Musician of the Week: Jack Barham

Age: 18

Education: Bard College Class of 2017

Instruments: Guitar and backing vocals

When did you first take an interest in music?

“I started being interested at a really young age and it’s been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. I’ve always been passionate about it. I probably began to play music in bands when I was around fourteen years old.”

What musical projects are you currently involved with? 

“Right now I’m doing a solo project that’s titled Sick Kids. It basically encapsulates various thoughts and memories, and is me putting out a record. So far I have a demo of three songs that I’ve done, but that’s it.”

How would you describe your music?

“That’s a tough question. I listen to a lot of ambient, atmospheric noise, so it’s sort of like that, and then it develops into a more melodic song structure.  It’s very honest, very shameless.”

What artists/bands are you listening to these days?

“The band that’s influenced me the most in terms of writing is a group called Pink Suicide. They unfortunately broke up, but they ultimately changed the way I see music. I’m also a fan of a local band called Upper Chief, who are from Kensington, Connecticut. Additionally, I’ve been listening to a band called Yukon that’s based in Staten Island.”

If you could meet and talk to any musician, dead or alive, who would it be?

“Probably Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins, just because I don’t know how somebody could fit that much misery into their songwriting. I’m amazed by that. He seems like he has a very fascinating life and was is on another plane of existence when it comes to writing and music.”

Do you have any goals or plans for the future? 

“I have lots of songs and material written and recorded, but at the moment I don’t want to release them. My demo release with only three songs on it has almost no recognition, so I feel like it’d be a waste to release material that no one is really listening to. I think my main goal [for the future] is to create a small following in the Tristate area. I’d like to keep on playing shows and build up the persona of myself. My goal is to continue to play music and have people listen to me.”

You can check out Jack and his music at:

http://sick-kids.bandcamp.com

The Greenwich Patch’s ‘Musician of the Week’ is a weekly column designed to highlight the young, talented musicians of Greenwich that often go unnoticed. Each musician chosen for this segment will have a mini-profile written about him or her in addition to them being interviewed. If you have any suggestions of talent for upcoming weeks, feel free to send an email to bellisss@dickinson.edu.