A Chat with Bill Barlow (11.05.26)
Driven by “raw honesty, late-night melodies, and a voice that moves effortlessly between grit and smoothness…“, singer-songwriter Bill Barlow creates genre-diverse music for those who “…feel deeply and live loudly.” We speak with the US-based musician about his new album, The Trouble Being Human, his thoughts on AI, and much more.
OSR: A couple of months ago, we spoke with you about your album Out of Obscurity. What have you been up to since then?
Barlow: I spend a much of my time searching for muse, writing and then in the studio making new songs. I’ve been on the road quite a bit as well. I find a lot of new material when I travel.
OSR: You recently released your album, The Trouble Being Human. What can you tell us about that album? Is there a particular theme or backstory?
Barlow: AI has gotten a lot of press. And if we are being honest, we have a love/hate relationship with it. It’s cool to use, saves us time, even makes us look good. But on the other hand, AI is replacing jobs, driving down labour costs and changing the expectations of all of us. So, I wanted to look at AI from that
perspective; it’s not all bad now, but what comes next? I am sort of forcing people to think a bit more before we go to the next step.
OSR: How does Out of Obscurity differ from The Trouble Being Human? Does it show a different perspective or theme, or is this new album simply building on the other?
Barlow: Yes. Out of Obscurity was a coming-out party of sorts. It was about me being brought out into the light and starting to adapt to being a more public figure. The Trouble Being Human wrestles with the desire for relevance and perfection beyond what humans can provide. This is all while the imperfections in being human are really the most attractive. There is something about a live performance that captivates in a way we can’t describe. That is usually the imperfect humanistic qualities that we bring to the table. I’d personally rather hear a singer strain a little on a note, proving his emotions, rather than being perfect with no soul.
OSR: The final track of The Trouble Being Human is a live studio recording? Is there any particular significance to adding this live track, or was it just something you thought would be cool to add?
Barlow: The last track is a statement of humanism. It’s free-flowing, informal, imperfect and fun. It’s the point I was just making, but it also serves as an emotional bookend to track one, ‘Time Stands Still’. These are both very human emotion tracks that I felt complemented each other in that way.
OSR: What do you hope people take from The Trouble Being Human, and what does it mean to you?
Barlow: AI in every industry isn’t going anywhere. None of us can change that. What I want people to take away is that being human is messy and delightful in equal measure. We need to embrace that. Having tools that give us so much so fast is the most dangerous thing for our self-worth if we allow ourselves to
be judged on an unrealistic scale.
OSR: You mention that The Trouble Being Human is a reflection on how machines can mimic our choices. How do you feel about the growing use of technology in creating art? Are you for AI or against it, or is it not that simple?
Barlow: At first, I thought AI creating art was cool, then it bothered me for a while. Now I have come to terms with it. I guess between for or against, I need to say it’s not that simple. The first question is, what is artificial music? In the beginning, all music was played by musicians and sung by singers. Then came synthesisers, keyboards that could mimic other sounds and instruments. Then electronic drum machines that play sounds from a host of drums by touching buttons. In the studios, we have loops, which are pre-recorded sounds and
instruments that can be dropped into a track. Then, with sound processing and filters, you can tap on the desk and make it sound like any number of things. So then comes AI, simply automating all of that with a set of commands. That wasn’t really a big step from where the recording industry already was. People
get angry about AI because they worked hard to learn other things that are now easier to do. But I have landed my opinion as I have stated earlier. Use any tool that you want, but don’t lose the emotions and imperfections that make it human.
OSR: What is your creative process?
Barlow: It starts with an idea, then I write the lyrics with some feeling of the music in mind. Then I finish the music that will convey the emotional message that I am talking about. Then I often modify the lyrics to best complement the music. It needs to have a certain cadence and balance to flow perfectly. And every now and again, that turns into a good song.
OSR: Which do you feel is more challenging: the melody or the lyrics?
Barlow: For me, the lyrics are the easy part. Getting the melody to speak that emotion is sometimes tricky.
OSR: If you were to introduce a new listener to your music, which song would you recommend? Why that song?
Barlow: I used to have people listen to ‘Rehashing (Soul Searching)’. That song has good lyrics and is the epicentre of my style. But now I send them to ‘Frustration’. It’s raw and filled with more human emotion. If you don’t like that, my stuff is not for you.
OSR: What does the future hold for Bill Barlow?
Barlow: I seem to always be working on my next project. The creative process is why I get out of bed in the morning. I have a project in the works called Somewhere in Between. It’s a collection of songs about people not quite where they want to be. I’m hoping to get it ready later this year.
Many thanks to Bill Barlow for speaking with us. Find out more about Bill Barlow on his Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Soundcloud and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
