Upfront with Peter Barbee, Among Savages

Credit: Among Savages (Sasha Israel Photography)

Among Savages' Peter Barbee picked up guitar at 10 years old. His first instrument was a gift from his granddad. Infatuated with figuring out how to play and nurtured by a musical family, he took to it and before long he began writing songs.

"I grew up in the south, kind of the middle of nowhere, so I didn't have many distractions," said Barbee, a Tennessee native, continuing with a laugh, "I started writing songs that I'm thankful there are no recordings of."

His early influences came from turn-of-the-century acoustic and pop radio hits from the likes of Dave Matthews Band. At 18 years old, he moved to Nashville where exposure to a vibrant catalog of independent artists altered his musical sensibilities. Working in the Music City bars, he learned from artists who were breaking out of the scene with professional projects of their own.

"I started getting to be around other styles of music and other musicians that were doing it full time so I had a lot of mentors that kind of helped me define my sound and taste," Barbee explained. "I just kind of luckily would run into these people or get to know them from work, even now they are some of my best friends in music."

One such bond grew with Canon Blue's Dan Brigham who hired Barbee into his band. When Barbee began sowing his own seeds as a solo songwriter he turned to Brigham to co-produce Among Savages' debut album, Wanderings of an Illustrative Mind (2012), and sophomore release, Accounts of Friend and Foe (2017).

Fast forward to 2017

Credit: Among Savages (Sasha Israel Photography)

Barbee has come a long way from his Tennessee roots. He is now 30 years old and resides in Los Angeles. His body of work is a collection of autobiographical compositions. He describes the latest Among Savages record as "chapters to [his] 20s."

The record is an introspective examination of tumultuous young adult relationships, the mortal loss of a friend and his own self-awareness through those formative years.

Each song is Barbee's human experience packaged into a succinct symphony. A deluge of emotions from scorn to lust, heartbreak to clarity is tangible, illustrated by vocal euphonies entwined with calculated percussion and orchestration.

Of the struggle and self-exploration inherent to his lyrics and arrangements, Barbee said, "Relationships are difficult, trying to be an adult is difficult, especially when you're in a career that just tends to hurt you more than help you."

"Fear" and "Art of Living" are two songs he wrote at a time when he felt hopeless and needed to be reminded of how much hope he actually had in the life and career he is pursuing. He described the process as "using your ability to create to almost write your own lullaby so you don't go crazy."

"Those two songs stand out to me as a universal way that I want to live," Barbee expressed.

[Listen to and read lyrics for "Fear" at the end of this article.]

Constructing Accounts

Barbee writes and arranges all parts of his music electronically first. Then, he works with a revolving cast of musicians for live performances and studio recording. He prefers real instruments because they deliver a quality that feels more genuine.

His process for picking songs to record is collaborative with the help of Brigham. Each man will pick 20 or so songs they like best out of Barbee's repertoire and anything that matches on their lists makes it to the next level.

"I'm always writing. I'm not necessarily writing for a specific album but if some of the songs seem to be kind of like latching on to one another, whether it's arrangement wise or content then it tends to make the cut."

Some songs on Accounts of Friend and Foe were written years ago and pulled from Barbee's archives. Others were written only days before he entered the studio to record the album. He reported that the fiery single "If You See Her" wasn't planned for the track list. A couple days prior to his studio session Barbee crafted the scathing indignation—and it landed him a music video collaboration with director Casey Brooks, choreographer Dana Foglia and Beyonce's dance troupe.

Musician's Reality 

Putting together a second full-length record has taken nearly a year of Barbee's life and finances. When asked to consider what his 18-year-old self would think about where he is today, he said he thought he would be more successful. Factor in the low return on publishing through streaming services and out-of-pocket costs for PR and marketing, it's hard to get paid for what you make, he said, emphasizing, "I have to work really hard on things that aren't music to give my music a chance."

But he believes that it's often a game of being patient rather than aggressive so he tries to build a life in which he has more time to create and improve.

"If I'm not inspired it usually means that I'm not traveling or putting myself in a position to learn or have any risk. So it's important to me to have an interesting life if I want interesting music," he mused.

Related article: New Music: Among Savages, Vinny Vegas Deliver Sophomore Albums



Lyrics - Fear (Among Savages)
There is no accident
That I am with you
Maybe your stepping stone is the way you deny

Do not be afraid
My hope is with you
You are stronger than any plan gone array
Look toward the valleys
Look toward the streams

Which direction holds the answer that you seek
Are you weary looking for relief
Rest assured you are much closer than you think

Use your fear as an indicator
of what you need and what you shouldn't learn
Does the crossroads really know
What you hide from the most
Is it danger that hides behind the mirrors and the smoke?

Your days are numbered
Don't be distracted
Strength and weakness both exist
Do not panic

Find your way through
The darkness
Maybe your stepping stone is the way you deny

Use your fear
As an indicator
of what you need
and what you should learn
Does the crossroads really know what you hide from the most?
Is it danger that hides behind the mirrors and the smoke?

Don't let it mess with your head
Keep living in the possible
It feels like a struggle ahead
Keep living in the possible