Judy Blank

On April 22, 2022, Judy Blank released her EP “Saddies”. It’s an ode to feeling sad, but with an undeniable silver lining in its comforting sound. For her album release tour, I had the honor of designing her stage visuals. Inspired by the album artwork, the lo-fi synths and her playful vintage style, I went for a glitchy VHS aesthetic.

Because the songs are about (being okay with) being sad, Eeyore inadvertently became its mascot. The stage was filled with an impressive herd of Eeyore plushies, collected by Judy’s audience on king’s day flea markets. One of them became the star of the video for “Confetti”.

A retro animated lyric video helped the audience sing along to the song “Karaoke”. For every show, I crossed out the word “Saturday” from the song lyrics and scribbled the actual day of the week over it. This triggered a burst of laughs among the audience when Judy subsequently also “corrected” herself while singing.

Finally, for the song Pony, I got to work with actual VHS footage of three-year-old Judy with a pony (too precious!) that was part of the inspiration for the song.

The shows were an absolute joy, I would highly recommend seeing her live if you get the chance! Meanwhile, check out the “Saddies” EP on your preferred streaming service or — my personal favorite — on cassette tape.

Photography by Linde Dorenbos
Lights by Sebastiaan Groen