Interview by Erwin Van Dijk
Bare Infinity is a band from Greece. The band was founded in 2003 by Tomas (guitars and clear vocals) and former singer Christiana. The band was working on a debut album in 2004 but had to cancel that due to “a number of unfortunate events and Alex‘s decision to leave the band” (Alex was the bass player). They found a new bass player, Sverd and did some gigs in Greece and Italy. In 2008 Bare Infinity once again started with the recording of their debut album, “Always Forever” but replaced singer Christiana with Angel.
Did you always want to become a singer?
First of all, I’d like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to reveal more things about Bare Infinity and myself. I have always wanted to be a singer as long as I can remember myself. I started singing when I was 2 or 3 and it simply became a very important part of my everyday life since then. As time was passing by, singing was turning into something more serious and necessary inside me. Every time I sing, it always has a cathartic feeling…
You use different vocal styles on Bare Infinity’s debut album. Is it easy to do this because most singers (male and female) have just one style.
Yes, it is a fact that most singers have one vocal style and, most of the times, this is what makes them recognizable. I choose to use different styles, because I like to experiment and be flexible between different music styles and sounds. I believe it’s interesting. It’s not always easy to have the perfect result, but this is the point where exercise and hard work come.
Did you follow any singing lessons?
I have never taken any singing lessons, although I’d love to. I am a self – taught musician and I have developed my voice slowly – slowly through the years following my instinct, listening and studying on other artists whom I admire. Some of them have been the main influence and inspiration for me even until now.
To what kind of music do you listen yourself?
I like the kind of music that makes my imagination soar. It can be any genre. Of course, I love metal, but my heart feels pleasure equally with folk, orchestral, blues, reggae or trip – hop. It’s not always easy for me to differ one kind from the other, I just know what inspires me. I am more of an audiovisual person, so I have plenty visions in my mind when I listen to music. That makes my musical preferences so important to me.
And is it difficult to combine Bare Infinity with your personal life?
When I took the decision to participate in the auditions that the band had announced in order to find a new singer, I said to myself that, come what may, I will keep a balance between the things I love. My personal life has duties as well as my band, so it doesn’t matter if it’s difficult or not, I know I just have to keep the balance. And last but not least, fortunately, my loved ones are very understanding.
Is Bare Infinity your first band are you active in any other bands now besides Bare Infinity?
I was active as a singer before I join Bare Infinity, so it’s not the first time I am a part of a band. In the past, I had joined several bands that they were playing punk, blues and even death metal, where, by the way, it was the very first time I tried the aggressive vocal style. Currently, I spend a great amount of time on Bare Infinity, so I am not a part of any other band.
What is the idea behind the name of the band?
I believe it started from the desire for the music to last, so it begun as Bear Infinity. But later on, it was just changed to Bare Infinity which has a slightly different meaning. In fact, it’s the infinity that overwhelms us all…
And can you introduce us to the other members of Bare Infinity?
The members of Bare Infinity are my musical family, I respect them for who they are and how kind they are with me. First of all, there is Tomas, the father of this band and main person who inspired and composed the music to begin with. He plays the guitar and he is a self – taught musician too. Then, there’s George, the drummer, who adds the strong rhythm to our songs, along with Vincent, who stands behind the keyboards and Sverd who plays the bass guitar.
And why did you wanted to become the singer of Bare Infinity?
The truth is that during the last years, I didn’t have the chance to be in a band that plays symphonic, power metal or even has the need of clean female vocals, which is what I’ve always been looking for. I had heard about Bare Infinity and their music before I meet them and, when I was informed about their audition, I had no choice but to rush straight to Athens. Their music is the music I’ve always wanted to sing. Now, I am a part of this band and I am more than happy!
I guess most songs were written for Christiana. Was it necessary to adapt the songs to your voice and your style?
Well, I think that it was necessary to adapt the songs to my voice and style, because I am a different singer, but this does not mean that I was tempting to change them. The songs had to keep their initial originality and mood, so I respected that. What I did was to add some drops of my musical personality to show a little bit of the new sound of Bare Infinity without disturbing the feeling.
