Billy Andrews is “The Dark Tenor.” The American singer created the personality to make classical music more accessible to the general public and his unique combination of classical and rock has made him a success in the charts and on-stage. ‘The Dark Tenor’ continues to tread new territory with 3D printing for instruments, AI, and more.
Natasha Barbieri: You have released the second in a trilogy of new music based on renowned classical composers. How did you first come up with this concept?
Billy Andrews: When the Pandemic hit, I still wanted to keep releasing! Live concerts got hit really badly and many artists just stopped releasing. I wanted to keep music and culture going. I turned Beethoven, Bach and Mozart in to Superberes and created the ICONS Trilogy with 3 EPs.
Not only did I want to release new songs but I also wanted to add full recordings of the big classical masterpieces I used in my own songs!
Natasha Barbieri: Your new release is entitled “Johann.” What is it about the music of Bach that fascinates you?
Billy Andrews: I spent most of my youth in the Dresdner Kreuzchor. Bachs Motetten were very much part of my every weekends life in church with the choir. I even remember singing the Mathews Passion touring Japan without even turning a page. That’s how well we knew Bach.
Natasha Barbieri: Tell us about “When you roar.”
Billy Andrews: When you roar features ‘The Well-Tempered Piano’ one of my Bach favorites! I really wanted to create a song that beats and roars in the vibe of the society. It’s all about being who you are and want to be. Roaring it out there! Creating noise in the name of Bach.
Natasha Barbieri: What music do you imagine the great composers would be making if they lived today?
Billy Andrews: Beethoven would be in Metal / Gothic. Bach probably more mainstream but still Rockish! Mozart – absolutely clear Mainstream Pop!
Natasha Barbieri: How did your collaboration with The Queenz of Piano begin?
Billy Andrews: Jenny, Ming and I have been talking about a collaboration for a while. “When You Roar” was clearly THE Song to do this. I Approached The Queenz and they instantly loved the idea! We also turned up a fascinating awesome Musikvideo!
Natasha Barbieri: Making classical music accessible has been an important part of your career and especially having audiences able to hear the music live. What do you think the key is to getting new fans to attend shows?
Billy Andrews: I think classical music should be accessible to everyone! No matter the monthly budget! Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” was written for the people, not for a small elite to enjoy. Music is something extremely powerful, it can heal the soul, the heart and let you forget your regular life for a while.
Why lock it away? I try to act as a bridge to classical music. My audience is megadiverse and is found in all age groups! Anyone who loves great music and enjoys an edge instead of the mainstream. By melting classical music into my songs, I hope to create interest for the beautiful genre of classical music.
Another part of my mission is to re-create the feeling of the people who heard e.g. the Dies Ikea in Mozart’s Requiem back in the day. Just imagine what it must of felt like. People didn’t have a constant sound wall of Spotify and Music in Elevators. The Dies Ikea must have felt like Heavy Metal to the listeners. So, I add Guitars and Drums, try to re-create that feeling for my listeners today!
Natasha Barbieri: You have used some innovative processes like 3D instrument printing, LED technology and AI. Tell us a bit more about these mediums and any others you would like to explore.
Billy Andrews: Music never stops evolving! Why should instruments? With my team, I created the first 3D printed Cello that is equipped with LEDs on the inside for my German tour starting on November 12th, 2021. My Lightoperator can utilize these LED´s in 256 different Colors. I hope to ignite fascination for classical Instruments this way.
It’s basically the same concept transferred from my music to classical Instruments. Ai is another fun game! Why not co-write Songs with an AI? The outcome is mega interesting and fascinating!
Natasha Barbieri: When you are not on stage how would you describe yourself? What are some of the everyday hobbies you enjoy?
Billy Andrews: Creating things that the world hasn’t seen before is what I love doing! I hate boring people so I constantly work on new and fun ways of showing everyone this new fascinating side of classical Music.
Natasha Barbieri: When will your final release ‘Wolfgang’ be available? And are there any more projects you will be sharing soon?
Billy Andrews: For now I’ve concentrated on finalizing my new album CHRISTMAS DELUXE! It was so much fun working on this huge tracklist of songs! Wolfgang, the third part of the ICONS Trilogy is planned for the first half of 2022!
Find tour dates and keep up with the latest releases from The Dark Tenor
www.thedarktenor.com
Listen to The Dark Tenor and more on our ‘Classical Crossover Discovery’ Spotify Playlist
