Black Diamonds is Switzerland’s premier hard rock band, Their upcoming album Destination Paradise releases next month and is an incredible album every fan of rock n roll should be checking out. We caught up with Black Diamonds bass player and band co-founder Andi Barrels to discuss the upcoming album, His musical background, and the greatness of rock n roll.
Rob: Hi Andi! Thank you for talking with The Rockpit, how are you?
Andi: Good afternoon young man, sorry I’m late. My daughter didn’t want to let go of me, Haha. But thanks for your invitation, I’m feeling very good and I’m happy for the chance to talk to you!
Rob: You’re very welcome, It’s a pleasure! Congratulations on a stunning album! From everything I’ve seen online the response from other writers has been very positive, I personally have played the album a TON and feel it only gets better by the listen. What’s it like from the bands end to have the record ready to send out. Is there a great deal of anticipation about releasing a new album?
Andi: Oh thanks a lot!! Yes, To be honest. We are overwhelmed by the feedback we have received so far. When we were writing and recording the album we were already very excited about the new material, Things blended together perfectly and there is no doubt in our mind that this is the best record so far. But the truth is that we are guided by our taste and opinion only – You never know how it’s going to be seen from the outside. So sitting on a finished album is always a big tension moment, You would love to get it heard and get feedback immediately. But I think this sums up rock n’ roll very well: there’s always a lot of waiting involved and then there’s the sudden explosion!
Rob: Hahaha very true! Fitting for both album releases and live shows for sure!
Andi: Exactly!! And I think this is the same for bands as for fans: the anticipation is a key element and a big part of the thrill, Isn’t it?
Rob: Absolutely! And when it lives up to it, Or even better exceeds the expectation of it, It’s incredibly exciting. You guys definitely exceeded my hopes, I have to agree that at least in my opinion this is your best album.
Andi: Well, thank you very much! It’s nice to hear that! Personally, I think this is a very versatile album. You don’t have the same song several times. This is usually also the point where I’m a bit afraid that some songs touch base while others might not meet the listeners taste, But it’s not like we could help it. All four of us are involved in the song writing, Everybody contributes ideas and that opens a much broader horizon compared to the song writing years ago, Which mainly happened between Michael and me.
Rob: The entire band is firing on all cylinders on this album, The playing by everyone in the band is insane. I mean this with the utmost love of the prior albums but Destination Paradise is on a whole other level musically. Considering that this record is the first one he contributed to did Chris have a big impact on the song writing?
Andi: Yes, And I think it has a lot to do with the chemistry inside the band: We are just having a great time with each other, There’s lot of jokes and getting together is like quality time. This takes away a lot of stress. Chris did have a big influence on this album, He came up with the basic riff for “After The Rain” and he laid the ground work for “Through Hell And Back” (our first power metal-ish song) and “From The Ashes”. Also, I believe that his way of writing and playing solos is moving the album a whole level higher. There’s so much melody and you can basically sing all the solos – they are part of the song. It’s not just some “look what I can do” shredding.
Rob: Exactly! That’s the mark of a great guitarist. I think being able to play fast solos is great, But I personally find it way more impressive when a guitar player elevates the song by playing to the melody structure and injecting their own style into their playing.
Andi: Right, That’s exactly the way we feel about great guitarists and solos too – We are all about songs as a whole.
Rob: I’m going to enter musical conspiracy theory territory for a second with this question, I was listening to “After The Rain” and the beginning riff of the song sounds pretty similar to the riff near the end of “November Rain” by Guns N’ Roses. Which being called “After The Rain” would be an interesting parallel. Was that a deliberate nod to that song?
Andi: Ooooh, this is an interesting question! I believe this is impossible (to be explained) but I have to give it a spin right now, haha! You’re talking about the guitar intro or the intro intro?
Rob: The first riff as the rain sounds are playing at the beginning of “After The Rain”.