Since you joined Bare Infinity in 2008, what was your part in the song writing?
When I joined the band, in November of 2008, most of the songs had already been written, so, initially, I was expecting my role to be just to perform the songs. Happily, one day, my bandmates presented to me two songs without vocal lines added. It was my time to add my sound and ideas and participate in the composition of the songs by adding melodies for the voice. I worked on them and they are the songs “The Crying Shore” and “Serenity”.
What makes Bare Infinity different compared to all the other bands in the genre?
I think the fact that all of us come from different musical backgrounds gives us an advantage. For instance Vincent is into Industrial music and has his own project in this genre. His influences that he brings to the bands sound are more electronical. George is into more extreme metal such as grindcore and other. So, when the time comes to compose music each of us adds a little from these influences and the final result is different. It doesn’t follow some classic song writing technique for songs. Part by part the songs evolve and get written and personally I think the end result always sounds different than other bands songs and kinda gives us our own special touch to the music. There have been some people that have noted that some songs sound influenced by bands of our genre , however at the time “Always Forever” was written I believe the bands influencing Tomas were quite different to what one might expect.
And how would you describe Bare Infinity’s music?
Bare Infinity’s music is symphonic, but powerful with some gothic elements entering the gates along with melancholy, which takes over sometimes, and some epic parts. Its a mix of Feelings and circumstances both lyrically and musically. I don’t think I can label the music yet. As we play together we evolve and we have so many ideas, so its hard to say .
Can you tell us something about the songs on the album?
I feel that each song in this album has its own personality and that’s the reason why there are so many emotions coming out. Most of the songs have a depressive feeling by talking about lost loves, lives and even souls, such as “Bear Infinity”, but you can also find songs filled with hate and revenge, like “Here I Come”. Plus, there are some songs that have a narrative character and the mood of something eerie, like “The Crying Shore” for example. There are fluctuations from song to song.
What are the highlights for you in Bare Infinity so far?
First of all, from my side, the main highlight is entering this band! After that, I think that every live appearance is a magic moment, because it’s a very strong experience for me. And for sure, the people are one of the highlights! In brief, they are all the things we live for; the composition of the songs, the performance, the recording session, the festivals, all these highlights. And the list goes on…
And what are your favourite songs on the album?
I like songs with strong pulse. My favourites are: “The Crying Shore”, “Serenity”, “Always Forever Part II” and “This Silence”. Some of them are epic, some of them are mysterious, that’s the reason I love these songs.
The album was released some time ago. How did the media, and more important, the fans react on the new album?
Mainly, we have received, both from the media and the fans, many positive reviews about the album, which is a fact that makes me very happy. The greatest thing of all is the enthusiasm of the fans. We receive very encouraging and positive comments every day about our music and this is another reason we want to go one step further in the future. The welcome of “Always Forever” was the warmest ever!
Bare Infinity will do a small tour in Finland. Does the band have other plans for a tour?
We have just returned home from this great experience! Our suitcases are full with precious memories. As for other plans for a tour, we’re thinking about it, but first everything has to be arranged. So far the only thing we can say is that we are gonna be playing at next year’s edition of the Metal Female Voices Festival 8 in Belgium. All I know is that we want to play again…madly.
And what else can we expect from the band in the future?
I think the best thing to expect is a new album. Although is too early to tell, I feel that a new release in the future would show another side of our music and abilities. The members of Bare Infinity have changed; our mood is different, our point of view is more mature and there is more music to be revealed after all. Another thing to happen is more shows, in Greece and abroad. After out tour we have made a lot of friends and partnerships that will be announced soon, so I can say that there will be a lot of activity within 2010.
And, the last question, is there anything the reader should know that I have not asked?
I’d like to say that everything we do is from the bottom of our hearts and with respect for every fan and listener. Our purpose is to spread the music. Thank you once again.
Links
MySpace * ReverbNation * Facebook * Twitter * Site
Latest Multimedia