“It feels great for us guys,” Barry said, about headlining Gramercy Theatre. “Last year, we did a few dates, but it’s been 17 years since we last toured. Now, it feels great to be back since we are changed people. We are a lot older and more mature. We feel very lucky to have this chance again.”
Aside from Barry, BBMak is made up of Christian Burns and Stephen “Ste” McNally. They are known for such smash hits as “Back Here,” “Still On Your Side” and “Ghost of You and Me.”
On their new single, “Bullet Train,” Barry said, “We wanted to follow on our last album from a certain degree. We were jamming over some chords and as a single, we thought it had a lot of power behind it. We still wanted to keep it with our guitar-driven hooks and the harmonies, which are our trademark.”
“The song is about a moment of realization. The lyrics are quite simple but you can take what you want from them. With the guitars and our harmonies, it felt like a hit for us,” Barry said.
Each day, Barry is motivated by “setting up his day the right way.” “As you know, I am very big on nutrition. Getting the right food approaches in the morning is very important,” he said. “It’s about creating habits, and once you created those habits, they become the norm.”
Digital transformation of the music business
Barry acknowledged that it feels “great” to be an artist in this digital age. “Everything is so accessible these days, and when BBMak was first out with their music, we didn’t have most of these things,” he said. “We missed Facebook and Twitter by three or four years. In some cases, it would have been amazing to have all the followers with us from back then, but it’s great to showcase yourself with the push of a button, where you are reaching the world instantly.”
He underscored the importance of the passage of the Music Modernization Act (MMA), which protects songwriters and creators for their work. “For us, it is very important. Every artist deserves to be compensated for their work,” he said. “Now, more things are going to go in our favor. Thankfully, we will benefit from that.”
Barry listed Stevie Wonder as his dream male duet choice since he described him as a “massive influence” in life. “I have learned so much from him. To be able to do something with Stevie Wonder would be an absolute dream,” he admitted.
“BBMak is back with a vengeance. We back with a lot more maturity now. I definitely feel like our voices have gotten better,” he told his fans. “We are excited to share new music with the fans. It has been a long time coming. We’ve wanted it for such a long time and now it has become a reality. We are thankful to the fans that have been coming out to support us.”
In his personal life, Barry revealed that his relationships and family are going great. “I have two beautiful boys: Oscar is 2.5 years old and Oliver is six years old,” he said. “My two boys are my driving force to do this.”
Barry defined the word success as “happiness.” “If I am happy, I am successful. It’s as simple as that,” he said. “Happiness makes my job worthwhile, and I am doing music and music is my life.”
For more information on BBMak, check out their official website.
Read More: Digital Journal reviewed BBMak’s headlining show at Gramercy Theatre in Manhattan.