Andi: Now I know what you mean – But honestly, I have not heard the similarity before. Chris wrote the Intro/Chorus and Verse Riff and I felt it needed some intro to become more epic. I think the thunder and the guitar was first, Manu added the drums and then came the strings, which I tried to arrange on top of the drums. There is no deliberate nod…But Guns N’ Roses is my favorite band since I was 12 years old, So I can’t deny that whatever I’ll touch could be heavily influenced by them.
Rob: “After The Rain” has lived in my head more than any other song on the album, You guys have such a gift for melody and writing catchy songs. How many songs do you end up writing before you really refine them down to the ones that make it onto the album?
Andi: This is also a very interesting question and I often ask myself how the writing process looks with other bands! I suppose our way is a little odd…We never sit down together as a group, We are just too inefficient like that. What we do is record basic ideas or riffs or whatever we find interesting and put it in a dropbox folder. Mostly Michael and I would take out things from there and try to build a verse and a chorus for a song. All our demos ended after the first chorus, We selected the candidates for the album just from those one-verse-one-chorus songs and then we started to finish them. So, there is no complete song left behind this time…but many other ideas are laying in wait.
Rob: A common thread these days in all the interviews I do is that most bands record remotely, Almost no one records in studios that I talk to. I imagine that eliminates some of the stress and allows for greater artistic freedom.
Andi: Yes, That’s true. Often there’s a certain idea in my head but I can’t express it right away. That means I have to play and change things over and over again until I can capture the idea. If everybody is present that’s very boring and you’ll probably hear “Naaah, I don’t like it” before you even captured your idea. Also, We had to adapt to having families: Three of us have children and time has become much more of a rare good. So it’s way more convenient to be able to record something at home anytime you get the time for that.
Rob: Do you archive song ideas that you think have potential but can’t crack in the moment and then come back to them later and have an inspired idea that solves it?
Andi: Oh absolutely! “Valley Of The Broken Hearted” is a prime example: I wrote the chorus as a demo for No-Tell Hotel, But we considered the idea not good enough at the time. It was Michael that suddenly played back the demo three years later and said “This is great, We got to finish it” and now it’s one of the songs I am really really proud of.
Rob: That’s actually one of my favorite songs on the album
Andi: Now that is amazing!! But let me assure you, It would not have turned out as good if we had finished it during the previous album. The time had to be right and you have to be in the mood for the song. I think we caught that moment.
Rob: Speaking of favorite songs on the album, Listeners might be surprised to learn it’s you singing lead vocals on “Bottums Up” and “Nothings Gonna Keep Me From You”, Have you done lead vocals on songs across all of your bands records? And were you ever the main vocalist of a band prior to forming Black Diamonds?
Andi: Ooh, That’s a lot of questions. Yes, I sang at least one song on every album so far. On No-Tell Hotel it was “Forever Wild” and I shared the vocals with Michael on “Evil Twin”. On the albums before it was one track each. I don’t consider myself a lead singer really, But it’s fun to sing a song from time to time. Also, It adds a bit of diversity during the live shows and it gives Michael a chance to catch some breath. Was I ever the main vocalist of a band prior to Black Diamonds? …Basically I was never in another band than Black Diamonds to tell the truth, haha. Michael and I formed the band 20 years ago – we were just a cover band at that time. But once we started to write our own material I never had the urge to play somewhere else. My heart, My blood, and my passion is completely in this band.
Rob: Well, you do a great job honestly. You and Michael sound somewhat similar. “Bottums Up” is a song I really love, It really has the spirit of having drinks and going to a good rock show, a total rock n rollers party anthem.
Andi: Well, Thank you very much! Yes, I think our voices blend together very well, So I suppose you’re right, They are similar in a way. But his range extends much further to the low end than mine. While my range is extending further up – This allows nice harmony singing with backing vocals.
And it seems you really captured the spirit of “Bottoms Up”. I wrote it about my friends with whom I went out regularly when we were younger. I would still love to do that, But now with the band and familly time just got scarce…and probably I would not survive nights like back then anyway, haha. But from time to time we do meet again…and when we do…well let’s say age is a flexible thing: You feel like 20 the one night and like 70 the day after, haha.
