Artist Interview: 1-on-1 with Bev Wild

I’ve been following Markus Schulz for a long time, and when he released “Running Up That Hill,” I fell in love with the vocals. After memorizing the words to that song, and hearing it over and over again, I looked who sang the lyrics on that track. It was Bev Wild. Fun name, right? I wasn’t familiar with her work, so I did some digging.

Since this song was released, Armin van Buuren featured it on A State Of Trance Episode 815 and Ferry Corsten put it on Corsten’s Countdown 519. I kept listening to it and decided to introduce myself. We became fast friends and I requested an interview. I just had to learn more about her, her career and her connection to Markus. We did this interview a few weeks ago, but I’ve been waiting on some updated photography. But it’s here, and I am so excited to share her story with you. It is my absolute pleasure to introduce you to Bev Wild.

Is Wild really your last name? That’s almost too good to be true!
It really is! I wasn’t born with it but it’s been my last name for almost thirty years now. Sometimes I joke with my husband that I married him for his last name! It’s funny though because back in the 80s when I’d hear Kim Wilde’s “Kids In America” I’d often say, “I’d love to have her last name.” What do you know? I got it! My last name is spelled without the “e” on the end which I think is way cooler.

I was listening to “Running Up That Hill” the other day. I’ve heard this song time and time again… I know all of the words. But never realized you did the vocals on that song. Tell me more about that single and what it was like working with Markus.
“Running Up That Hill” was originally written and sung by the amazing Kate Bush. It was a huge song for her in 1985. I’ve always admired her singing/songwriting so when Markus approached me about doing the vocal for his version of “RUTH” for his Dakota – The Nine Skies project I was thrilled and honored. I’m really proud of that track.

By the way, Paris is my favorite city in the world. Did you get to visit Paris when they produced the video for this song?
Unfortunately, I was not part of the production of the video, but I have visited Paris a few times and it is a beautiful city indeed.

You like to travel. What are some of your favorite places to visit? Where haven’t you been that you’re looking forward to visiting?
I love to travel! I’ve been fortunate enough to have traveled many times to England. Both my family and my husband’s family are from England. I’ve also traveled throughout the U.S., Europe, Africa, Israel and Greece.

We were in Paros, a Greek island this past summer. It was my first trip to Greece, I’ve always wanted to go there because my great granddad was born in Corfu. It was just as I’d imagined… Magical, special and I felt right at home.

Another fantastic place l have to mention is the Maasai Mara in Kenya, Africa. We went on a safari there and as we landed on that gravel runway and the propeller of the small plane stopped, all I could hear was the rustling of an elephant’s ears just yards away… It brought me to tears from the majestic beauty, I’ll never forget it!

I want to see more of the Greek islands, the Maldives, Thailand, Spain, New Zealand, Japan… I could go on and on!

Tell me more about the Dakota alias.
Markus needed someone to narrate the Nine Skies live show. So I asked if he’d give me a shot. Markus asked me to record reading something he had written and then he continued sending me things to record. He loved my speaking voice, as well as my singing voice, and I eventually became the narration for his Dakota – The Nine Skies show, so I’m sorta “the voice of Dakota” in that show. The Nine Skies is a conceptual show using imagery, spoken word, and music to draw the listener in to a journey of self discovery. It was a great live show for the audience to experience, and I’m happy to have been an integral part of such a creative, bold, in your face kind of piece of work. You should check it out!

What other artists have you worked with over the years?
Besides working with Markus, Danilo and Omair, I am a relative newcomer to the EDM world but not to the music scene. I’ve had numerous releases with pop artists and labels throughout my career but I’m not focusing on what I have done, but what I’m wanting to do. I’m excited about some of the up-and-coming artists I’m working with and always am looking for new talent to work with. It doesn’t matter to me if an artist has a million streams or one hundred streams, if the music is good, I want to be a part of it. I’m all about looking forward and finding new ways to express myself.

