Markus Pfeffer of Barnabas Sky

ROCKING OUT INTO THE BARNABAS SKY

Interview by Ken Morton

Barnabas Sky is the new project of guitarist, composer and multi-instrumentalist Markus Pfeffer. Best known for his participation in Winterland and Lazurus Dream, Markus found himself writing music that did not fit in with either of his bands. Rocking more in the style of Tyketto, an all-star cast would soon be assembled, resulting in the just released Inspirations - now available via Pride & Joy Music!

Once Danny Vaughn from Tyketto was attached to Barnabas Sky, other notable singers such as Zak Stevens, Jesse Damon, Rob Rock, and Steve Grimmett would become involved - rendering Inspirations a truly epic recording for the ages.

Highwire Daze recently interviewed Barnabas Sky’s mastermind and creator Markus Pfeffer to find out more about the making of Inspirations, as well as news on upcoming music from Lazurus Sky and Winterland! Read on...

How did the project Barnabas Sky come about?

Well, it wasn’t really planned at all. But what I can say is without Lazarus Dream, there wouldn’t have been Barnabas Sky. Earlier this year, I was having lots of song and riffing ideas, and one day I sat at home and I had a riff idea. a coming to myself like, that’s what about the cover means, Inspiration comes from somewhere above, I don’t know where it comes from but I had a riff idea. And I was asking myself, is this something I should work on with Lazarus Dream or with Winterland, which is my main band for 25 years but now. But then I thought, no, it’s not Lazarus Dream and it’s not Winterland. This sounds like Tyketto! So after everyone was sitting at home during the lockdown, I wrote to Danny Vaughn (of Tyketto) and after he was on board, it became like a snowball system. After I knew I have Danny on board, Jesse Damon was the second person I contacted because I always loved his voice. I contacted several guys and most of them replied and actually were enthusiastic to join for the project. And so yeah, one came to the other and I hade enough vocalists on board quite quickly to have a complete album.

Let’s talk about a few of them. First of all, what was it like finally working with Danny from Tyketto?

It was very, very easy-going as with all of them. But but for Danny, for instance, it was was some kind of special because in the meantime, Danny doesn’t live in in the US anymore but he lives in in the south of Spain, in a town which I already visited years ago when I went to Spain with my parents quite regularly. And the thing is, I met Danny a few years ago when we supported Tyketto with Winterland. So when I wrote to him I said, “Hey, maybe you remember we supported Tyketto with Winterland few years ago in Mannheim, and I think you remembered because we talked while doing soundtrack and stuff.” And when I sent him the the songs, which I wrote for him, one of the songs he had immediate ideas, which was to first song, Say Farewell To Darker Days. The second song, that was very, very interesting. He tried to find ideas, but he did not find any. So I wrote another song for him, and I thought that was very honest of him to say

that he tried to find an idea for that but the magic didn’t happen. So I wrote another song and that was Legends Rise. So good, good for me that the second song, which was supposed to be sung by him, didn’t work out because I think Legends Rise is probably the best song of all.

Now, on about 2 of the songs, you’ve had the team of Jesse Damon and Paul Sabu. What was it like working with both of them? I mean, Jesse’s awesome, and Paul’s got credits like crazy.

[Laughs] Well, I discovered Jesse, when seeing a video of Silent Rage in the late ‘80s after a rehearsal of my very first band. We were sitting there and I saw Silent Rage on MTV and I said, well, the song is not necessarily my cup of tea, but what a hell of a voice this guy has!. It was in ’89 or something. So when Jesse came on board, I very quickly wrote the ballad especially for him because I wanted to have his smoky voice in a ballad. And I’m not at all your ballad-type of writing guy, I always write riffs and heavy songs. Paul Sabu, I didn’t have any contact. Somehow, Jesse convinced Paul to add backing vocals and Paul obviously liked the songs and did that.

That was like a surprise for myself and very good one, because I can go to the next room and show you all the Sabu CDs I have. I really appreciate and respect Paul a lot. I love his work, but I have didn’t have any contact with him.

So it was like, surprise! You’ve got Paul Sabu on your album too. [laughs] Rob Rock, now, he’s got some crazy credits too. Not to mention his solo work, he worked with Axel Rudi Pell. What was it like to have someone like Rob Rock in the album?

