Christopher Barnes survived what he calls a “traumatic experience”—having a crane hoist a piano into his Somerville apartment. “I think about when I have to move out,” says the singer/songwriter/pianist of chamber-pop group Gem Club. But it was worth the effort, considering the growing national buzz since the January release of Gem Club’s second album, In Roses. And that piano is where it all starts. “This is always sort of a jumping-off point, me and a piano, and then we figure out how to take it from there.”
For In Roses, Barnes and his collaborators, cellist Kristen Drymala and vocalist Ieva Berberian, recorded at John Vanderslice’s San Francisco studio, broadening their palette through synthesizers and samplers as well as strings arranged with the Magik*Magik Orchestra’s Minna Choi. They’ve since taken drum machines and the synthesizers on tour, and Barnes says they’re working on reducing the orchestral scores so they might employ small string sections at special shows.
But for now, Gem Club remains a trio, performing in concert halls and living rooms, rock clubs and art galleries. “Sometimes it’s a hard sell to put us in a room on a Friday night that’s really loud,” Barnes says. “I can say that I enjoy playing for people rather than at people, and I have experience doing both.”
Barnes’ delicate, impressionistic ruminations are clearly made for a more intimate experience. In Roses includes “Soft Season,” inspired by the life of fellow gay man Joey Stefano, a ’90s porn star who fell victim to drug abuse. And “Polly” is about an aunt who died from Alzheimer’s disease a decade ago, a time when Barnes says he was unable to grieve. “It all starts with personal experience,” he says. “A lot of what my music is attempting to achieve is sort of an empathy.”
Loud and Clear
Ten Top Local Acts Who’ve Been Making Noise Around Boston and Beyond.
By Paul Robicheau | Photo Credit: Frankie Nazardo | Aug. 1, 2014
Gem Club
Christopher Barnes survived what he calls a “traumatic experience”—having a crane hoist a piano into his Somerville apartment. “I think about when I have to move out,” says the singer/songwriter/pianist of chamber-pop group Gem Club. But it was worth the effort, considering the growing national buzz since the January release of Gem Club’s second album, In Roses. And that piano is where it all starts. “This is always sort of a jumping-off point, me and a piano, and then we figure out how to take it from there.”
For In Roses, Barnes and his collaborators, cellist Kristen Drymala and vocalist Ieva Berberian, recorded at John Vanderslice’s San Francisco studio, broadening their palette through synthesizers and samplers as well as strings arranged with the Magik*Magik Orchestra’s Minna Choi. They’ve since taken drum machines and the synthesizers on tour, and Barnes says they’re working on reducing the orchestral scores so they might employ small string sections at special shows.
But for now, Gem Club remains a trio, performing in concert halls and living rooms, rock clubs and art galleries. “Sometimes it’s a hard sell to put us in a room on a Friday night that’s really loud,” Barnes says. “I can say that I enjoy playing for people rather than at people, and I have experience doing both.”
Barnes’ delicate, impressionistic ruminations are clearly made for a more intimate experience. In Roses includes “Soft Season,” inspired by the life of fellow gay man Joey Stefano, a ’90s porn star who fell victim to drug abuse. And “Polly” is about an aunt who died from Alzheimer’s disease a decade ago, a time when Barnes says he was unable to grieve. “It all starts with personal experience,” he says. “A lot of what my music is attempting to achieve is sort of an empathy.”
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