Rob: I’d like to get to know your history a bit, what music were your raised on and what bands or artists inspired you to become a musician?
Andi: I grew up in a sleepy little country town and still live there. My first musical superstar was David Hasselhoff (the knight rider had quite a career over here). But later at school, I guess I was around 10, I got introduced to rock music. Lots of the other kids were listening to AC/DC at the time. My mom also had a few records I borrowed (and continue to do so) such as Status Quo, The Sweet, and Queen. Michael got me addicted to Guns N’ Roses later. I loved watching MTV when there was still music being aired. This is how I learned about Aerosmith, Bryan Adams, Nirvana and many many more artists. Somehow I could never grasp the popular radio music of the time, I detested official radio with the same songs being played over and over again – Still do. So I was influenced heavily by my youth and I still prefer mainly chorus driven music. But I also love punk-rock influenced music such as the Backyard Babies, The Offspring maybe you could throw earlier Hardcore Superstar in there too. And I enjoy country music a great deal.
Rob: Did you and Michael know each other before forming the band? How did Black Diamonds come together in the beginning?
Andi: Oh yes, We went to school together and during that time we formed a school band playing cover songs. The musical interests were very different at the time, So we ended up playing some songs we loved and some we had to learn to like, haha. After school we broke up and that was it with music for a few years. Later, We used to go to a biker bar every Friday where rock music was blasting all the time, Occasionally a live band would play there too. On one of those nights we decided to form a band…It just took us a few days to remember.
Rob: That sounds like it was a good night. It’s kind of like turning 21, I saw somewhere that said if you can’t remember your 21st birthday it was a good one hahaha!
Andi: Hahaha, I like that!! And yes, it was exactly in that fashion.
Rob: So when you guys got back together and formed the band did you still play covers? And how far into it did you decide to start writing your own songs?
Andi: Oh yes, We still played covers at that time. We started to write our first own songs about 2-3 years later. But while Michael and I enjoyed that much more than playing covers, The others would have prefered to remain a local cover band. Yet we did record our first album “First Strike” together. Later this lead to a few line-up changes – It’s not really easy to find like minded people, Especially like minded people you get along with.
Rob: I didn’t know you had a record before Perfect Sin, was First Strike all different material or did those songs later get recorded for Perfect Sin?
Andi: Oh there was, But we buried it, hahaha. We recorded the thing ourselves and while I think some songs were actually good, The sound quality definitely is not. Perfect Sin was all new songs at the time, But we re-recorded a few songs later on: “Love, Lies, Loneliness” on Once Upon A Time, “First Strike” and “Lined-Up Jars” on the live album.
Rob: I really enjoy the acoustic version of “Reaching for the stars” and the piano version of “Vampires of the night”, will any of the songs from the new album be in consideration for a similar treatment?
Andi: Oh thanks, I also enjoyed those different versions. I thought it was very interesting to show how different the same song can become. I considered the idea as well, But we have not recorded any song so far – to be honest we were running out of time. We set a goal for the release and some of the songs were not totally finished by the time we wanted to start recording, So everything came behind schedule later. Eventually I wanted to focus more on making the “proper” songs right and adding layers and elements on them than creating additional material.
Rob: You guys have some great music videos, I know a lot of work goes into those but you guys seem to really have fun with it. “Evil Twin“ and “Vampires Of The Night” are my personal favorites. What goes in to putting together a music video? Especially one with a concept, and which one has been your favorite so far?
Andi: Yeeeeah, Videos…haha…I dread doing videos. Until the moment when we start, Then it’s fun. But there was always a lot of preparation and discussion. We were so short on money that I ended cutting them (except for Vampires). But we always had a great deal of fun and it was important to not take ourselves too serious. But most of the time we would end up with a lot of ideas and not follow a script closely. The video came together during the cutting – let’s see what looks good and what can be used. With the new album we decided to go to a professional studio. It’s both allowing for higher quality videos but also I would not have the time to it alone anymore. We shot 2 videos so far and we will do a 3rd one on Saturday…and this is supposed to be the one in fashion of our previous videos. More fun than serious and we’re not afraid to become ridiculous.
