Sophie Barker On Life After Zero 7, Her Current Tour

sophie-barker

Remember “In the Waiting Line,” that down-tempo hit by Zero 7 from way back in 2001. Of course you do. Featured in movies like Garden State and TV shows like House, the song was everywhere. Much of its success was owed to the vocalist Sophie Barker, whose silky smooth delivery and desperate timbre made the song an anthem of failed and failing relationships.

While Zero 7 is now a thing of the past, Sophie Barker is not. After collaborating with a number of artists on various projects (including former Zero 7 band mate Sia), Barker’s gone solo. Following the release of Seagull in 2011, Barker is touring the West Coast to support the album, which gives a nod to Zero 7- and then transcends it.

Barker’s voice is better than ever on the album, and while the style is still very down-tempo, there is a maturity and experience in the work that makes it special. You can feel the life that Barker has lived in her songs, and it’s easy to step on board and take the journey with her.

I got a chance to talk with Barker via email last week to ask her some questions about her new album and her tour. I’m excited to say that I’ll see her play tonight at Portland’s Mississippi Studios with Suzanne Tufan. Check out the interview and stay tuned for some live video of Barker’s performance!

Liz Livengood: What is the new album like? What can we expect to hear?

Sophie Barker: The new album is based on all the influences that I was brought up with as a kid- so there are soul/Motown/folk acoustic rock elements and we begin to explore a more psychedelic sound a la Floyd and The Doors.

LL: How is life post-Zero 7?

SB: Life just gets better and better and I feel that if you keep having the courage to explore your creativity then you are led to extraordinary places- Zero 7 was a great stepping stone!

LL: Tell me about the process of making Seagull. It sounds like it was kind of a long one.

SB: The actual writing of the album came very quickly, it just took a very long time to find the right people to produce it. To find people who had the same sensitivities of sound as I [had] was very hard- but one day the musical match made in heaven arrived. Alex Pilkington and Mark Tucker, who also own Hohum Records.

LL: What song on Seagull is the ‘crowning achievement?’

SB: Oh this is a difficult one as each song is an achievement, but I love listening to “I Sit and Hide!”

LL: How did you know you were finally done with the album?

SB: You just know when you hear it all together and it works.

LL: What’s your favorite song to sing?

SB: Don’t have a favourite song as emotionally they are all very different- However I love singing “Say Goodbye” and “A Forest” by The Cure- very different aspects of me, one I wrote and one I did not.

LL: Where are you most excited to stop on your tour?

SB: Honestly I am excited about every stop on tour as each place is so different.

LL: What’s the best animal, in your opinion, and why?

SB: I love dogs- cos they really are your best friend.