Barbara Black on Rock Attitude

A few months ago, Spanish singer and songwriter Barbara Black released with her solo project the album “Love Death & Flies” and Rock Attitude took the opportunity to have a little chat with her, for this interview.

 Barbara, you released a great new album some months ago via Spanish label Rock Estatal. Do you find that the current situation promotes personal creativity?

– Yes, surely yes. Sensitive and creative people often create when they have meaningful experiences. The pandemic has raised a lot of feelings. On the other hand, having spent so much time in quarantine has given us more time to develop that creativity.

Do you find that this album is successful, until now? I see a lot of nice reviews and encouraging comments…

– Yes, we are very happy and grateful with all the nice words and reviews that press and public have gave us away.

Do you think that this is important to keep a steady line-up or not? Are there any guest musicians on this album?

-Maintaining a stable line-up is very important for a band to develop well, after all it is a team work. We have many guest musicians: Oscar Sancho and Cecilio Sánchez-Robles play in No bullets, Diego Rayz sings in Kissed by Flames, Javier Mira plays the solo guitar in Damnified, Martin More plays in Don´t play with fire and Ix Valieri has collaborated composing with us the two Vampire love songs.

Did you have the songs already in place before the album? How was the process about compositions?

-We usually share some musical sketches in the music room and develop that ideas. In other occasions we record the ideas at home and work digitally speaking. The last thing is the lyrics.

You gave your name to your band. I just wonder what prompted that. Maybe it just seemed like a good idea at the time?

– At that time and now. I decided to start this project and I told Nitro (drummer) and Javi (Guitar). We three agreed that my name was cool enough for this. Despite the fact of being my name, we all feel as a whole band. I think it is great when they say themselves: We Bárbara Black, in interviews etc.

There are a couple of different tracks on there. Do you think it’s important to keep pushing people’s perception and ideas of what Barbara Black actually represents musically?

– Barbara Black represents creative freedom, that’s why our second album is called Ad Libitum. We are characterized by the taste for fusing styles.

I read also that there are some tracks that are connected about life and death situations. Do you like to read and invest about metaphysical or deep feelings? Who are some of your favorite writers?

– I like reading Alan Poe and Bécquer, I like the atmosphere and images that suggest dark romanticism. In my lyrics I try to tell some interesting stories surrounded by this atmosphere. For instance in Kissed by flames I am telling you about two paranormal facts I lived, or Vampire Love talks about the violence gender through a vampire metaphor.

I’m just wondering if you’ve ever had any desire or ambition to maybe release an album in a different style or a different musical genre.

– Personally I like to compose in all genres of rock mixed with other influences (country, blues or gospel). At the moment I don’t need to compose outside of this style.

Okay. Just a couple then to finish. Who would have been the most influential musician for you and why?

– There are two very significant people: Doro Pesch is my mother of metal, thanks to her I knew that inside me there was a rock singer. From a very young age I began to sing each of their songs and to understand their lyrics. Her sensitivity connected with me, her strength as well as her precious and personal voice.
On the other hand, Eric Martin, singer of Mr. Big has meant a lot to me. In my opinion he has one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard, full of resources and beautiful twists. He loves how he composes the backing vocals.

You must have achieved many career goals and dreams about your life. If you still had hopes, dreams and ambitions, maybe in your career or in life that you haven’t yet fulfilled, what would they be?

– I wish I can play in a big festival with my band and connect with the audience all together. I wish I can record more albums in the future.

Thank you very much for talking to me and take care. I hope to see Barbara Black on stage in the future!

– Thank you so much for your kind words and this lovely interview. If you let me, I would like to remember metalheads they can visit our website www.barbarablackrock.com/store and get our album, t-shirts, facemasks, magnets…whatever they want!! Supporting your metal artist is a very important thing for our music scene. \m/

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