fbpx
kristian bent
Interviews Vocal Artist

On a Journey with Kristian Bent

By Parakram / September 5, 2020
Spread the love. Share this article.

Kristian Bent revels in the silence around him. Silence brews the opportunity to listen, learn, ponder and yearn. It is there, enveloped in that silence that he has been inspired, where he has spent some of his darkest days and also some amazing evenings and nights.

Silence might be antithetic for who he is, a professional musician, but then the best music was created in the deepest recesses of our minds, springing up from a little seed planted there in the void.  Between those punctuated moments of silence though, have been delightful moments that will always echo long and loud. Kristian dropped out of college in Goa in 2008 to become a professional musician, formed his first band, The Streetlight People, two years later, then leaving the drum kit behind in 2012 to pick up the guitar and control his own trajectory in much better fashion. He then spent three years in the company of more amazing musicians as part of The Acoustic Road until 2016, leading from the front.

kristian bent

The Push

Truthfully, there isn’t just one genre. My music is founded on folk, country and the blues. So keeping with that, I could say that it is definitely the storytelling that influences me. The melodies are secondary.

kristian bent

Cherry Jam Popped

My first jam goes back well beyond a decade. I was a drummer at the time. I do remember the first time I played guitar and sang on stage though. I was nervous, my voice was quivering and there were two people in the crowd. I can tell you that they loved it.

My Anjuna

My Anjuna

I really do not prefer speaking in detail of the song, mostly because I feel it gives away too much and the opportunity to individually interpret is lost, but also because this song is particularly hard to describe. It can get as cheesy as saying it represents a darkness we all possess, but you can also say it is about the ‘rubber band effect’ which is, in this case, about the psychological struggle with modern living.

Target Acquisition

I’m currently on most leading streaming platforms. Quite a few people use either Spotify or Apple, sometimes Google Play Music but I think the most frequented platform is YouTube. I suppose the struggle is in getting the music to people and then getting them to listen. It’s all about marketing in the end. That may well be a common struggle amongst most independent musicians.

The Climb

To be honest, I didn’t understand the importance of social media until quite recently; there’s no way to get ahead if you’re not active, engaged and engaging. I think I may be positioned quite well right now to better answer this question in a year or so.

What Lies Ahead

This is a tough one. There are so many things that I’d want to achieve but I’ve always wanted to put out a kickass acoustic album. I would love to find the right people to work with and I’d be very happy to achieve that.

kristian bent

Roots

Well, if there’s one thing Goa is known for, though unspoken of, is the jam scene. Sharing the stage with some of Goa’s finest musicians has definitely been a great influence on me. When it comes to support, Goa has been very kind. People have been turning up at gigs more often and that’s a wonderful sight to see. The future is certainly bright.

Psychological ROI

Initially it was a bit difficult. I have forgotten about the fact that I gave up the opportunity for a college education in exchange for a music career. I have also completely accepted that there’s no real sustainability/money in this business, but the one thing that got to me earlier on was that I was hellbent on achieving everything. Now I just want to make good music and tell my stories. I have never second guessed my choice.

The Pandemonium

Covid19 has certainly put people in a position where they are listening to more music than usual, if what I’ve read is accurate. So all in all, great time to be releasing new music. I’m looking forward to the new normal when the dust settles and gigs resume before I make any tour plans.

 

Well, thank you once again for spending time with us, giving us valuable insight into your career. We wish you all the very best of luck in your endeavors. See you soon at a Concert.

The Music community needs your support!

Join us & help support independent music journalism. Read new artist interviews every week.

Follow us on Instagram

You may also like