Speaking of Markus, I love your Facebook Header Photo. Is that Markus taking a picture of you?
Yes it is! I That was at a gig he had in NYC. “RUTH” had just released and Markus invited me to come and do a live vocal performance. The venue was the legendary Webster Hall. I felt so lucky to have had the experience to sing on the same stage that so many great artists performed on for the past twenty-five years such as Tina Turner, The Rolling Stones, Prince, Madonna and my absolute fav, Duran Duran! (#duranieforever)

Tell me more about Before You Breathe.
Before You Breathe is myself and my husband Joel Wild, we have been doing music together since we were kids. Joel is a very talented musician, writer, producer and DJ. We always had our own unique sound/style. Joel does most of the writing and all the instruments and production. I write some lyrics and melodies. I usually find a hook or a vocal part, and I always want to add more and more vocals and sometimes we will have twenty or more vocal parts to sort through. It’s a lot of work but worth it. Electronica best describes us… chill out, downtempo. We have 4 releases as Before You Breathe and were signed to Ardent Records through EMI. Our release, “Remixedregenerated” from 2000 has some great drum and bass and techno flavored tracks on it. You can check them out on Spotify. Currently we are doing our own recording independently. Our strengths are melodies, hooks, and great production. Our influences are Everything But The Girl, Sade, Bjork, Olive, Late Night Alumni, Portishead, Zero 7, Tears For Fears and Duran Duran.

Las Vegas is the epicenter for dance music in the United States. What are some of your favorite clubs in Sin City?
Honestly, I’ve not spent much time at clubs in Vegas but I’ve enjoyed a few in Miami, including E11EVEN, STORY Nightclub, CLUB SPACE and LIV Nightclub… But I think Orlando is the city to watch. It was the center of the dance scene in the early 2000s and has a really exciting up-and-coming dance scene. I’m so excited about my city and the new talent that is about to explode.

You have been featured on a laundry list of singles. Any plans on producing an artist album in the near future?
Yes!!!

Tell me more about the Danilo Ercole and Omair single “In Dreams.”
Omair approached me with “In Dreams.” It was a track he was working on with another DJ, Danilo Ercole. He sent me a basic track and I wrote the melody and lyrics. Joel and I recorded it at our in-home studio, aka the dining room at the Wild residence. I’m happy to have writer credits on that track as well as be the featured vocalist. Omair is so great to work with and we are continuing to collaborate on songs soon to be released.

You post some great content on Instagram. Safe to say you like going to the beach. What are some of your favorite beaches to visit?
Well, I do love any beach really. I think I might have been a mermaid in a former life. The sea… It just calms and centers me, it’s a special place for me. I grew up in Melbourne, Florida so I spent much of my childhood and teenage years at the beach. I also spent tons of time at the beach when our 2 boys were growing up. I’d pack the car and head to the beach and let them tire themselves out. I travel to California for work so I’m given the opportunity to see the sun set on that coast which is spectacular. Of the beaches there, one of my faves is Santa Cruz. You watch the sunset as seals frolic in the cold Pacific ocean and throngs of seagulls fill the sky. The beaches we discovered in Greece were pretty amazing, something about being in the water of the Mediterranean makes you feel part of the history there.

Do these artists come to you for vocals or are you out there actively seeking to work with these guys?
Both really, usually it’s word of mouth, networking. I love meeting new people and finding new opportunities to collaborate or record a vocal for. So if any upcoming artists or DJs are reading this, get in touch with me through Instagram or Facebook!

What is your tour schedule like? How often do guys like Markus bring you on the road with them to sing these songs live?
My tour schedule is almost non existent. (Laughs.) Joel and I have a family and day jobs so we spend most of our time writing, producing and recording music, not really performing much. Performing is wonderful and I’m thankful for the times I get to do it. Joel and I would like to work on a live set where he mixes and I can sing a live performance during his set. It’s something we both miss doing.

Besides Markus, who are some of your favorite DJs? Who do you like listening to?
As far as DJS… Joel Wild, Eric Prydz, Kaskade, deadmau5, Nora En Pure, Lane 8, Chocolate Puma, EDX, and Rufus Du Sol. But I like listening to so many different genres of music, especially on vinyl!

What’s next for Bev Wild? What projects are you working on and can we expect some new music soon?
Yes, I have some new music coming out very soon. “In Dreams The Remixes” will be released next week! One of the remixes, entitled “Mermaid Mix” was done by my husband, Joel and I just love it. It has a real summer, beach vibe to it.

I’m also currently finishing up a 5 song EP with Joel, soon to be released… I also have a few releases with some new artists in the works!

Thank you for doing this. In all of the interviews I do, I always give the artist the last word. Go.
Thanks to you Ricky for reaching out to do this interview with me and thanks to whoever is reading this, it means a lot! I’d love you to check out some of my work on SoundCloud and follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Cheers!

Connect with Bev Wild:
Website: https://www.bevwild.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bevwildmusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bevwild
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/bevwild