Do Not Disturb will be at PIANO’S (Upstairs) located on 158 Ludlow by Stanton Street, NYC on Wednesday January 20th at 8pm-10pm. Words by Maya Contreras (more then) ably backed by the Stacy Dillard Trio. With a live performance by Erin Barra and DJ Olivier. (Next Performance will be on Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at The Woods, in BK).
Singer songwriter Erin Barra is quickly making a name for herself in New York City. Her stage persona is warm and welcoming, creating an intimate feeling no matter where she plays- from Sounds of Brazil to Bowery Poetry Club. Her newest heartfelt single “A Good Man” is available now for a free download at erinbarra.com until October 31.
Erin Barra’s sound draws from a diverse range of musical influences: a distinctive mix of Pop and R&B with splashes of Reggae. She infuses both substance and consciousness into her songwriting with penetrating skill.
Here are just a few questions for the soulful Erin Barra.
Q: Your songs are of a very personal nature, many dealing with your relationships- case in point “A Good Man”. How do you feel about putting yourself out there in such a raw self-exposing way?
I feel like the best songs I’ve written always come from exposing myself truthfully in one way or another. I seem to get the best responses to the songs that were the easiest to write because it wasn’t a matter of creating a story, it’s only about telling it like it is. People react to what’s real in a very immediate and sincere way. With my second release it’s gonna pretty much play out like reading my diary, so I’m hopeful and interested to see what the response is. No part of me is afraid to share who I am or how I feel, probably to my detriment in my personal life.
As far as ‘Good Man’ goes, writing that song was cathartic for me and it still is every single time I sing it. I DO want a good man!!! And if I didn’t say it out loud, or in my case, sing it on stage, I would probably find some other less productive way to express that. I’m lucky I found songwriting, or rather, songwriting found me.
Q: Have any of your exes given you grief or positive feedback to your songs?
In retrospect, what I remember mostly about their responses was a lack of response. BIG SURPRISE!!!
Once, when I was in college, I fell in love with a co-writer of mine. We wrote songs with each other, we wrote songs about each other, and we wrote songs for each other… it was kind of disgustingly cute. When we broke up, which was one of the most profound experiences in my life, I wrote a song about us that was it’s own form of truth and one that I know hurt him deeply. A year later, when he released his solo album there was a song about us that was his side of the story. I almost puked when I first heard it and it still brings up a lot of emotions every time I listen. But, you know, that’s one of the things that’s so amazing about songwriting – it’s beyond words and melodies, it’s art imitating life
Q: Who were your musical influences growing up?
My parent’s listened to a lot of singer/songwriters like James Taylor, Billy Joel, Bonnie Raitt, Annie Lenox and Cat Stevens, which probably shows up in my writing. I was trained as a classical piano player from a very young age so there’s a lot of that in there too. At one point or another I definitely went through a pretty huge Stevie Wonder phase and then a little later in life I was obsessed with Bob Marley. When I got to Berklee it opened me up to a massive spectrum of music and possibilities that, frankly, I didn’t even know existed growing up in Utah.
But beyond all that and I think more than anything, my father has had the biggest impact on my ears. His business is in high-end audio so I grew up in a house with a constantly evolving stereo room that was meant for listening. This, in and of itself, has provided me with a huge vocabulary as to how great recordings should sound and I strive towards that in all my work. I don’t just want to write songs, I want to provide a sonic experience!
Q: You worked with the legendary John Oates (Hall & Oates). What was the project you two collaborated on, and how did that come about?
John and I met while I was at Berklee. I co-wrote a song titled, ‘A Matter Of Time’ about Hurricane Katrina that won a contest, which was groundbreaking for Berklee at the time. The song was recorded by a Grammy winning country artist and engineered and recorded by two of the heaviest cats in the industry. When John came to Berklee a few months later they used me as a student liaison to show him around campus and during that time we became friends. He’s about as big of a song geek and word nerd as I am and he’s also one of most intelligent and grounded people I’ve ever met.
When it came time to release my first album, which I don’t think I would have done without his initial response to my writing, I asked him if he wanted to co-write a song with me for the project. To my surprise he said yes, and so my sister and I took a trip out to Aspen, where he’s located and spent a weekend with his family. Needless to say, we wrote a great song titled, ‘Waiting’ which is on my first release. He is an inspiration to me in a lot of ways and has helped me without ever asking for anything in return except that I succeed.
Q: What is next for Erin Barra?
That’s a good question – one that I wish I had more of a solid answer for. Right now I’m focusing on creating the best recordings of these new songs that I can and gathering a team of people around me to help release them. Who, how and when all of those things will happen is still somewhat of a mystery to me but I believe in the power of the universe and the ultimate effect of good songwriting.
It’s a tough game out here in NY, and even that’s an understatement. I’m just trying to stay healthy and happy despite all the things that are at work against me. I’m lucky to have a lot of people that truly believe in me and support me through all the opportunities (not obstacles) that present themselves.
Erin Barra’s upcoming shows can be found at erinbarra.com
The Him Book is now available at www.maya-contreras.com
