In under two years, The BarrBarians went from blasting Misfits songs in the van on the way to their gigs, to opening up for former Misfits’ lead singer, Michale Graves. This independent rock band from the windy shores of Asbury Park, NJ are taking their motivation and love of music and cultivating a following for their raw, head-banging sound. Their influences — bands like Green Day, Nirvana, Black Sabbath, Elvis, the Misfits (of course), and more — follow that same rough, but melodic pathway. Molding their sound and forming a fanbase has been what these five rockers have been working toward, and it seems to be paying off, but they are dedicated, self-proclaimed “dreamers,” so they are far from slowing down.
Where are you all from?
We are all second generation immigrants: the Barr boys hail from Egypt, and the Greatorexs are from Australia…Only two of the band members were born in the U.S. We grew up in Middletown, NJ, the lion’s share of our shows are in the bustling Asbury Park music scene. All that being said, we consider ourselves an Asbury band.
How long have you been a band and how did you get started?
We have been a band about a year now. The band was in the making for over 10 years when Bassam, and Huw started jamming together as kids. Fast-forward to 2017, we recorded a full album and started playing in the local Asbury music scene, and the rest is history.
How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard you before?
The music is somewhat nostalgic to the alternative rock era of the ‘90s, but has a fresh, modern rock mood and feel that tip-toes the lines separating alt, grunge, punk, and garage rock.
What was your latest release of music and can you talk about that a bit?
Our self-titled full album, The BarrBarians, which came out in March of this year. Most bands start with an EP…we took the full album approach. We wanted to show our primary in your face dirty rock ‘n’ roll style that make outfits like Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, and Queens of the Stone Age into household names, but also wanted to include those deep cuts that show a band’s versatility and musical composition…those songs expose our more mellow side.
What is your writing and recording process like?
There’s really no rhyme or reason to it. Sometimes we start with a riff or a melody, and sometimes we just come up with a name or a topic and let the song write itself. Recording wise, we start with the drums, and rhythm guitar, and go from there.
What are current projects you are working on?
Currently we are working on our second album, which we should be finishing up early 2018, and a video of our fan-favorite tune, “Sunday Driver.”
Is there any significance behind your band name?
Bassam actually came up with the name, which is basically a combination of our last name Barr, and the word barbarians. Hence, The BarrBarians with two Rs.
What is your favorite memory as a band?
I would say when we got to open up for Miachale Graves former lead singer of The Misfits at the Wonder Bar. It’s always been a BarrBarians custom to blast Misfits albums on route to shows and to get to open up, and meet Michale Graves was something we will never forget. Between you and us, he’s one of the nicest guys ever, such a good dude.
What are your goals for the future as a band?
The sky is limit and we approach our musical dreams and goals in almost a borderline delusional manner, and man do we have fun doing it. We are a music-making machine and we are that before anything else. Short term goals are to keep putting out new music, growing in our awesome, local Asbury scene, and to start playing more in New York and Philadelphia. Our long term goals are to really run with this thing: festivals, touring, etc. Like I said earlier, the sky’s the limit when you are dreamers, but we’ve got the talent and passion to back it up.
What are your plans for the rest of 2018?
Keep making new music, playing more shows and continue to learn and grow as musicians.
Where can readers find your music?
Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp, SoundCloud, Reverbnation, and YouTube.
