For Kenna Heim, the start of her journey with Blush Boy wasn’t a grand cinematic moment; it was a curious raised hand. 

“At one of our orientation meetings, I raised my hand and said something that told everybody that I was a singer,” Heim recalled. “Then I was approached by Gavin [Kim], and he was like, ‘Oh, I heard you’re a singer. I think I kind of want to start something.’”

Months later, Kim picked her up and played her a demo. That small moment became one of four that sparked what would grow into Blush Boy, a band built not just on talent, but on friendship and a shared determination.

“I remember when I first met everybody, and it was just so cool getting to meet everybody, but also it was really intimidating,” she stated. “It worked later on, but it was intimidating at first ’cause I was in a room with very talented people, and I was like, ‘Oh damn, am I really meant to be here?’ I was intimidated!”

Still, she trusted the moment. They chose her for a reason. Heim now stands as the lead vocalist and lyricist for Blush Boy, joined by Jake Radano, Paul Luke Bonenfant, and Gavin Kim. While confident in her position, though, she faced learning curves in the early stages. 

“It was so interesting, because recording is so different than singing live,” she explained. “First of all, you have so many chances; if you mess up, you can keep doing it over and over and over again. But also, you don’t have to be as loud. Luke [Bonenfant] gave me a lot of tips.”

As the band began to grow and learn to shift from stage to booth, develop melodies and lyrics, and mesh as a group, they all worked to balance it with academics.

“Honestly, it’s not too bad,” Heim began. “I’m finishing up my final semester, then I’ll go into my full student teaching. That has also brought me another appreciation of music, because I’m talking about it every day with these kids, and I’m trying to bring it to them. Balancing everything honestly hasn’t been too bad, because as a musician, you’re always kind of expected to spread yourself everywhere. So I’m teaching, I’m teaching privately, I’m doing gigs, I’m doing Blush Boy, so that’s just the musician life. I don’t find it super stressful at all, because that’s what I want to do. I make time for it because it’s something very important to me; I don’t just blow it off.”

Blush Boy is something special, something that has grown exponentially. The band’s momentum isn’t rooted in numbers; it’s rooted in commitment and a desire to make it work.

“I definitely expected us to grow, and I still expect us to keep growing,” she explained. “We put a lot of effort, time, money, and blood, sweat, and tears into it, so I know it’s going to grow. Did I think it would get to this point, where we have almost 150,000 streams on one of our songs? No. That was just really cool.”

For Heim, the success feels sustainable because of the people behind it. “I’m working with very driven people who have excellent connections and artistry,” she said. “There’s not one of us that are like, ‘Let’s just break up after college.’ This is a lifelong endeavor.”

That shared dedication goes into everything they do and is what bonds them as more than just bandmates or classmates having a jam session. Their dedication seals them as family, which is evident in the creation of their upcoming album.

“For the album, there was a two-week span where we all stayed at Luke’s house,” she shared. “We just camped out, stayed in, and it was all just writing.”

This album follows their EP, Heartstrings & Other Things, which gave them a sturdy foundation for this new project, which focuses on more songs and more collaboration. For Heim, she sees bigger venues, tours, connections, streams, followers… and it’s all attainable. 

“I think of them (the band) as brothers,” she explained. “They’re like family. And they’re goofy, and they’re funny, and they are my best friends.”

And together, they are Blush Boy. 

Photos courtesy of Blush Boy / Interviewed on January 28, 2026