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 Two weeks ahead of his first ever solo acoustic performances, Baroness singer JOHN BAIZLEY gets in touch with TOM HERSEY to talk about why he continues to challenge himself as an artist.
“I didn’t get into playing music because it was easy. I got into it because it was a challenge. I want difficulty and to be able to learn what needs work and what doesn’t.”
Soft-spoken Baroness frontman and graphic artist of note John Baizley is not interested in repeating himself. Perhaps this is the reason why his band’s critically lauded and commercially successful Blue Record was such a captivating departure from their 2007 debut Red Album. During our conversation, it becomes clear that the singer/guitarist is not motivated by music’s popularity or commercial viability, rather the catharsis of creating new music and being able to do something fresh.
His quest for something different is exactly what lead Baizley to team up with Neurosis singer/guitarist and established solo artist Scott Kelly to tour Australia. Except for his family, no one has seen Baizley perform on his own with only an acoustic guitar. Discussing the tour, John talks about the idea of throwing himself out into the deep end as a performer. “This is a sink or swim, trial by fire kind of thing for me. That’s unnerving, but necessarily so. At this point with Baroness I’ve played everything from basement shows to arenas. None of that stuff really unnerves me. And I need something that unnerves me, otherwise it’s all the same old thing and where’s the challenge and where’s the fun?
“Playing acoustic stuff is something that I do around the house, it’s something I’ve done for my family, but my forte as a performer has never been in a stripped down arrangement. So I guess we’ll just have to see, and hope that the audience has an open mind.”
Baizley and his band Baroness have taken a similar approach writing their third full-length album. Baizley explains that Baroness wanted to challenge themselves to venture into territory that had been unexplored on their previous releases.
“We just went to the places that we haven’t been before, and that seemed appropriate for a band like us to go. There was a communal feeling when we got off our last tour at the end of 2010 that we haven’t yet really said everything we wanted to. There were a lot of stones left unturned and a lot of underdeveloped sides to our band that could be worked on to communicate ideas differently.”
Admitting the path he has chosen as an artist may not yield considerable financial rewards, Baizley is nevertheless undeterred, and will continue to push his own boundaries to create worthwhile music.
“There’s a coffee company in the States that run these sentimental, nostalgic commercials that are designed to 100 per cent to pull at your heartstrings, and do a fair enough job of it, but then when it’s over you’re left feeling a little hollow and a little abused. That’s not what I’m interested in. Exploiting baser emotions with blunter things are easy sells. I’m more interested in exploring all the grey areas that exist between the bluntness.”
JOHN BAIZLEY plays The Zoo on Thursday Feb 9 with Scott Kelly. You can check out Baizley’s artwork and keep updated on his work outside of Baroness at his official website, www.aperfectmonster.com.
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