Barbara Drive
An interview with Madison, WI rockers, Barbara Drive
by Mike Huberty
September 2011
Barbara Drive
The four members of the Madison-based rock band, BARBARA DRIVE, all share the same goal of making great music, but along with something catchy, they’re interested in making music that lasts, like classic American rock. The two original members of the band, Jerry and DJ, grew up together and even started playing together in high school. As Jerry puts it, “the mundane reality is that [BARBARA DRIVE] is the name of the street where DJ and I grew up and first started playing guitar in the basement. We founded the group in late 2007 and wanted a name that pointed backwards to where we came from and also pointed forward on this newest musical adventure. It expresses that early bond in music, the importance of our shared experiences, and the confluence of our musical talents and interests… When we were in our early teens, radio had become absolutely unlistenable. No matter where you turned, you heard disco. It was awful, maybe the worst music ever made. Our parents were young in the Sixties, so it makes sense that when we picked up instruments we started playing the Stones, the Who, Hendrix, and Zeppelin. Lyrically, I wanted to write like Lennon and McCartney and like Ray Davies from the Kinks… One thing that unifies Barbara Drive is that fact that we are collectively inspired by the bands that drove disco from the dial.”
One of the last albums recorded at Madison’s legendary Smart Studios before it went up for sale in 2010, their debut album is called Twilight to Darkness. A name that’s inspired by “the moment when daylight is extinguished but darkness has not yet fully set in. In some ways, it’s about time and the human condition. It reflects on that fleeting articulation between who we’ve been and who we have not yet become, as we try to understand who we are. It’s an ephemeral moment of pure potential and threatening despair.” For first-time listeners (who can listen the album streaming at their website, Barbaradrive.com) they list “Belligerence (You’re in My Head)”, ”Small Town Blues” and “Mrs. McCarthy” as the tracks to listen to for starters. “Belligerence’ was a semi-finalist in the 2010 U.K. Songwriting Contest and it’s a track they’re proud of. Jerry continues, “They make a statement about our sound—layered guitars, vocal harmonies, catchy riffs, and a big back beat—and about our lyrics, which try to express something meaningful about the larger culture. You know, we’ve been at war for about a decade and the economy is in the tank. And, in response, is anything meaningful being produced?” He answers, “Not really. All around us we’ve got TV talent show, pre-fabricated, low talent, auto-tuned nonsense that is oblivious to reality. It’s like we’re living in that disco moment again. If you think about great artists from the Sixties and from the first alternative wave, you remember that they commented powerfully on war, politics, and society. Some artists today are saying something, of course, but it’s hard to hear them. Part of what Barbara Drive wants to do is add its voice to the conversation through lyrics and songs that are worth remembering and thinking about.”
As far as their favorites on the album, Jerry enjoys “Twilight to Darkness”. In his words, “At the time we recorded it, I considered it the best song I had ever written.” DJ’s favorite is “Cul-De-Sac Kids” and “Time Runs So Fast”. As he puts it, “They show the diversity of our sound, and they recreate the sights and sounds of surburban teenagehood of the 1980s.”
The band’s current lineup is rounded out by Tim Schmitt on drums and Jimbo Georgia on guitar, and they’ll be playing around Madison in support of the new album. As DJ describes their mission, “BARBARA DRIVE sticks to old song writing formulas in many respects, which in my mind makes great rock and roll. We strive for diversity in the sound, but the music has a foundation. We’re making music with the hope that others will love it, but there are a lot of tastes to please and attentions to grab. Bands can become self indulgent, and lose their audience. Not sure if that separates us from our musical counterparts, but ultimately we are playing for you, as Letterman would say, ‘the home audience.’” And Jerry puts their music in even succincter terms, “We’re very passionate about our music and want to deliver catchy rock with meaningful lyrics that will inspire people and make them want to dance.”
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CD: Twilight to Darkness Record Label: Self Released