​Check out my first interview with Ber here!

 

Getting to talk with Ber is liking sitting down with an old friend.

 

Having the opportunity to chat with artists and hear the passion in their voices when talking about their musical journeys is such a privilege. Going into my first interview with Ber last year, I was, admittedly, nervous. I had never done this before when I asked if she would be interested, but I was determined to fake it until I made it. Now, close to a year and half later, we meet again, back in Philadelphia ahead of her opening set for Good Neighbours, and it felt like reconnecting with a friend after far too long.

 

There is nothing surprising about the fact that Ber continues to thrive. Following the release and touring of the “Halfway” EP last year, she hasn’t stopped. From traveling the country and world, to writing and releasing music that continues to tug at our heartstrings in a way that is equal parts beautiful, devastating, and painfully relatable, Ber has been putting in the work. Her “Room For You” EP is just that, a collection of songs that builds on the relatability and struggles of the modern dating scene that her previous projects so beautifully depict. This EP, written mostly in her basement back at home in “that small, little Minnesota world” with the help of her roommates, takes that so incredibly Ber feeling we have come to know and love and brings it to that next level. When you immerse yourself in the EP, it’s like you can hear the bits and pieces, the little memories and stories that made up the writing process of friends doing what they love, and that’s what makes this project what it is.

 

“I really loved writing “Middle of Nowhere”...it almost didn’t make the EP [but] it’s genuinely my favorite. [It was] one of the first songs we wrote for the EP…[and] it felt really wholesome. I can’t say ‘meant to be’ but it felt that way. I just loved writing that song, it felt really concise and like I was allowed to say something that I really wanted to say. It felt safe [to do so].”

 

What makes Ber’s music Ber is that attention to what she’s saying and how she wants to say it. She has perfected the art of balancing  fun, upbeat melodies and heartbreaking more ballad-style songs, with lyricism true to herself regardless of which direction the production takes. It’s never forced one way or the other. Her studio time is the place for experimentation, testing out different ideas on demos to expand her style, all while keeping it authentic. 

 

“My thing with it is, I know I’m the one that’s going to have to sing it forever and I really have to think about what the message is, what it means for me, and how I want it to make me feel.”

 

That’s exactly the case with her latest standalone single, “Oh, To Be Cool”, which perfectly depicts the internal struggle and insecurity so many of us face each and every day. The inspiration for the song? How she felt at a Grammy’s party one night in Los Angeles, surrounded by so many big names in the industry with eyes on the unfamiliar girl from Minnesota. In that moment, Ber said she just wished she could be cool. To me, this song is the culmination of Ber, wrapped up in a pretty little bow. It’s feel-good, it’s ironic and sarcastic, and it’s fun. It’s never meant to be a jab at the industry, but rather herself. It’s a reminder to stop taking yourself too seriously, something we can all be better at.

 

“I felt so weird being in that situation and I think it’s such a cliche. I have never felt so insecure in my life, but the next day [when writing the song], we were laughing the whole time and taking the piss out of myself for feeling that way. It was valid, but dumb.”

 

Ber’s outlook on life and her artistry is the perfect mix of staying true to herself - of being serious and knowing when to have fun. Being an independent artist means taking on all of the aspects of the job. She isn’t just a performer and songwriter; she’s a businesswoman and a merch designer and everything in between, but she’s never taking herself too seriously and bogging herself down in these roles. Whether it’s creating content for her audience online or sitting at home with her best friend designing merch or Spotify canvases, Ber knows how to make sure professionalism and enjoyment are not mutually exclusive. That idea also translates into her tour preparations. Ber has garnered the respect of many incredible artists who have invited her on the road as an opener, and she has taken on that role with open arms. She has been able to lean into the idea of opening for different artists, and in turn, different audiences, challenging herself to relate to new and varying groups of people while showing them what she’s all about.

 

“I get to go and be a hype person for this big artist, but it’s also an opportunity to show off a little and be like ‘Hey! Welcome into my world. Can I relate to you? What do you think? What do you need?’”

 

That attention to her audience and mindfulness is something that I always admired about Ber. She is consistently looking to create a sort of relief for her listeners, a safe haven of feeling seen and heard in what they are feeling or going through. But that in and of itself poses challenges. It’s frustrating as a fan to watch hardworking, talented beyond belief smaller artists feel as though they don’t have a voice sometimes, and I can only imagine that feeling is doubled, quadrupled, times one million as the smaller artists themselves. But this discussion with Ber gives us all an important reminder: it takes a village, but it starts with one. One fan sharing one song or post on one platform to reach one more person…to reach one one person…to reach one more person. The best thing we can do as a music community is lift up and share the artists we love, because who knows where it will lead.

 

“I saw a TikTok the other day about how fangirls are the backbone of the music industry and it’s so true. It comes down to people talking about stuff and just spreading the word. It’s such a lonely business and lonely world, but the thing that makes artists feel less lonely is when there are people in Philadelphia or anywhere around the world validating [what they do]. I feel like things are bubbling [in terms of her growth]...it’s drops that become rivers that become lakes that become oceans. I wish it was more electric and magnifying immediately, but it’s the type of thing that slowly grows.”

 

There’s a very real and raw sense of vulnerability and self in all Ber does. Authenticity is not a buzz word to throw around, but rather a defining trait she embodies in her music, online persona, this conversation we shared, and beyond. Throughout my time as a fan of Ber, it’s been really fulfilling to watch her flourish not only as an artist, but also a person. With each song and each project, she’s leaned into and grown into herself more and more. Being able to see that happen firsthand is a feeling like no other. It’s heartwarming; it’s inspiring. It’s like rooting for an old friend as they chase their dreams and take on the world. And Ber is just getting started, but that bubbling is set to start boiling soon, those drops will be oceans in no time.

 

“Room For You” EP and “Oh, To Be Cool” both out now!

 

By Amanda Kolar

(@amanda_kolar)