Interview with Barbara from Wazzara
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| Photo by Manuel Vargas Lépiz |
By Mick Michaels
COSMICK VIEW: Hello, Barbara! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thank you for taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it's greatly appreciated.
Barbara: Thank you for taking your time and for having me!
CV: Do you feel Heavy Metal music in general is viewed differently by fans in
Europe compared to fans elsewhere, especially in America, and if so why?
Barbara: I don't think so. Unfortunately, I never had the luck to visit the world outside Europe to get my own picture, but when I talked to bands or "metalheads" from all over the world I always felt connected. I think metal music and its spirit connects in a universal way.
Barbara: I don't think so. Unfortunately, I never had the luck to visit the world outside Europe to get my own picture, but when I talked to bands or "metalheads" from all over the world I always felt connected. I think metal music and its spirit connects in a universal way.
CV: What do you feel makes Heavy Metal music so alluring to the
fans? What is it about the music that personally resonates so strongly with
you?
Barbara: At least I can speak about myself. It's funny that metal and the whole scene is perceived so negatively from the outside but based on my experiences I can say that I've met the nicest and most tolerant people in this scene. Basically, pretty hippie-ish (laughs), and so it's the community that attracts me the most…besides the music of course.
CV: Has Metal splintered into too many sub-genres in your opinion, thus, making it harder for newer bands to actually classify themselves as one style over another? Is it confusing for fans as well?
Barbara: I think that it has always been difficult for bands to assign themselves to a certain genre, no matter how many of them there are, because it's hard to stay objective about your music. I like the diversity of genres today, even if I don't care too much about it. It's just labels that help reach the right people, and that's why they're important for marketing; but at the end of the day, it should be about the music itself.
Barbara: At least I can speak about myself. It's funny that metal and the whole scene is perceived so negatively from the outside but based on my experiences I can say that I've met the nicest and most tolerant people in this scene. Basically, pretty hippie-ish (laughs), and so it's the community that attracts me the most…besides the music of course.
CV: Has Metal splintered into too many sub-genres in your opinion, thus, making it harder for newer bands to actually classify themselves as one style over another? Is it confusing for fans as well?
Barbara: I think that it has always been difficult for bands to assign themselves to a certain genre, no matter how many of them there are, because it's hard to stay objective about your music. I like the diversity of genres today, even if I don't care too much about it. It's just labels that help reach the right people, and that's why they're important for marketing; but at the end of the day, it should be about the music itself.
CV: How would you describe the current state of the music business considering we are now living in a COVID aware, and maybe even feared world? Have things drastically changed long-term for artists and bands given the pandemic? What are your thoughts?
Barbara: Since man is a creature of habit, I am somewhat concerned that the current situation will change the habits of concert attendance in the future, and especially bring fewer audiences to the smaller concerts. By the way, this was a tendency even before the pandemic. On the other hand, I have yet to meet anyone who would rather watch a live stream than attend a real concert. So, there is still hope.
CV: What do you feel makes your band and its particular approach to songwriting work? What keeps the band together and making music?
Barbara: We are all kind of on the same page. We want to make music and create something. Of course, we have our goals with the band, but we do it as long as it's fun. So, we have this unconditionality as a base and I think that keeps us together for now.
CV: On a more global view, how do you see your
band’s music and songwriting separating itself from just being another Heavy
Metal act?
Barbara: I don't think we are not, because basically we just are another metal act. For us it's not important to be more "special" than the others; it's important to be authentic in what we do and create.
Barbara: I don't think we are not, because basically we just are another metal act. For us it's not important to be more "special" than the others; it's important to be authentic in what we do and create.
CV: Can an artist truly be unique? Some would
argue there is no such thing as being unique; that it’s nothing more than a
compounding of influences making an artist who or what they are. Would this
then say that artists today are destined to be just copies of those who have
already come to pass?
Barbara: I would not agree that they are mere copies. I think it's the essence of art that one work influences another; it's like an endless cycle, a hermeneutic circle. Without inspiration, there is no art. Uniqueness comes from the authenticity of the creator. The more authentic a work is, the more unique it is, and the more it is likely to inspire other artists.
Barbara: I would not agree that they are mere copies. I think it's the essence of art that one work influences another; it's like an endless cycle, a hermeneutic circle. Without inspiration, there is no art. Uniqueness comes from the authenticity of the creator. The more authentic a work is, the more unique it is, and the more it is likely to inspire other artists.
CV: Are there life lessons to learn being in
a Heavy Metal band that you feel cannot be taught elsewhere? If so, what are
they?
Barbara: I think that whether you're in a metal band or a band of any genre, you really learn to step back from your ego and listen to the other person, not just when you're playing, also when you’re spending time on tour or discussing things. If you're not able to work together or look past each other's particularities, it's just not going to work.
CV: What do you feel makes someone a “rock star”? Does being a rock star automatically make one iconic or are the two completely different in your opinion?
Barbara: I would agree that a rock star - understood in the sense that he or she is famous and rich and fills big stadiums - is always iconic. If you understand the term rock star in this way, the interesting thing is that there haven't been any new rock stars since the '90s. So it's a term that refers to the world before the Internet, and now we can ask why.
Barbara: I think that whether you're in a metal band or a band of any genre, you really learn to step back from your ego and listen to the other person, not just when you're playing, also when you’re spending time on tour or discussing things. If you're not able to work together or look past each other's particularities, it's just not going to work.
CV: What do you feel makes someone a “rock star”? Does being a rock star automatically make one iconic or are the two completely different in your opinion?
Barbara: I would agree that a rock star - understood in the sense that he or she is famous and rich and fills big stadiums - is always iconic. If you understand the term rock star in this way, the interesting thing is that there haven't been any new rock stars since the '90s. So it's a term that refers to the world before the Internet, and now we can ask why.
CV: What's next for you? What can fans expect
to see coming as the world looks to surmount a new normal laced with a load of restrictions?
Barbara: After rehearsing as a full band for a year, we are now very ready to play gigs! We also plan to write another album, but at the moment we are very busy organizing the release of the upcoming album "Cycles", which will be released on October 31.
Barbara: After rehearsing as a full band for a year, we are now very ready to play gigs! We also plan to write another album, but at the moment we are very busy organizing the release of the upcoming album "Cycles", which will be released on October 31.
CV: Thank you again Barbara for spending some time talking and sharing with our
readers. It was a pleasure. I wish you all the best and continued success.
Barbara: Thank you for your time and for the interesting questions! I also wish you all the best!
Check out Wazzara at:
Official: http://www.wazzara.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wazzaraofficial
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wazzaraofficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wazzara_official/
Barbara: Thank you for your time and for the interesting questions! I also wish you all the best!
Check out Wazzara at:
Official: http://www.wazzara.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wazzaraofficial
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wazzaraofficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wazzara_official/
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Music, Talk & Nothing But Business
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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.
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