Jill Barber: Pleasing Crowds One Fan at a Time

With a voice that seems to emanate from eras past, Canadian singer-songwriter Jill Barber brings good old-fashioned romance back to the modern day music scene. Self-described on her twitter as a “hopeful romantic,” Barber’s soulful jazz-infused pop songs are pure escapism.

Originally from Mississauga, Ontario, Barber also lived in Halifax, Nova Scotia before switching coasts and calling Vancouver home. Youthink recently caught up with the sultry songstress to talk about her latest album, Mischievous Moon, her dedication to her fans and her dream of touring with Michael Bublé.

YT: Many of your songs, if not all, are written about the timeless theme of romance. Are these songs based on your personal love life?
JB: Everything definitely comes from my heart and my feelings, but I write in such a way that it’s not exactly identifiable. I think the key to writing a great song is to write a song that could reflect anybody’s love story, something that other people can relate to. On one hand, I get quite revealing but on the other hand I don’t get into anything that’s too personal - or that’s not really the right word - I don’t get into the details or the nitty-gritty [laughs] of my own personal love life.

YT: Your powerful, soulful voice is reminiscent of such greats as Ella Fitzgerald and Edith Piaf, both of whom you call musical influences. In what ways do these artists inspire to your music?
JB: Well, there’s something about the way those particular artists deliver a song that comes straight from their soul with such conviction. For me, those two women have really strong and unique female voices and are just really signature voices… I aspire to that kind of greatness.

YT: What is the significance of the album’s title?
JB: The moon is an image for me that kept coming up when I was making this record. I was writing a lot of the songs and doing a lot of the work at night and just looking at the big open sky and the big moon had a real presence in the sky for me. It’s just a really romantic image and it’s just a really romantic album so it kind of fits.

YT: You decided to learn French after finding out that many of your listeners were French-speaking. Does pleasing your fans influence you to take new risks as an artist?
JB: Yes, absolutely. That would be an example of it. I care a lot about my fans. I’m not one of those people who doesn’t think about them and just does whatever I feel like. But I love my audience because I need them and count on them and I care about them. So learning to speak French for them, well, I’m still learning, but I still try and I feel like it’s a way to honour my fans, to honour my audience. Like if somebody in my audience wants to hear something, I’ll do what I can to accommodate them… I want to please my crowd. I’m a crowd-pleaser, you know? [laughs] I want people to like me and follow me – I’m human in that way.

YT: If you could go on a world tour and play with any artist of your choice, who would it be?
JB: I’d like to go on tour with Michael Bublé. He is one of the biggest international artists right now and it just so happens that he’s from Vancouver and I think my musical accessibilities and his would match up really well. I think that would be a really fun tour – it’s probably my dream tour right now too! [laughs] I’ve been trying to get in touch with him but I haven’t been able to yet.

YT: What advice could you give to Youthink readers who are aspiring musicians based on your experiences in the business?
JB: My advice would be to avoid the traps of modern day stardom, flash-in-the-pan things, like Canadian Idol or a talent contest. I think it’s better to focus on your art and then share it - share it with your friends, share it with your family, share it with your colleagues, fellow students. Take a more humble, old-fashioned approach and just build it slowly. I am a big fan of using social media – that to me is great – it’s just spreading the word about your music - that’s fine with me. But that’s still not the same as building it one fan at a time, in an organic, natural way. It’s more productive for people discovering your music; it’s not like some fast track to the top.

To find out more about Jill Barber, visit jillbarber.com.

Tell Me is the first single off Jill Barber’s fourth album, Mischievous Moon.