In this interview feature, we speak with NYC based retro-soul rocker Keren Botaro about her new release, her influences, navigating the digital music world and much more.
Q&A as well as links and a stream of The Only One can be found below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
I’m based out of New York City but was born and raised in Israel. I would describe my music as Retro-Soul with some classic Rock and Blues weaved into it.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to stay the course?
I’ve always sang, ever since I can remember, so it’s always been a part of my life. I started writing songs more seriously when I moved to New York City. I was inspired by all this music around me and discovering new sounds and old sounds, I wanted to bridge them and create something of my own, stuff that I enjoy singing and would enjoy listening to- like a collection of the styles and sounds.
You feel connected to something bigger than you when you create a piece of music, It’s hard to explain but every musician or songwriter knows this feeling and I think the search for that and wanting to feel that more and more is what keeps me motivated – it’s addicting, really. Also I love performing live, it’s probably my favorite thing to do, so as long as it’s fun – I’ll take the difficulties that come with choosing this way of life.
Who or what are your biggest influences when it comes to your creativity?
I draw a lot from 60’s and 70’s music and artists. I feel there was a lot of Rawness and passion in the music back then and I connect to that.
How is your new release different than previous ones? Did you set out to accomplish anything specific?
This is my debut release – The single is called ‘The Only One’ (The full, self-titled EP will be released on 11/17/16). I really wanted to write a retro-soul, fun record and so with ‘The Only One’ I drew a lot from the 60’s but it’s also mixed with a bit of Rock and Blues. I worked with Producer Uri Kleinman, both of us have a love for everything vintage (especially vintage instruments and vintage recoding gear) and we talked about how musicians used to record back in the 60’s and 70’s and decided to record this EP exactly that way to give it more of a live feel. We chose ‘Vibromonk Studio’ in Brooklyn because it has that rock n’ roll feel and that live sound you can only get from a space that big (which is hard to find nowadays in NYC). The EP was recorded digitally but with a live band and all the original instrumentation (B3 Organ, early 60’s Wurlitzer), it was basically a live performance of the songs – we were all in the same room recording a few takes of each song and then choosing the best ones. The majority of the songs for this upcoming EP were recorded in one day.
Do you face any challenges as an indie musician in a digital age? On the flip side, how has technology helped you (if it has)?
Oh yes! All the time. The digital age has done a lot of good and some bad as well – on the good end, you can now own everything and promote yourself to the entire world from your favorite coffee shop (I love coffee shops!) and aim to be seen exactly how you would want the world to see you but on the other end, it creates such constant noise that it’s much harder to get people’s attention let along sustain it. But I do think it’s a positive change and It gives the power back to the artist if you know how to use these tools.
How do you feel about streaming services? Any romantic attachments to the physical formats: vinyl, 8-track, cassettes, CDs?
I love it all and I think there’s room for it all. I love the accessibility that streaming music gives you and how you basically have the world’s “buffet” of music at your fingertips but I also have a collection of Vinyl which I love to listen to, it’s just a different experience, it’s nice to experience both and I think people should experience both because they can complement each other. Ultimately it’s about the music and not so much how it’s received or served.
Where can we follow you online and hear more music?
You could visit my website www.KerenBotaro.com and you Could also follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram:
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