Formula Indie Sessions_ Interview with Ballistic Berry
Introduction of the project – answered by Nick Garrecht (singer/songwriter and guitarist of Ballistic Berry)
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
Honestly, there are too many to count. One particular instance stuck with me, though. It must have been second or third grade and my music teacher at the time was having people come up to sing “Yesterday” by the Beatles for our lesson for the week. I had never heard the tune prior to that, so after a couple of listens and a couple of days, I mustered up the courage to get up in front of the class and give it a shot. It was one of the first times I had ever performed in front of any type of audience. It was exhilarating in the moment and I remember being so proud of myself walking back to my seat, but looking back I can’t say I was Paul McCartney!
How did your passion for creating music begin?
Friday night music at the Belmar plaza every week growing up as a kid. The radio in my mom’s car. My iPod Nano. “Don’t Speak”, “Thriller”, and “All The Single Ladies” were frequent plays on that. I’d really have to say my grandfather was the one who gave me my passion for music. He was all into Johnny Cash, the Beatles, John Denver, Cat Stevens, you name it. Any one you could think of that was considered a “great” he listened to. They didn’t even have to be a “big” artist. He was a sucker for an earworm melody. I think that’s really where I got my music taste from, and I believe that in turn inspired me to try and make music that people could sing along to.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
When the guys and I first started the band, we just started writing and writing and before we knew it, we just had this massive arsenal of songs. This most recent project we released has songs that date back almost seven or even eight years ago, and some we just finished writing just last year. I like to think of it almost as a time capsule. It really captures all of those memories we made over the years, as well as how much we’ve grown as musicians and writers. I’m very fond of it because it feels like we’re slowly starting to find ourselves and what we want to sound like and where we want to be. “Honey, I’m Home” is out on all streaming platforms and wherever else you can find music.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
Picture a stage with Marshall amp stacks and Gibson guitars owned by Led Zeppelin and lent to four nice guys from New Jersey. Now picture the cousin of Jim Adkins and Pete Townsend playing the guitar. The distant uncle of John Bonham and Neil Peart on the drums. The brother-in-law of Flea and Geezer Butler on bass. On top of all that, they just let the vocalist out of a room after weeks of listening to One Direction and Harry Styles and gave him a guitar and let him do his best Jimmy Page impression. It’s sort of hard to put into words without comparing to others. We’re loud. Rambunctious. Organic. A new-school take on old-school and vice versa? Four guys that are happy to sound as decent as they do and be appreciated by those that take a moment to listen a second and third time.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
I used to try and sound like a lot of different people that I really admired. I would try and emulate their inflections and vowel shapings or hit a note sequence in a lick or solo exactly how one of my heroes did. Not that those are inherently bad things to do. They make you a cleaner and tighter player and singer, but it almost makes it entirely too scientific. There’s beauty in the “imperfections” (or what they might consider imperfections) of a person’s voice that no one else can ever replicate perfectly but themselves. I still struggle with that sometimes. It is kind of human nature to compare. I’ve gotten Harry Styles before. Noah Kahan. Even Brendon Urie. I’m honored to have been compared to talented performers such as them among others. But I always kind of have to keep in mind who and what they were trying to sound like and how they just make it unapologetically themselves. I also consider myself a workaholic so I have to remind myself that the best product sometimes won’t come all at once. Lunch breaks. Lunch breaks are good.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
My standard Gibson Les Paul 2017 blueberry burst. I’ve used it on almost every recording I’ve done. Such a versatile guitar. My notebook of songs and ideas. Almost everything I’ve ever written is in that book. My voice, when I don’t forget it at home! Definitely my car as well. I can’t even begin to count the amount of ideas I’ve had just vocalizing in the car driving down a highway.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
Lot of cool artists in the SEC college scene that we’ve had the pleasure of crossing paths with. The Ocho comes to mind. We shared a bill or two with The Bends. Haven’t met The Gringos or Penelope Road, but they’ve got some great stuff. Penelope Road’s “Out Tonight” comes to mind if you’re looking for a good indie jam. Another great band I’m very fond of is the Lemon Twigs. Countless amazing tunes. Cannot recommend “Why Didn’t You Say That?” enough.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
In every way possible really. Every song I wrote I kind of just put myself in the shoes of whoever or whatever I wanted to write about. Most of the time, I didn’t even realize that “whoever or whatever” was me. Breakup songs, love songs, songs about global issues, more breakup songs. It’s very gratifying and cathartic to have that outlet. I mean, you hear people say it all the time. Athletes have football (American AND European of course), baseball, and everything else with or without a ball under the sun. Poets have their literature. Software engineers have their coding. Musicians have their music. One of the biggest things we all have in common is that pent up anger or stress or even happiness. Whatever it may be. And we have our own particular means of releasing it.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
My goal with our music isn’t necessarily to make people feel what I feel. It’s more so to give someone experiencing similar feelings a way to understand what they’re feeling. In terms of messages, I always like to emphasize that it’s okay to feel the things that we feel. We only live one life, so why spend it trying to convince others how to feel and what to think. If you show who you really are, you’ll attract the kind of attention that you deserve. Express yourself. Be kind to one another. But also tear stuff up. Be angry. Be sad. Be happy. Be excited. One of my favorite quotes; “fill your own cup, let them fall in love with the overflow”.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
A couple very important lessons. Be patient and always try and look at the situation from the other person’s perspective. The other is to be diligent and work hard enough to a point where you are satisfied with the final product, but understand there’s no such thing as perfection. Listen to the Beatles. Love them or hate them, they revolutionized music and sound in just roughly seven-to-eight years. Last lesson, take your time but don’t waste time. Know what you want for lunch break.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
Everybody’s got Madison Square Garden, Wembley, Hollywood Bowl, and all those ones. They’re great venues. I’d say Red Rocks. Something about the open air being by the mountains just playing your heart out sounds like a blast.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
Paul McCartney, Jeff Lynne, Harry Styles. Someone who’s really killing it is Stephen Sanchez. Would be cool to collaborate with someone around my age who is still continuing to grow as an artist.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music?
You can find all of our links here at our LinkTree:
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
I’d say one of my biggest dreams is to travel. If I could do so while doing the thing that I love and the thing that fulfills me the most, I’d consider that a huge milestone in our musical journey. We got a taste of that with the SEC school shows that we played and we loved every second of it.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
That we’re genuine. Many people say that, but we absolutely feel that we are every bit of that word. We treasure each and every interaction, no matter if it lasts five minutes or five seconds. We love meeting new people. We love creating the music that we do. That we are entirely appreciative of everyone who decides to support us. People say that this industry wouldn’t exist without the songwriter and the performer. I mean, how could you give something if there’s nothing to physically give, right? The truth is this industry wouldn’t exist without the listener. Without the fan. They are the one thing keeping people like us from staying as the guitar and voice in the dark corner of a loud restaurant. Every moment that I am not just some noise in the background, I owe it to the people who bring it to the forefront.