Well, let’s say Rob Rock and Steve Grimmett, for myself, were kind of the same musical corner. They come more from the heavy metal genre than the other guys who are more from the AOR or melodic rock genre. Rob Rock, was also very easy-going, however, it was very interesting. He was the one who had the most input in the final mixing of the song. I was positively surprised that he was very interested in details also concerning the mixing which also showed that he is very very deep into what he is doing, in any detail. That was a learning experience for myself because most singers are not interested in all that, let’s say, technical kind of stuff when an album is finally being put together. But he was. He was very focused on detail.

And you mentioned Steve Grimmett, let’s talk about him, and Grim Reaper.

Grim Reaper and Rock You to Hell was one of the first heavy metal LPs the guy living next door owned. And each time when his parents were away, we were listening to Rock You to Hell all on volume 10 and playing air guitar. So, having Steve on board was, really almost surreal for myself. I mean, you probably know that he lost a leg a few years ago. I mean he’s a living legend. So I really have lots of respect for him for not giving up and for still doing what he does. I was writing to him by Facebook early on a Saturday morning. And I thought, okay, now you write to Steve because I had a song which I thought could fit to him and he replied almost immediately within a few seconds. And, even before I could have my first coffee on that Saturday morning, I had Steve Grimmett on board, and that was very cool. Steve was featured in a radio show amd said some nice things about myself I got goosebumps hearing. You know, because he’s a legend. A very nice guy and real British gentlemen.

And of course, we have to talk about Zak Stevens of Circle II Circle and Savatage. It must have been a treat working with him, what was he like?

Also, very easy-going, he was, I think What Lies Beneath was the first vocal track which I got back from singers which I contacted. And before he worked on the vocals of the lyrics, he asked “What kind of subject do you have in mind?” And usually, I do not have any subjects in mind because I just compose music and then the singers and lyricists are free to act what they are inspired with. But that was during the lockdown, so I said “Well Zak, maybe you can work something out with the subject of the whole pandemic situation and what it does with us. We all sit at home, we are isolated; cannot meet people like we want to; musicians are locked up in their offices.” And I’m interested in the subject, “What is this whole situation doing with with our minds, and with our hearts?” And this is exactly what What Lies Beneath is about. In My Mind by Danny Martinez, also, it’s the same subject. So I thought it was cool that he worked out the subject, which really was just a spontaneous idea of myself. However, you need to know, he did not write the lyrics. The lyrics for both songs, which he sings were written by his

wife Katie.

So, that’s even more surprising. That’s obviously the way they worked with the Archon Angel project as well. He is singing but his wife is writing the lyrics. That’s fascinating. How can she write lyrics that he sings? So absolutely fantastic. I don’t know how this works out, but they must be a very well working couple.

Would you like to do any live shows to support Barnabas sky, is that even possible?

Well, to be honest, I don’t think so because, where I am from here in Germany, the whole live circuit is dominated by cover bands. So, I am playing bass in a Billy Idol and David Bowie cover band, just to get onstage and have fun. I’m a guitar player but I play bass in that band, just to get any gigs at all. With Winterland, for 25 years, we tried to build up a fan base, but we are, I wouldn’t say we are in a redneck area, but it’s very close to that as far as cultural value of rock music is concerned.

What is currently going on with Lazarus Dream?

Believe it or not, but I’m writing songs like a possessed maniac. I have, I think 15 songs demoed for Lazarus Dream and for 8 songs Carsten already recorded his vocals. However, he had the surgery on his left knee and can’t walk for several months. So the recording and writing process on his part is delayed. So I think the album might not be released until late summer next year. However, my part is done.

Is there anything going on with Winterland right now?

What, it’s same thing as with Lazarus Dream. With Winterland, we started quite exactly 25 years ago with the kind of music Lazarus Dream was making. In fact, the songs Lazarus Dream started working on in 1999 were left over from Winterland after we split up for a short period of time. So in the meantime, Winterland released some albums in German language, but I’m done with that. So we go back to our roots and we’ll have a new album in English language, hard-rocking hopefully by Spring next year.

What do you hope that the New Year 2022 brings for you and for your various bands?

I hope that anyone who possibly could like music of Barnabas Sky, Lazarus Dream, and Winterland; that all these people will get the chance to hear our music. You don’t make any money releasing music, but what really is the fun thing is when you get feedback from people who say that the music gives them something. And if it is only fun, people desperately need fun and things which make them feel good, especially during the times we are in right now. So I hope that the next year, I will be able to give people more fun with my music. Nothing more nothing less.

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