Barashi Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before? We're a four piece band playing psychedelic metal from Vermont. we formed in 2010 right after we all got out of high school. We really enjoyed making music togethe, so we decided to stick with it. After three years we are very pleased to have just released our first full length album.

2.How would you describe your musical sound? Heavy psychedelic metal. Our sound has changed drastically since the beginning of the band. We were originally an instrumental trio, and added a vocalist after about two years of playing. Our sound got much darker and heavier but still included some of the melodic elements that were present in our earlier work.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music? Lyrics are the last part of our songwriting process. We have all contributed to the lyrics on this album. Usually they are about mysticism or little stories that we come up with. We don't really have any sort of topic we always stick. Usually someone will just come up with something that we think is cool and that's what we will use.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Barashi? A Barishi is a shaman in Mongolian and Siberian cultures who practices bone-setting.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band ha splayed so far and also how would you describe your stage performance? Our live sound is significantly different from the sound on the album. A large part of this is due to the fact that the album was recorded in E-standard and we play live in C-standard. The down tuning makes the songs heavier while, hopefully retaining the more melodic elements. We like to keep the energy high so our set generally consists of the more aggressive tracks. As far as shows go, its always a blast to play our home town of Brattleboro Vermont. There's a large gothic church downtown that we rent and have shows in. Its a perfect setting and the maniacs in this town are always down to come out and go nuts for a show!

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future? we would love to set up a larger tour in support of this album. As it is we are just gigging sporadically around the north east. We have quite a few dates lined up for the next couple months which is great. we really just love to play as much as possible.

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest? I think signing with a label could be very rewarding. It could be really great to team up with a label that would really help further our music.

8.Are there any other musical projects besides this band or is this a full time line up? Its definitely a full-time line up. We've been working on this for over three years now and it has become a huge part of all of our lives.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of progressive and extreme metal? The album was just released, we don't even have physical copies yet, so we haven't gotten that many reviews. The ones we have received though have been resoundingly positive. We're grateful that people are willing to take time to listen to our album, and its great that it seems to be resonating with some people. Its really just great to be able to release an album after putting in so much time and hard work.

10.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases? Who knows. When something strikes us we just go for it. Since the formation our sound has gradually gotten heavier and more aggressive, so we may delve deeper into some darker territory. New songs are already in the works and we are performing some of them live.

11.What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays? We draw inspiration from a wide range of music. Mastodon and Opeth, as well as bands such as My Bloody Valentine and the Cure have had significant impact on our work. As far as what we listen to, its an incredibly eclectic mix. Collectively we listen to everything ranging from jazz, metal, hip-hop, rock, you name it. None of us are all that crazy about this new alt-folk pop movement though.

12.How would you describe the metal scene in your home state of Vermont? There is some real talent hiding out in the hills here. Nectars Nightclub in Burlington has metal nights where you can see a variety of Vermont metal acts alongside touring bands. One of our favorite bands, Vaporizer is from the Burlington area. Those guys fucking tear it up!

13.Outside of music what are some of your interests? Partying and racket sports!!! Sascha our singer is a crazy rollerblader and is usually doing backflips in a halfpipe somewhere when we are not playing.

14.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Thanks so much for the interview!

Check out our album on bandcamp: http://barishi.bandcamp.com/album/barishi

and our Facebook page for updated events and info: https://www.facebook.com/barishiband