When Michael asked me to interview Barista, I didn’t know if he was talking about a band or if he wanted to grab a cup of coffee at Starbucks. I quickly learned he was talking about a Turkish-based rock band. I did some digging and liked the sound. The songwriting is polished, the lyrics come from the heart and Barista featured Simon Phillips (Jeff Beck, Toto) on drums. The more I learned about this band, the more interested I became. I must admit, I don’t know much about the music scene in Turkey.
This was a really fun interview and Michael continues to impress me with the artists he’s working with. I challenge you to turn on Open Sesame Vol 1: Her Dress, Barista’s new artist album, while you read this. Curious what your favorite song is… I like them all, but “Her Dress” might be my favorite. He says he doesn’t tour much, but I sure hope I get to see Barista live in concert soon. It is my pleasure to introduce you to Barista.
Where did the name come from?
I have long been a coffee addict. The history of coffee as a beverage and the coffee house as a social institution has been a passion for me. I learned many interesting things studying it. It is fascinating how the coffeehouse, a Muslim institution that flourished in Istanbul, revolutionized the world from the 16th through the 18th centuries. So, I was probably preoccupied with such thoughts when “Barista” popped out in my head as a name for a band about nine years ago when I stepped into a studio for the first time just to have some fun with two close friends who were real musicians as well as doctors. And a few years later when those humble steps took me on a journey, “Barista” just stuck. In essence, I think I wanted to emphasize the artisan, craftsman, aficionado/lover aspect of this journey, versus the commercialism that music has become these days.
Give me an overview of Barista. When did you get started and where are you originally from?
For one thing, from my childhood onwards I always played the air drums. (Smiles.) So, I had had some imaginary practice when I sat on a drum set for the first time add a rehearsal studio right next to the Fenerbahçe Stadium in Istanbul’s Chalcedon district about nine years ago. That is to say, I am not a trained musician, I just became one when I realized music was for everyone, not just for trained musicians. I think everyone should be a musician one way or another, and every person should have the right and the will to compose a verse.
Digging the artwork on Open Sesame Vol 1: Her Dress. Who designed that album cover?
Geoff Gibbons at Blue Cafe Music. He is truly awesome.
I know you just released Vol 1, but plans for a Vol 2?
Early June. I want the volumes to come in a steady stream, just trying to weigh what the gaps should be. I would like to release them every month. In total there will be five volumes.
There are 7 songs on Vol 1: Her Dress. Tell me about all those and what they all mean.
Glad you asked. The first two, “Circular Lives” and “Her Dress” are about relationships and how our inner worlds are reflected in them. Many relationships, including marriages, are based on our defects, we try to fulfill what we subconsciously believe is lacking in us by being with someone who seems to have them. This dynamic prevents us from having a real, true relationship, because we are in a togetherness with our own expectations or reflections, rather than with another person. I was exactly that way, looking for the fairytale princess who would in return make me a prince. I only found out later on and felt that this make-believe search had wasted my years. And I see that many people, filled by the narcissism that our world today instills in them, are so insecure that any closeness with a real person scares them and they run away immediately while telling themselves how strong and confident they are. In fact, “they all want what they fear”. “Disco Sun” is a about losing our childhood innocence as we grow up, and how the world around us looks so different now to us than it did before. Sort of a “Little Prince” theme. “In a Dream” is about taking the people in our lives for granted, only to live with the regret later. In our dreams we deconstruct our regret, only to wake up to hurtful reality. “Watching the End Begin, Part 1 (Coffee Song)” is about the increasing distance I have been feeling from what is current in the agenda of our modern culture. It’s part one of a two song series about this rather pessimistic going of things, first on a personal level, and then, in part two, on a global level. “Walk in My Shoes” is actually written by my good friend Evren Arkman, reflecting on a similar state. And, finally, “Be Mine” is a love song in pure terms, the kryptonite of all the pessimism that befalls us.
I hope this wasn’t too long of an answer.
Tell me more about your work with Michael and the team over at MTS Management Group.
Michael is great. His enthusiasm and energy are contagious, and it’s not just pep talk, it’s real stuff. He really is devoted, not only to music and his job, but one can easily tell, to his clients as well. It is so easy to feel that there is a family environment at MTS Management Group, and I’m really happy to be a part of it. He responded to me immediately when I contacted him, unlike many others who were seemingly too important to respond. I felt an instant connection, and the stream of energy hasn’t waned the smallest bit ever since. I’m very happy, that’s to say.
COVID-19 put a damper on live music. But there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel. Are you planning to tour when things get back to normal?
Well, that depends on the response that the album receives. I like to be motivated, if we are going to do a tour. Frankly, I’m not really a touring kind of musician- running from one live show to another, however, I would love to do some live shows on select places and times.
I am lucky that I make my living out of something else because it is so, so very difficult to make a living out of being a musician. I think it was always hard, but with all the parameters to manage, the infinite variety of channels and variables, it is more difficult now than ever, without even mentioning the pandemic.
Tell me more about DayDream, your debut artist album.