Rob: Can you say yet what songs will be the next videos?
Andi: Ah yes, Of course. The next single will be “Only For A While” – I guess it’s obvious why the video is more serious. The fun video will be “Rock N’ Roll Is My Religion”.
Rob: Great songs! No joke, Rock N Roll is literally my religion. So I loved that song instantly!
Andi: Thanks! And that’s really really nice to hear – We did not write “Rock N Roll Is My Religion” as joke either. If there’s one thing to believe in my life, It’s rock n’ roll. It’s literally what leads me through bad times but also good. I wrote it right from the heart.
Rob: How did you guys end up working with David Balfour of Maverick? He’s a great singer.
Andi: He is an extremely gifted singer, But also a super nice person like the rest of the band. We had the chance to play some shows together since we are on the same label. These guys were amazing as people and their music just blew me away. Once we played a festival in Belgium and I said to David that I would very much like to ask him for some guest vocals one day, So I did and I think his voice is sharp as a knife on the track.
Rob: Absolutely! As I mentioned in my review David and Michael have different vocal styles but they worked really well together on that track.
Andi: Yes, Exactly! And we are really grateful that despite the full schedule he took the time to nail the track, They were in midst of recording their new album at the time and David had his hands full with that already.
Rob: At The Rockpit we traditionally end interviews with two questions, But I’m going to modify the first one because I’m a big promoter of newer artists and everyone chooses the classic bands with this first one. The question is if you could be there to witness the recording of any album ever which one would it be? But I’m going to make it two albums: one pre 2000’s and one Post 2000’s? Which two would you pick and why?
Andi: Wow, this is a tough nut! I would have loved to witness one of Mutt Lange’s recordings…It could be Def Leppard, Bryan Adams, AC/DC…All of those records are milestones and it would really interest me how they came together and how he got the bands to play at such iconic levels.
Rob: Great pick for pre 2000’s, Now what post 2000’s album would you pick?
Andi: As for post 2000 albums, I saw the video of Hardcore Superstar when they recorded their Black Album. I think that would also have been a very nice one to witness. I still love that one. I had the impression everything was very raw and simple.
Rob: Great choice! Their black album is one of the best rock records of the last 20 years.
Andi: Ooooh, You think so too?
Rob: If I’m going for my top three it’s that, Crashdiet – Rest In Sleaze, and The Cruel intentions – Venomous Anonymous if I’m allowed to interject my own taste here. Those are Incredible albums.
Andi: I had Crashdiet’s album in mind too!! I still don’t know how they achieved to release this kind of music on a major label, But it really is an amazing album! The Cruel Intentions is one I have not listened to thoroughly, I guess I’ll have to give it a spin. And yes, your input is much appreciated here!
Rob: Thank you very much! Now for the last one…what’s the meaning of life?
Andi: So you saved the hardest one, Alright… What’s the meaning of life for me? The answer would have been different before my daughter was born. Now and above all, I want to make sure she is alright and I hope I can teach her to grow up appreciating life and to not become a glass-half-empty person. But it’s also to pursue things that make oneself happy – regardless of what other people think. If you are happy with yourself others are too. I guess that’s it…From my point of view.
Rob: That’s honestly the best and most intelligent answer I’ve seen yet to that question, From my own life and experiences I agree with all of that. Thank you very much Andi for your time, This was a lot of fun.
Andi: Ah yes? I thought midway through that’s it’s probably stupid and does not really answer the question, But then again…I believe in it so I completed it. But I’m glad to hear you share the same opinion, I guess that makes you a mostly happy person too (there will always be bumps in the road…To become a bit philosophic, They sometimes make us appreciate the good times more) But thank you very much for your time and preparation Rob, I sincerely enjoyed this too!!
