Jupiter Bloom Isn’t Here to Be Polite
By Avery Anderson
Tampa’s indie scene is about to get a little less quiet. On Sept. 12, Jupiter Bloom drops their debut single Water Lilies — and it’s not whispering.
The band’s origin story? Think less “overnight success,” more “we tried on folk music, realized it didn’t fit, and set the closet on fire.” Back then they went by Quail Hollow, a name that sounded more like a gated retirement community than a rock band.
“With Quail Hollow we were still young and figuring ourselves out,” they said. “Over time, that sound stopped feeling like us. We wanted more energy, more grit, and more honesty, and the only way to really step into that was to start fresh.”
A Debut That Actually Says Something
Plenty of debut singles sound like demo tapes with better PR. Water Lilies is different — it’s a neon sign. “It’s us saying: here we are,” the band said. “It’s punchy and defiant but also hopeful, which mirrors exactly where we are — fighting through the past while carving out clarity for the future.”
Stealing From the Best (But in a Cute Way)
Yes, they’ll admit to some sonic fingerprints: Radiohead’s complexity, Paramore’s unapologetic melodrama, boygenius’s harmonies, flipturn’s Florida-bred ambition. But don’t call them copycats. “Being moved by an artist doesn’t mean you end up imitating them; it’s more like your voice learns how to talk through theirs,” they said.
And besides — no one’s going to confuse Water Lilies with Radiohead unless Thom Yorke suddenly gets really into Tampa garages.
Tampa: The Scene That Makes You Scrappy
Geography isn’t exactly on their side. Tampa is four hours from the next state and light-years from industry infrastructure. But that’s exactly the point. “Recording in closets and garages, leaning on friends, pulling together shows — it’s shaped us into a band that works harder, supports our scene, and builds something we want to put Florida on the map with,” they said.
Translation: Tampa isn’t a liability. It’s the training montage.
Burying Quail Hollow
For anyone still clinging to “Stuck in Place” and “Echoes”: the band has moved on. “Those songs still hold a place in our hearts, but they feel more like stepping stones than a final statement,” they said. “Back then you can hear us searching for a voice. With Water Lilies we’ve found it.”
Who Needs to Hear It
So who do they want to play the new track for? The person it’s actually about, of course — the one they once sat with at the Cleveland Art Museum staring at Monet’s Water Lilies. Romantic, sure.
But dream listeners? “Thom Yorke, so maybe he’d let us open for him. Or Hayley Williams; she just released a record that hit me in the same way I hope Water Lilies might hit her. Both would get it immediately.”
Until then, it’s our turn. Tampa gets the first spin. On Sept. 12, Jupiter Bloom isn’t asking for permission. They’re kicking the door in.
Avery Anderson
Avery Anderson
Avery Anderson