Vicki Kristina Barcelona, a band known for reinterpreting songs by Tom Waits, gears up for their debut in India

Tom Waits’ music is often associated with traditional notions of masculinity but Vicki Kristina Barcelona (VKB), the band, flips that, offering a fresh, feminine perspective on his work. With their powerful harmonies, they add new layers of emotions to his songs, that bring a fresh perspective to his music. VKB is a New York City-based trio, comprising of singer-songwriters Rachelle Garniez, Amanda Homi and Mamie Minch and now they are all set to enthrall the audience with their first-ever performance in India. Rachelle, the bandleader, talks to us about their upcoming performance, how they approach reinterpreting Tom’s songs, their experience working with Indian instruments and lots more.

This is your first performance in Bengaluru. What are you most looking forward to sharing with the local audience?

We are super excited to play in India for the first time! Three-part harmony singing is our signature sound and it’s always a pleasure to present that to people.

Tom Waits’ music is known for its distinctive style. How do you approach reinterpreting his songs to infuse them with your unique sound while preserving their original essence?

We start by distilling the song to its essence of lyric, melody and harmonic content and leave the rest behind. Then we look at it through a different lens. How could it be arranged in a totally different style and rhythm, pulling from a vast array of musical styles utilising vocal harmonies and the instruments we play? This is the challenge and we love it! Sometimes we try different arrangements until we hit on the one that works.

Could you share your process for selecting Tom Waits’ tracks to cover? Are there particular themes or stories that resonate more with your trio?

We are all songwriters with distinctly different styles, drawing from a broad range of influences including Americana blues, world music and theatrical cabaret. Each of us researches and chooses songs on our own and brings them to the band, some as individual lead singers, sometimes with arrangement ideas, always open to collaboration. As the Tom Waits’ catalogue is so diverse, it’s never happened that two people pick the same one. The songs that lend themselves to the group vocals — shared or unision verses — tend to be longer stories or even groovy party tracks.

Have you explored any Indian musical elements or instruments in your arrangements? If so, how have they influenced your interpretations?

We have. Two of the instruments we use are harmonium and kanjira. We use them in the context of the pop arrangements. The harmonium is used for drone open chord pads and other times like a percussive organ. The kanjira is used in pop ballad grooves, acting as the bass and snare drum but adding its own unique flavour. We will certainly explore more Indian styles in the future and we look forward to listening and learning on this trip!

How do you tailor your setlist for diverse audiences, especially when performing in new locations like Bengaluru?

There are elements of humour and surprise in our shows which are universally appealing; we don’t need to rely on language in order to communicate. Some of the songs feature audience participation, clapping and singing along are great ways to connect with audiences, no matter where.

Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations you’re excited about that you’d like to share with us?

We look forward to performing at the Urkult Festival in Sweden, this summer. It takes place deep in a forest in the middle of the countryside and includes a Viking fire ceremony. We’ll also be touring Northern Europe in September with the release of a second vinyl record. We do our own video and audio production and will be creating some new singles in the springtime. We are all about exploring new instruments and concepts, keeping the music fresh is our mission.

INR 750 onwards. February 21 and 22, 9.30 pm onwards. At Windmills, Whitefield.

Email: alwin@newindianexpress.com

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