Barbara Black: 'Our music mixes a lot of different genres!'

The band, after the arrival of their album titled 'Love, Death & Flies', open up exclusively to Fuzzy Hound! The record is put out by Rock Estatal Records and was released on 10 Μαρτίου 2020.

We're happy to welcome Barbara from Barbara Black! Listening to your latest album "Love Death & Flies", released via the Spanish Rock Estatal Records, was fantastic. How did you link up with one of the most respectable Spanish metal labels out there?

'From the very start, with our first EP "Spiritual Rock", they were interested in working with us.'

Barbara Black have always been the ultimate DIY band. You and your bandmates seem to do almost everything yourselves, from writing the music to recording it, so maybe now was the time for some label support?

'Indeed, we compose, write, and record everything ourselves at The Cadillac Blood Studios (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) together with Andy C, but the label doesn't support our work all that much. They handle part of the promotion and the distribution to digital platforms.'

"Love Death & Flies" came out on 10 Μαρτίου 2020. Listening to it, there's clearly a lot of variety going on, right?

'Yes, of course, we love mixing different musical genres, like country or blues together with rock and metal, so that's part of our sound.'

You wrote almost all the lyrics and vocal lines, and you also take care of a lot of the band's details. Tell me about the rest of the band and what the recording process was like?

'We all bring in some musical ideas (riffs, chords…) and build the song together. Then I work on the vocal lines and finally the lyrics. After that we work in the studio. We record the drums first, then the guitars. Next is the bass, and last the lead vocals and backing vocals. It's undoubtedly very hard work.'

Guys, you're always creating new music. After this album that came out in 2020, what are you doing about new material?

'We're now working on some new songs for the next album. We wouldn't want to drag out the release of the new album.'

Can you give us some details about the new material?

'It'll be a concept album… nothing else.'

Barbara, what are your musical roots? Have you played in other bands?

'I've listened to a lot of music: from blues, country, gospel, soul, opera to rap, rock and metal. My main influences are: Mr Big, Doro, Alter Bridge, Black Stone Cherry, In this Moment ή Children of Bodom… very different styles. Speaking of other bands, yes, I've been part of many in the past, but my previous main project was Black Rock, a band I also founded myself.'

When you were a little girl in your room singing into your hairbrush in front of the mirror, which bands were you singing along to?

'My room was a big field in another country, and I was singing Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion… and then Primal Fear (laughs).'

Okay, since I've never been to Spain, I'd love to hear about your town over there.

'I live in a village near Madrid. This village has green spaces and lots of cultural activities: theater, cinema, concerts and plenty of interesting things: radio stations, farmers' markets, or even music venues. We also have a lot of sports activities with many different facilities.'

Is it true that Spanish summer is as hot as nowhere else in Europe?

'Yes, yes! It depends on the year, but yeah, and I don't like it at all, there's nothing you can do with that excessive heat, and on top of that, if you've got pale skin like I do, you burn and your skin's always red. But maybe nowhere else in Europe has the same kind of summer, here it's hot as hell.'

For people who'd go to your live shows, are Barbara Black the kind of band that hangs out at the merch table to meet fans, either before or after the show? We'd like to know, since you'll be in Greece this coming April to play our best female fronted metal festival!

'Yes! Actually we need to restock our merch because at our last show some of our t-shirts sold out and all our mugs ran out too!'

Thank you so much for chatting with me, Barbara Black, Barbara!

'My pleasure! Thank you so much for this wonderful interview. I'd like to remind metalheads that they can visit our website www.barbarablackrock.com/store  and grab our album, t-shirts, face masks, magnets, mugs… whatever they want!! Supporting the metal artist you like is a really important thing for our music scene.'