Following on from an explosive run of releases these last few years, emerging artist B.A.R.O.N.S is back once again to unveil his pulsing new anthem 'Asleep At The Wheel'.
Lifted from his much-loved debut album 'Le Creme De Le Meme', which is available to stream now, 'Asleep At The Wheel' makes for an incredibly raw and driven listen. Continuing that bold and thunderous industrial-inspired aesthetic he is known for, he is certainly looking to get our fists pumping with this one.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has been inspiring him most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Well, the first instrument I ever played was the acoustic guitar but the first instrument I ever truly fell in love with was the Juno-6 I heard in my mentor’s studio. From then on, my fate was sealed.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
Oh man, I loved industrial metal & alternative rock/metal including Nu-metal. I still love those genres to this day! Nine Inch Nails, Disturbed, Korn, Rob Zombie, & Marilyn Manson was the good stuff. I also listened to a TON of Tchaikovsky as well as Harlem jazz from Louis Armstrong to Duke Ellington. Such classics and great music all around.
What was the first album you remember owning?
There were 2 actually that I was given on my 12th birthday as albums I really loved. The Fragile by Nine Inch Nails and Who’s Next? By The Who. Both incredible albums that have really stuck with me to this day.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
Hurt by Nine Inch Nails but then again…I’m kind of glad I didn’t have to write that. A lot of what Trent wrote during those years was super depressing.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
Well, it’s kind of interesting actually. When I write new music, I actually mouth it out first. And this usually happens when I’m taking my fat chocolate, 90 pound chungus-of-a-Labrador out for a walk. And that’s after my brain is running a mach 10 from working out at the gym.
So if you see a burly dude walking down the street with a abnormally sized chocolate Labrador screaming lyrics to an unwritten song-that’s probably me. In all seriousness though, songs generally come from writings I have or statements I’ve read from my line of work. I can’t write a novel but I can most certainly write a song and that’s what I do.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
I was just listening to Heat Beat techno as well as The Four Tops’ Reach Out, I’ll Be There as well as Modest Mouse and even Oddko & Gym Class Heroes. I’m basically a Russian roulette of songs. I’m all over the place.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
2-4 bands come to mind. If I was being realistic and wishful-I’d like to open for KMFDM or 3Teeth. If I was being hopeful and wishful-I’d like to open for Nine Inch Nails or even Health.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
I think the most rewarding part of being a musician is people actually enjoying your work and seeing you change their lives albeit slightly. My day job working for the government really has people that just take me for granted or really, hate my guts…and for good reason. With music however, people (or real fans rather) actually listen.
And what is the most frustrating part?
Censorship. It’s why I made the song Cancelled which ironically doesn’t have any swear words in the song what-so-ever. People and platforms today really can’t handle dark, bloody, & oppressive stuff. I got banned from TikTok because of the shorts I released from Mega Thicc which were all censored. And I find it especially frustrating when TikTok does it because a lot of, “TikTok Thots” are on there practically dancing nude in a vertical frame. It’s like what one of my buddies said, “I don’t need to go to a strip club-I have TikTok”. It’s just so broken to the point where instead of properly censoring Mega Thicc on Youtube, I just replaced all of the “bad parts” with excerpts from the Anarchist’s Cookbook on how to make TNT.
In short-we can tell you how to make a bomb but we can’t let you see a single nipple.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
The best piece of advice I ever got as a musician was from my mentor, David Dow.
“Variety is the spice of life”
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B.A.R.O.N.S' new single 'Asleep At The Wheel' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.