Jill Barber Interview

MUSIC In Vancouver's Elysia had the opportunity to ask Jill Barber a few questions! Here's the complete interview:

Q: What inspired you to start writing music?
A: It was when I was a teenager and before that i'd been, of course, writing poetry, as many teenagers do. I had a lot to say as a young teenager. I was writing this poetry and my older brother started playing guitar, and I totally worshipped my older brother. So I followed in his footsteps. He taught me a couple of chords on the guitar and as soon as I could string a couple of chords together I was writing songs. Like song, after song, after song. And it was really empowering. Like suddenly I wasn't just in my bedroom putting on sad songs and listening to them and brooding over them, I was actually writing my own songs. And I found that really empowering and a way to express myself. And I was doing what my idols were doing. I was totally into music and into, especially, local Canadian indie bands. So I would go to see bands play on the weekends and I felt like I was part of that musical community by writing my own songs. So I started then and I haven't stopped.

Q: Can you describe the process you go through when writing a song?
A: It's changed over the years. I suppose I've changed and that's kind of effected my process. I need to, unless i'm co-writing, I need to be alone. I just need to be by myself, and I need to allow myself to slip into a super relaxed, self-reflective mode, where I'm not afraid to say anything out loud or just sing anything out loud. And these days I write most of my songs just by closing my eyes and opening my mouth and starting to sing. Like stream of consciousness lyrics and melodies, and just whatever comes out. It's kind of like when little kids make up songs. They're totally unselfconscious and they're just making up little [songs]. That's basically how it is for me. And I feel like it has to be that way. I'm not set about writing to any formula. I just try to allow my mind to shut off and just let the song flow out of me. It's not easy to talk about the process because it's this funny, mysterious thing, but that's roughly how it goes.

Q: How would you describe the development of your songs from album to album?
A: I think there has definitely been an evolution in sound and style. I feel like in my earlier days, with my earlier couple of records, it was more experimental, like I wasn't exactly sure what kind of an artist I wanted to be. So I was trying on different musical hats and experimenting more. I feel like with my first records I'd say "Oh this has the vibe of this kind of artist," and now I actually really feel like I'm making songs that sound like me. I feel like i've carved out a space for myself and I'm happy to live in that space and keep exploring [it] now. And of course I still take influences from other artists, but I just feel more confident and secure in my own unique sound.

Q: Is there one message or feeling you'd like people to take away from listening to your music?
A: I think what my hope is, is that my music will do for other people what music does for me. It transports me and it sets off my imagination. It allows me to get carried away, swept away in the song. I find that that's a wonderful feeling. Whenever I'm feeling blue or romantic or whatever, I put on a record and I allow that song to guide my emotions and be a soundtrack to whatever I'm feeling. And the beauty of that music is that whatever I'm feeling might be totally different from what the artist, like Ella Fitzgerald, was thinking or feeling when she was singing the song. But the song becomes mine, becomes my soundtrack. And I think my hope is that my music becomes other peoples' soundtracks to whatever is in their minds and in their hearts, whatever they're feeling.

Q: What prompted you to do a French version of your song "Tell Me"?
A: I took French Immersion as a kid but I left it behind and never practiced, so I lost a lot of my French. And as an adult I've come to regret that. I love a lot of French singers and French songs, and as a language I think French is beautiful, very sensual and romantic. About a couple of years ago I started playing more and more in Quebec, and I was playing a show at the Montreal Jazz Festival and feeling self-conscious about my French. I was so embarrassed I couldn't speak French and a friend of mine translated one of my songs for me and I sang a song in French that night and there was this lightbulb that went off. It was a turning point for me because the audience was so encouraging, and I felt so happy that I delivered a song in French. So I made a promise to myself, and a vow to my audience, that I would learn French. So for the last year or so I've been intensively studying it and I spent a month in France studying it. And I wanted, when this record came out, to make the declaration that I'm serious about learning and singing in French. So that was the song we chose to release as a single, and I deliberately wanted to release it simultaneously in French and English, to honour both my French and English fans. And it's really fun. So now whenever I'm touring in Quebec, or if I'm touring for a francophone audience, I sing in French. It's nice to have the flexibility to do both languages.

Q: So you think you'll write more songs in French?
A: Yeah, definitely. That's my goal.

Q: Do you enjoy the process involved in creating music videos?
A: Yeah, I really like making videos. A lot of the music that I make, I work on with my producer, in terms of visual imagery, so I feel like there's a lot of content there to work with from the point of veiw of our video director. It's also nice because I get to hand over the reigns to a director. It's a true collaboration of multi-media; I bring the music and the director brings the vision. And I've always worked really hands on and collaboratively with the video directors that I've worked with, but I've let them explore their art. I've worked with a few different video directors. One guy I worked with, three videos we've made together, Jonathan Bensimon, so I have a good working relationship with him. And I hope to make more videos. They're really fun to make.

Q: If you could collaborate with any artist, who would you want to work with?
A: I would love to work with Leonard Cohen. All my life I've loved him. His music has always spoken to me and he's always been a great influence on me. He's a great Canadian artist. I think to get a chance to collaborate with him would be incredible. And another guy I'd love to sing a duet with is Michael Buble. I sent him a letter actually. So I'm hoping that maybe someday we'll be singing together.

Q: What can we expect from you in the future? What are your goals?
A: With all of this touring that I've been doing this fall, I'm really getting the itch to go back and write another album. I feel like I'm collecting lots of ideas on the road and I'm looking forward to hunkering down and getting back to writing. This spring I plan to write a new record that we would probably record in the summer and release next year. So I'm just going to make another record and continue to explore my own abilities as a songwriter. [I'll] continue down the path I've set out for myself and hopefully continue to evolve and mature. And I can't say exactly where that will take me but i'm looking forward to [it].

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes at the Grey Cup Festival

A few hours before the 99th Grey Cup Championship between the B.C. Lions and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes played a free concert in Vancouver for the Grey Cup Festival! Earlier this year, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes made it to the top 3 of of FOX Vancouver Seeds! To find out more about them and to see more photos, check out our past post on the FOX Vancouver Seeds.

Kyle Otsuji playing the bass

More photos from the show after the break!

Jill Barber Interview Announcement

Hey all!!

We are happy to announce that this weekend Music In Vancouver will be interviewing Jill Barber! We wanted to give you guys a chance to submit your fan questions for her. Leave us a comment if there's anything you'd like us to ask.

And don't forget to check back next week for the interview posted here!

Make sure to catch Jill's show in North Vancouver on December 2nd.

NOTE: The interview has been rescheduled for Tuesday, November 29th. Please check back the following              weekend for the posted interview! Thanks!

Grey Cup Festival Free Concerts

Hey guys!!

This year the Grey Cup Festival includes a weekend of free concerts!! Some great performers are going to be there, including some of our favourites!! Check out the concert schedule to see when bands like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Said the Whale, and Hey Ocean are playing.

See you there!

Free Music Alert: Young The Giant

Get a free copy of Young The Giant's Remix EP in exchange for your email and postal code!

Also check out Young The Giant's NoiseTrade page at noisetrade.com/youngthegiant and leave them a tip!

New Said the Whale EP

Hey everyone!

Make sure to check out the new Said the Whale EP "New Brighton" on iTunes! It was released today and  only costs $2.29!! I promise you won't be disappointed.

Also, visit their website to listen to upcoming song releases, watch their music video for "Lines," and get a free song download!!

Don't forget to leave us a comment and let us know what you think!