Elliott is back with a new conversation with John Baizley and Gina Gleason of BARONESS which took place before their show at The Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie, New York this past Friday. The band is currently on tour in support of their incredibly diverse new album “Gold and Grey” on the band’s own label, Abraxan Hymns. The new record is their first recording with Gina on guitar and backing vocals. The harmony that the two of them produced together is a highlight on the album as they sound, in Elliott’s words, beautiful and haunting.
In this interview, John talked about how pleasantly surprised he was the first time he and Gina both tried singing together:
“When Gina and I sang together and when I heard how our voices worked with one another, I was very surprised and of course that was pleasant. Because that was way more than you can even hope for. So yea, we were psyched.“
When Elliott asked what kind of world they would like fans of the band to transcend to when they listen to their music, Gina replied with:
“I feel like I would want people listening to our music to transcend into like, a beautiful, outer-space, other-worldly environment where they can just leave their troubles behind.“
Gina and John both agreed that “Cold-Blooded Angels” is currently their favorite song on the new record and John went in to more detail about why that particular song means so much to him:
“Every idea that we tried to accomplish, every concept that we put in motion on the record exists in some form in that song. I also just think it’s a very beautiful song. My nine year old daughter sings with me on that song and gina and I get to sing in harmony so frequently.“
And on the subject of what makes them feel the most at peace with themselves, John responded with the following:
“When I’m in an environment where I’m making artwork, where I’m playing music, where I’m recording music, writing music…when I’m engaged in the artistic pursuits that this band has allowed for us, that’s where I feel comfortable. That’s where I don’t feel anxious in a social way. That’s where I don’t feel sadness that, ya know, that comes along with a long and various life. The best shows that we ever do, as Gina just mentioned, the rational parts of us leaves. And the purely creative, the purely musical parts that we have are all that you see on stage.”…”The weirdest part is when the song ends and I actually have to talk to people. Then all that anxiety comes back and I feel lost again.“
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Hey everybody, welcome to my weekly update! This where I talk about what I’ve been listening to and what kind of thing I’ve done this past week. Let’s get into it! This first thing I […]