things this way?

The organic growth side of it is different nowadays compared to what it was like back in London. Back then it was all about doing lots of shows to build a following, which would then turn into an increase in ticket sales and music sales. Fast forward to 2026 and it’s now all digital, and about content creation and trying to create videos that capture people’s imagination, which will then get them to discover your music. Unfortunately, the reality of it now is that you have to have great songs and a decent online following before people in the industry will pay you any attention, but I’ve hustled my way into a few big things already and I’ll continue to do so.

My thought process for my music has always been about trying to write catchy, infectious songs that people enjoy and can’t stop singing along to, and then to let it organically grow from there alongside all the digital platforms available to help get you noticed.

You’ve said “Keep Smiling” feels like the song that could put you on the map. What is it about that one that made you trust it more than the others?

The problem is every time I write a song, I always feel like this could be the one, which is a great place to be because I feel that the songs I write have meaning, have the catchy hook in the chorus, and have great melodies. But Keep Smiling really does lend itself to real happy summer vibes, and I like to think it’s the sort of song that if you heard on the radio on a summer’s afternoon, it would just make you smile and make you feel on top of the world.

Your songs start on string instruments, but you’re clearly not trying to keep them small. When you’re writing, are you already hearing the festival version in your head?

When I write songs, I generally start on either a guitar or ukulele, although more so on the guitar these days, and I try and write the song with a full production in mind. So I already have the feel of the drums in my head, I’ll already have the staccato punches of the piano in mind, and then I build the tracks from there, keeping in mind that I want to create energy with them for the live show.

Belladrum has a way of putting artists in front of people who might not know them yet, but are ready to be won over. What would make your Belladrum debut feel like a success for you?

I was very excited to be added to the Belladrum line-up this year and can’t thank Dougie enough for giving me the chance, although it’s a bit confusing for folk as when I got asked to play Belladrum I was going under the name The Boy Genius, and all the press and posters were done up for it, then I decided to have a name change to Stanley Bloom. Belladrum success to me for this year will be to have a great crowd watching and enjoying my set, and singing along with me. I also might just have an exciting addition to the show, so stay tuned.

With the 2026 theme being “Party Animals”, it feels like there’s room for a bit of mischief. What can people expect from Stanley Bloom when you get on that Belladrum stage?

What can people expect, that’s a good question. They can expect to see a cheeky chap on stage pumping out some cool songs with some exciting extras, and enjoying every moment of it. I have a pretty distinctive British-sounding vocal, which stands me apart even after 13 years of living up here, and there might even be a guest appearance alongside me.

Stanley Bloom plays the BellaBar at Belladrum on Thursday at 5.45pm.