San Diego’s own Barbarian is preparing to break out of its California shell. Ready to embark on their first tour outside the west coast, members of this post-punk, psychedelic band have been working hard for the chance to get on the road. Fresh off of last month’s release of their first EP, City of Women, the band will be opening for Bat for Lashes at the Majestic Theatre on Monday, August 26.
I had the privilege of chatting with lead singer and guitarist Andrew Mills about the trials and tribulations of being a do-it-yourself band, the San Diego scene, and the definition of surf rock.
You’ve mentioned before that members of the band take care of a lot of the visual elements, such as music videos, graphic art, and merch. Do you enjoy having this degree of artistic control? Would you like to continue that even as you become a bigger band?
“That’s definitely one of the perks of being a completely DIY band: complete creative control. Our former drummer, Andrew Harner, is an amazing artist and graphic designer. He left the band earlier this year after being hired on by DVS Shoes to be an in-house designer in Los Angeles. We are still very close and we still work together on all the album artwork, merch, and any media art. The cover photograph on City of Women was done by Charles Bergquist, a local photographer/filmmaker who’s done videos for Matthew Dear and Tycho. He’s a local San Diegan but spends most of his time working all over the U.S. Very talented artist. I definitely always want to keep a hand in any aesthetic surrounding the band.”
Along the same DIY lines, I see that you’re using Kickstarter to fund your future tour with Bat for Lashes. Why did you choose to do it this way? Have you been seeing a good response?
“I guess we really had no other option other than using Kickstarter. We all work in bars, restaurants, and coffee shops to support the band, but with gas and van rentals so high we need a little extra help. We are also throwing a night at one of the bars we work at here in San Diego. Four of us will be bartending and I will be spinning a vinyl DJ set and all the proceeds from the night will be going towards the van rental. We’ve got a good response from Kickstarter so far, and I think the best bet is to basically use it as a pre-order for merch and price it accordingly.”
You guys have a really unique sound, which I’ve heard described as “psychedelic surf rock.” How would you personally describe it?
“Norwegian Black Metal, more specifically… oh no, that’s the Italian black metal band Barbarian. I’d say we’re a mix of psychedelic, garage, indie, and post-punk. That sounds good. There’s definitely a little surf going on — we love the Cramps, the Trashmen, Santo & Johnny — but I don’t think we’re defined by that… we’re not good enough musicians.” (laughs) “A lot of those guys shredded and didn’t need any vocals, such as Dick Dale and The Ventures.”
Would you say that your style has been affected by the San Diego music scene? What is it like playing music in that community?
“I don’t think our style has been affected by San Diego, no. Two of us are from southern California so we did grow up around punk rock and The Beach Boys, but I feel I would have written these songs anywhere. I do look up to my San Diego peers and admire the amazing local musicians we have. It’s cool ’cause you can surf right up to the venue with all your gear on the board, ready to play.”
How would you describe the process of getting your name out there as a new band? What are your plans for the immediate future?
“The process has been pretty organic. We write music, work and save money, get the music recorded, work and save money, get the music mastered, work and save money, and then tour around the release. We were so surprised and beyond stoked to be asked by Bat for Lashes to be support on this tour. As soon as we get back from tour, we are playing a few San Diego shows and then heading out to Joshua Tree for a couple weeks to record a full-length album. Then we’ll go from there.”