Asbury Park’s music scene encompasses many genres, and is home to a variety of singers, songwriters, and artists. Among them all, only one has been dubbed “The People’s Pop Star”. When he takes the stage in his hometown, get ready for a show that’s bigger than the music.

Blaise, the independent alternative-pop artist and Asbury Park native, brought his signature energy to the Sand Stage at the 2026 Sea.Hear.Now festival, delivering a set that felt just as much a celebration of life and creativity as it did a festival performance. With a crowd of familiar faces and devoted fans singing along, Blaise made it clear that his connection to Asbury Park runs far deeper than simply being from the city.

How did it feel performing your set on the Sea.Hear.Now stage?

Blaise: Performing at SHN was affirming and invigorating. I felt like I was exactly where I was meant to be; I was born to do this, and as someone with the moniker “The People’s Pop Star,” I felt like I was given an opportunity, and I stood on business. I showed every single person that I truly deserve that title. 

You had such incredible outfits and stage design throughout your set. What inspired the visual aesthetic you brought to the festival?

Blaise: I wanted to give the most ‘Blaise’ experience that has ever been. I wanted a full theatrical experience, with different acts and an entire story. It all started with a story: What if another-worldly entity, a messenger, were to come to Earth and try to convey to the people they encountered the importance of being in the moment and creating your life as you dreamed and wanted, without fear? And what if, during this quest, that entity fell in love with a human and, in that act of loving, gave up their divinity? After all of this sacrifice for love, what if the human then left them? How would the entity now survive and recover?

Inspired by Greek mythology, Catholic imagery, Alexander McQueen and couture fashion houses such as Schiaparelli, horror movies, the book Le Petit Prince, and my own life and feelings, all of these elements are interwoven to tell this story of lust, loss, and love.

What did it mean to you to be selected as one of Sea.Hear.Now’s hometown acts? How did it feel to share the festival lineup with other local artists like Staus Green and Jarod Clemons?

Blaise: It felt incredible to be selected as one of the 2026 Local Acts! I have been creating and performing my own original music since 2012, and to be asked to join such a prestigious festival based on the truest version of myself and my art was both affirming and inspiring. This is truly only the beginning.

Sharing the bill with Jarod and Status Green was also so meaningful because [the three of us] have been working [our] asses off for many, many years, and it felt incredible that we all got here at the same time. Plus, the three of us being so different was an incredible way to show how beautifully diverse the music community of Asbury Park is!

How did you go about putting together your setlist for Sea.Hear.Now?

Blaise: Building the setlist came in parallel to the creation of the story arc. As I began to find the main points of the story arc, the songs that hit those emotional beats fell right into place. It was a beautiful organic experience that truly felt inspired by a higher power! 

You also made an appearance at the Clinch Tent. How did that performance compare to your main-stage set? Do you find yourself drawn more toward intimate performances, or do you enjoy the energy of playing on a larger stage?

Blaise: I love the Clinch Gallery so much; the people, the art, everything. The fact that they are able to bring that beautiful energy to a tent on the sand in the middle of a festival is such a beautiful thing! I love the intimacy of an acoustic set just as much as I love the grandeur of a full band, costume, and set show. I believe that the way that I truly, fully, love each one separately is by having them both together.  

At The Underground Edit, we focus on up-and-coming artists and giving emerging musicians a platform. For artists who dream of one day performing at a festival like Sea.Hear.Now, what advice would you give them?

Blaise: NEVER STOP! The only way to fail is to stop. Believe in yourself, in your art, and your mission, and be willing to die for it. Then the world is yours!

Photo courtesy and taken by Dusana Karam