It was a fantastic experience for me, literally. It was difficult to compute how air drumming turned into an album in the space of a few years. It was released in the form of a CD, with the booklet and everything, which would now be an obsolete effort. When I grew up with music, I loved having the vinyl record with the sleeve, and I read all the information on it, especially the credentials, where it was recorded etc. etc. I stuck with the idea of an album, which is not just a collection of songs, but an evaluation of a theme, which is something I learned from my fascination with The Alan Parsons Project. Barista really started from humble beginnings, with my friends Ismail Kocak, Evren Arkman, improvising original tunes, and then I continued by myself trying to invent ways to continue and to learn. The dream was really daydreaming for me, it was naïve, amature, and full of rave. It kept me busy through a difficult time of my life as I learned new things and rediscovered my long-lost creativity.
Who are some of your biggest influences?
Hard to say. Day and night, darkness and light, my experiences, the strong breathing one feels when running, hermetic sunsets, dreams and fantasies, the women who rejected me, anything – really. In terms of musicians, however, I can surely mention a few: Supertramp, Journey, Eagles, Toto, The Alan Parsons Project, Jackson Browne, The Beatles, Tom Petty, Barış Manço, Fikret Kızılok. I also love folk music, especially from my native Turkey.
What is your songwriting process like? Do you sit down with a yellow pad or do the lyrics just come to you?
First, I need to have a starting idea or theme, or an image or reflection. That can happen anytime anywhere. And then, I would say the embryonic phase comes, usually in the strangest of places: working out at the gym, walking in the street, waking up or falling asleep. And then comes the prosodic work when I try to sync the lyrics to the flow of the song. Mostly this will go on and on until I’m happy with the result, but I have to confess that more than a few times I just settled or got tired. After all I am what I am, which is not a great lyricist, and sometimes it’s good to accept it and just stop.
This might be hard to answer, but what is the best concert you’ve ever been to?
Oh, I think I know the answer right away. Roger Hodgson in Istanbul. I don’t remember the year, actually I don’t remember the year pretty much for anything in my life. So the concert was held at a basketball arena which was really strange to begin with when there were so many concert venues in the city. I went with a group of friends, we took our seats like basketball fans. And then he came out with an acoustic guitar and started singing. My first impression wasn’t so good and the acoustics were awful. I was expecting to see Supertramp because I did not really read the concert poster well, so I thought he would sing a few songs by himself and then the real concert would begin with the whole lineup of the band coming on stage, so I disregarded the fact that there were no drum sets on the stage. We were all somewhat shocked and disappointed when it became clear that it was a one-man concert. However, Roger was so genuine, he was there all by himself switching in between instruments, and song after song, he sang his heart out, and not only his charm, but his great musicianship started to show. He won us over completely. Everyone was in tears by the end of the concert. It was a cure, and an unmatchable experience, without the massive gear, all the lights, and the deafening decibel levels.
Simon worked with Toto. Do you still have connections with any of those bandmates?
Simon is my idol in music. He is a source of inspiration. His technique, sound, and flow are instantly recognizable. I became a fan when I first heard him play for Mick Jagger, and when he joined Toto, Toto for me became a super band for me. I went to Vienna to see a Toto concert, and had a chance to briefly meet him there. What I had seen it all the videos and interviews was true: above his superior musicianship, he was this easy-to-approach, humble person. I mean, none of this new, flashy drummer thing with all the tattoos and exaggerated hair, so driven to make a lot of noise on the drums and dominate the scene etc. He inspired me to start playing the drums. I imitated his style, fills, attacks etc. I put together a drum set that was almost a copy of his. Years later, when I approached him with the prospect of Open Sesame and he accepted to be a part of it, I traveled to Ojai and saw him in action in the studio. When he plays, the song really starts to feel like a record. I still don’t understand how he can get that sound out of that drum set. Of course, needless to say, he ruined the drums for me. I did meet the band mates in Toto a few times, I would love to do something together in the future.
What is the music scene like in Istanbul?
Dynamite, lively, diverse, crazy. The last time Metallica came to play, there were 60,000 people outside the stadium the night before. The concert was more than 24 hours away, they made their own festival before going into the stadium to listen to Metallica. The summer rock festival draws about 200,000 people to an old airport, they camp there for three days to follow each band performing. But now, the music scene is entirely dormant. I’ll say it again, it is so, so hard to make a living out of music. Most musicians rely on live shows to make money, and now that all one needs is a computer and a program to make music, the studio aspect of the current music appears to be threatened. I know everyone is so extremely ready to go to a concert: anything live, really.
Where can folks at home learn more about Barista?
The main channel for information is Instagram. This account is entirely dedicated to Open Sesame.
What’s next for Barista?
I have already started working on album 4. It probably won’t be as monstrous as Open Sesame in terms of the number of tracks, but I’m loving creating new stuff. Actually, that’s what I love the most. Frankly speaking, all this promotion, social media, press etc. stuff is a big drag for me. I am an introvert.
Thank you for doing this. Enjoyed that! In all of the interviews I do, I always give the artist the last word. Go.
Music heals. Have it in your life, one way or another be a part of it. And help bring Melody, character, and rave back to music.
For the love of music!
Connect with Barita:
Website: http://www.baristabeat.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/baristamusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baristamusic
