Alissa White-Gluz of Blue Medusa: Celebrating a New Chapter & Two Decades of Metal Mastery | SwtB

Alissa White-Gluz on Authenticity, Blue Medusa, and Life in Metal

Alissa White-Gluz joins Tori Kravitz for a wide-ranging conversation about her career, staying true to herself, and starting a new chapter with Blue Medusa. Tori says Alissa has been the podcast’s most-requested guest, and Alissa is touched to hear that younger singers credit her with inspiring them.

Staying True to Herself

A recurring theme is authenticity as a way to handle criticism. Alissa says she avoids Googling herself and tries not to let online praise or hate define her. Close, lasting relationships matter more to her than strangers’ comments.

She recalls early shows where people went out of their way to dismiss her band. One local musician planted a chair in front of her and stared her down, while another audience member turned his back during a set. Tori jokes, “Was the wall more interesting?” Alissa says those experiences were unpleasant, but they strengthened her resolve not to compromise who she is.

A New Chapter with Blue Medusa

Alissa describes Blue Medusa as a chance to bring her many interests and vocal styles together—from death growls and black-metal screams to clean, operatic, whispered, and conversational vocals. After years of experience, she feels especially ready to shape the music more freely and balance her tendency to put “more” into everything. She’s proud of the first single and excited for listeners to hear it.

She also criticizes the music industry’s pressure to release more and more, arguing that tight deadlines and streaming-era competition can come at the expense of care and creativity. On AI-generated music, she says she hasn’t heard a good AI metal song yet and urges people to support real artists.

Hair, Style, and the Band’s Name

Alissa has had blue hair since high school, when she began altering her school uniform, making her own outfits, and pushing the limits on dress-down days. One memorable attempt—a tie-dyed toga—got her kicked out of class.

She considered changing her hair for the new band, even briefly contemplating a Britney-style shave, but jokes that her hair grows too slowly and she’d regret it. The name Blue Medusa stuck because it was the one people consistently responded to, and because it lets her reinvent herself while remaining recognizably herself.

Being a Woman in Metal

Alissa talks about the double standards she’s faced as a woman in metal: being friendly can be read as flirting, while being professional can be called cold. Her advice to aspiring artists is to expect obstacles and criticism, but keep moving in a direction that feels right rather than trying to satisfy everyone.

Veganism and Animal Rights

Alissa explains that her motivation for veganism is simply not wanting to harm animals. She pushes back against the idea that veganism has to be all-or-nothing, saying that making plant-based choices even some of the time can help. She also discusses how heavily funded marketing can influence public perceptions of veganism.

Closing Questions

• Memorable show experience: Falling onstage and breaking her ribs—an experience she does not recommend.
• Career lesson: Be more careful about whom she trusts.
• Dream collaboration: Taylor Momsen, whom she admires for her voice and grunge sensibility.
• Misconception she’d like to correct: She’s an ordinary person who loves singing and making music.

Alissa closes by sharing that she’s deep into making Blue Medusa’s album, with more songs and collaborations on the way.

Personalities featured: Alissa White-Gluz, Tori Kravitz.