Interview: Betsie Larkin

For anyone who has not heard of Betsie Larkin, then I quickly recommend you check out the following link to her tracks on her MySpace page and then go “Oh yeah!!”
Betsie Larkin’s voice has been gracing the soundwaves from many speaker systems, be it large clubs, small clubs, iPods, speakers in the home and ever more increasingly; studio monitors as she works with some of the top producers in the world!

Just before her most recent release ‘A New Day’ with ATB on his latest album ‘Future Memories’, I had a chance to catch up with Betsie. Here you can find out some more of what the New York City girl is up to and what she has to say of her successful collaboration with Ferry Corsten on his third artist album ‘Twice In A Blue Moon’.

So going back before your work with Ferry Corsten. At what age did you start singing and performing?

I can honestly say I’ve been singing forever. I was told that I sang in my crib At probably around 16 I started writing lyrics and playing guitar to accompany myself and started performing while I was in college with my first band.

Who do you say influenced you most musically whilst growing up?

I listened to a lot of alternative rock bands during high school – I loved Radiohead and the Smashing Pumpkins but was also crazy about some of the 80′s British bands like the Cure, Depeche Mode, and Joy Division. The first DJ that I really loved was Carl Cox. My friends and I would get dressed up in crazy colorful outfits and dance until the sun came up.

And what about now, as you have grown up and started performing yourself, what new inspiration have you found with people you hear, meet or work with?

I try to learn how to play other people’s music on guitar… it introduces me to new chords and combinations and often takes me places vocally that I wouldn’t go on my own. It’s also fun to just sit down with other musicians and work on ideas – you usually end up learning a few new tricks in these sessions. Working with Ferry Corsten was amazing because I honestly liked every idea he came up with – that’s rare in musical collaborations.

I see you have a broad range of music covered by your work so far, from rock to electronica, do you have a favorite genre of music you like to sing to?

Discovering trance music was really a gift. I often felt over-powered by the live drums in rock music and was told by a musician friend that I’d be insane not to do electronic music. That said, I like to keep my options open. All of the instruments and styles are there to help us get our ideas across.

Was trance music ever a style that you envisioned yourself working with when you began your career?

I owned a guitar and that was what I always used to write which led me to identifying with that sound. I liked a lot of electronic music but knew very little about how it was made. I had a project called Mariposa with a producer, Brendan Hawkins, that was very experimental/electronic but wouldn’t be considered trance or dance for that matter. The collaboration with Ferry is actually my first trance collaboration but I’ve since been able to work with some other amazing DJ’s: ATB, Kenneth Thomas, and Austin Leeds.

What have the highlights of your music career been so far?

Full on Ferry in Rotterdam is still fresh in my mind. Ferry playing a huge event in his hometown – I was so happy to be a part of it. The light show was stunning and the fans couldn’t have been more amazing and supportive. Showing up on the charts this month in the Netherlands alongside U2, Coldplay and the Killers is incredible. Pre-Ferry: Performing an original song live on MTV. Hearing my first band on the radio

How did you come to work with the legendary Ferry Corsten?

Ferry’s manager is a friend of mine. We met soon after I arrived in NY at a party for my friend’s music licensing company. He played some of my songs for Ferry and told me that when the time came for his next record, Ferry wanted to try out a collaboration.

How much creative input did you have when working on the vocals for ‘Made of Love’ and ‘Feel You’?

I actually wrote a guitar version of “Made Of Love” a few weeks before Ferry sent me the track to start writing over. I put the idea to Ferry’s’ music and it was a perfect fit. I think I my excitement to start the collaboration gave me a burst of creative energy. I wrote “Feel You” almost immediately after getting the files. When we got together, he really liked both ideas. We spent a day arranging and adding some new parts. Ferry had some incredible melody ideas that took “Made of Love” to the next level. Very musical, that one

Comparing a song such as ‘Made of Love’ to say ‘When You’re Dreaming’ with Mariposa, what differences do you have to make in your approach when creating the lyrics and being in the studio?

I never consciously change my approach but you can’t help but react to different styles of music. It may be similar to how people move differently while dancing to different styles of music. If it’s inspiring, you can’t help but be drawn into the mood. In “When You’re Dreaming” I slipped into a jazz style for the first time. Brendan Hawkins, the producer, suggested trying a bossa nova feel to the guitar player. The whole thing was magic and really fun. My Sister had suggested that I write a song that people of all ages could appreciate and I wrote it immediately after talking to her (while driving) by singing the idea into my tape recorder. I write a lot of songs while driving – keep your distance if you see me on the road!

Playing at an event such as Full On Ferry in 2008 must have been very emotionally moving, and I would of thought scary at the same time! What feeling do you get when you hear a crowd singing along to your songs at such a big event?

It was really overwhelming the night before in sound-check but the crowd was so cool on the night of the show, all of my nervousness calmed down. I get chills when I hear people singing along. It makes me feel incredibly connected to them – like we’re all in it together.

I like many have enjoyed hearing ‘Made of love’, it has become pretty much a main player in DJs sets across the globe. Can we expect to hear more from you in the trance scene?

I have a song that’s coming out on ATB’s artist album on May 1st – it’s called “A New Day.” I’ve also recently finished a song with a DJ on Ultra Records named Austin Leeds. He brought in Willem Faber to put some touches on it. I don’t have the exact release date for that one yet but I promise to keep you posted. I plan to keep working on more dance music and also have plans for another solo record. Details to come…

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As my final question… What does trance music mean to you?

Trance music is about reaching new levels by completely letting go.

Thank you for your time Betsie, it has been a pleasure interviewing you for iLove Trance Music!

Thank you so much for taking interest in my work! The collaboration with Ferry has opened me to a new world of music and amazing people. All the best to you

For anyone interested in keeping up to date directly with Betsie Larkin’s work then please make use of the following links:

www.betsielarkin.com
www.myspace.com/betsielarkin
facebook.betsielarkin.com

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If you did not catch it yesterday, there is a free mix to be found from Jordan Suckley who was my Trance Tuesday suggestion: Click here for your free mix!

Stuart