Interview with Bahari
We had the pleasure of interviewing Bahari over Zoom video!
Every so often, two separate journeys collide to form the perfect union in just the right place at just the right time. Bahari blossom from a similar confluence of circumstances. Singer and keyboardist Ruby Carr hails from the tiny island of Lamu off the coast of Kenya, while singer and bassist Natalia Panzarella calls Nashville home. Each of their experiences shapes a dynamic, diverse, and dark take on alternative pop. Generating over 200 million streams and receiving acclaim from Ladygunn, Nylon, Billboard, Ones To Watch, and more, the Los Angeles-based duo bring a shared vision to life across their music.
Lifelong musical obsession bonded the girls. Ruby refers to the village of Lamu as \u201ca little family.\u201d She attended a school of only five students. Mom introduced her to Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones, and The Eagles. She also endlessly played a Tupac tape. Without easy access to music, she requested albums from visitors and discovered Rihanna and Black Eyed Peas via MTV, watching videos all day. Eventually, she enrolled in boarding school where she picked up piano.
About 8,521 miles away from Kenya, Natalia split her childhood between Nashville and the South Bay of Los Angeles. Her mother worked as a professional songwriter and passed on a passion for music. She listened to everyone from Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys, and Destiny\u2019s Child to Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks, Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Dolly Parton. She penned her first song at 10-years-old for a boy and never stopped writing. At 16-years-old, she met Ruby during a songwriting session at Rock Mafia studio.
Ruby and Natalia also completed homeschool together in between releasing music as Bahari.
Bahari initially made waves with \u201cWild Ones,\u201d which generated 38.1 million Spotify streams. They maintained a consistent pace with the Dancing on the Sun EP [2016] and singles \u201cGet Together\u201d and \u201cFucked Up.\u201d Along the way, they supported Selena Gomez and Birdy on tour and teamed up with Zedd and Grey for collaborations. After quietly grinding, Bahari earned a viral hit with 2018\u2019s \u201cSavage.\u201d Not only did the song generate over 100 million total streams, but it also went gold. Signing to Epic Records, the pair reup \u201cSavage\u201d with an Official Remix featuring rapper BIA.
\u201cSavage\u201d paves the way for the album. Ruby and Natalia moved in together, built a studio, and primarily took production into their own hands. Drawing on influences as diverse as the scores of Hans Zimmer and Air, they carefully crafted an expansive, ethereal, and entrancing body of work. On one end of the spectrum, warbling bass and woozy melodies distill \u201ca pure feeling of paranoia\u201d into the chaotically catchy \u201cWaking Up The Neighbors.\u201d Then, there\u2019s \u201cJackie Kennedy.\u201d Upheld by nothing but solo piano and soft strings, the track culminates on the mournful crescendo, \u201cWe\u2019ve lost a lifetime, you and I.\u201d
In the end, the power of Bahari arises from this empathy.
We want to hear from you! Please email\xa0Tera@BringinitBackwards.com.
www.BringinitBackwards.com
#podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #zoom #aspn #americansongwriter #americansongwriterpodcastnetwork
Listen & Subscribe\xa0to BiB
Follow our podcast on\xa0Instagram\xa0and\xa0Twitter!
---
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bringinbackpod/support
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support.