FEATURED ARTIST

Otto's Daughter No Longer

Jacqueline Van Bierk: Rescuing the Animal

Q: I have been following you for a few years and you seem to me to have changed a bit from some very dark and aggressive rock to something far more ambitious and almost experimental. It sounds like dance club music, in many respects, as opposed to aggressive rock. Am I getting that right? Can you talk a little about your musical arc over the past few years?

Yes. I love anything from metal, hip hop, goth/industrial to mainstream pop. I've always been a sucker for a good hook and beat, so it feels natural to write that kinda stuff, especially when I'm writing alone. I'm better with the keys and programming than the guitar. It's fun to explore sounds and beats and mess with effects.

Q: You are a dynamite singer, especially on all of these newer tracks; far more accessible than I remember from your earlier career. Have you been doing anything in the way of vocal training to develop your voice? Can you talk about how you have developed your style?

I started taking voice lessons early on during my Otto's Daughter days and once you become better you kinda want to sing more, hahaha. How very SINGER right? I've never been a fan of vocal gymnastics though, it's always been more about the song and the emotions than showing off vocal skills. I also started teaching, which has been so rewarding in many ways. It kept me in check and I've learned a lot from my students.

Q: Your song "Peter" is a real heartbreaker, and really beautiful. I sense there is a story behind that. Can you talk about it?

I wrote this song right after I found out and got confirmation that my good friend Peter Steele had passed away. It was the only way for me to cope with the devastating news. He was such a talented musician and one of the smartest, funniest, sweetest, most generous and kindest human beings I've ever known. I wanted the song to have a Type O vibe. Jim did all the guitars which he nailed and our friend Paul Bento, who played on many Type O albums and was part of Carnivore added the solo and Zitar on it. It makes me sad everytime I listen to it. I think it was written in an hour or so.

Q: Are you maintaining a performance schedule? Where might I see you play? Are you finding venues open to your style of sound creation?

Ironically the one thing I love doing the most I put on hold. Quitting Otto's Daughter was a painful decision for me. Part of me had died, I put my everything into this band for so many years, it's been my baby and I still love our music. It may sound slightly arrogant, but we were a badass band, had a kick ass, high energy and entertaining live show. But the financial strain became too much, which stopped the touring. It was time to stop doing the same thing expecting different results. It was time for a new chapter, hence the song "Onto The Next One". I needed time to find out who I am now, and what direction I want to go next without a full band. Unless everyone is a 100% in, it's really difficult to keep a band on the road.

So I started writing, anything, just to see what comes out. At the moment, I'm finishing up my EP and figuring out a live show and where I fit in. I want to bring back the theatrics and deliver something great musically as well as visually. There will be shows/tourdates in 2015.

Q: Who is the audience for your music? What type of bill works best for you, or what kinds of acts seem right for you to book with?

With my new music, which is way more electronica than metal/rock, I'd say definitely more electronic driven bands ala M83, Muse, NIN, Phantogram or Prodigy.

Q: Your music is really without compromise, to my ears. It is brave, spacious, and anything but ordinary, sort of edgy like the type of thing that would work in a Rob Zombie movie. Can you tell me a little bit about your film and TV projects? What kind of opportunities do you seek there?

I've written a lot of different styles since I've started and definitely have interest in Trailers and Soundtracks. Writing drama tension stuff, CSI style comes natural and is fun to me. Composing for a TV show in the future would be huge but I'm fine landing a theme. ;) I write for several music libraries, it's a numbers game, so having a lot of music out there definitely increases your chances of getting placements, which equals residual income. I also think a lot of Otto's Daughter songs are perfect for film/tv. We've landed a few cool placements, like promo's for CW shows like Vampire Diaries, 90210, Melrose Place and Gossip Girl, MTV, Fox Sports and the most recent placement of "Monsters" in Bates Motel. Season 2 Episode 7 (I believe)

Q: Who inspires you? Are there composers or musicians working today that get you excited to do the type of almost experimental music that you do? You remind me a little of Nina Hagen, who I loved. That was a long time ago that she was around. Does the avant garde music of the '80s have meaning for you?

I love the Nina Hagen comparison, thank you. I love her, saw her here in LA a few years back, she was still amazing. I take that as a huge compliment. I will say that if I see something artsy, I'm immediately drawn to it. I love Lady Gaga, to me she's so versatile, provocative and super talented. Ohgr is another one, not new but it stimulates my senses. As far as writers go, I like SIA's work a lot and her music video. I'm always torn between underground and mainstream and like to merge them somehow, and 80's music is my all time favorite. I'm pretty sure it shows in my writing.

Q: What is your management situation? How would a person go about booking your show?

At this moment I'm DIY but down the road, I want to get a manager and booking agent. But I won't wait for one to make it happen, we all know how this goes. You gotta do it yourself till you get help.

Q: How would you assess the state of pop music today? Are we living in good times from your musical perspective, or has music gone all stupid and boring as some (sort of like myself) tend to think?

I know many people complain, I think there's plenty of great music out there and get excited about it, if you hate mainstream, jump on soundcloud, beatport or spotify or wherever else, dig a little and you'll find something to get excited about. If it's got a contagious hook, decent lyrics I can connect with and a voice that pulls me in, I'm pretty much sold, probably not for the long run but for the moment. In that respect I will say that the era of "Rockstars" is definitely over. Most artists I like, I don't even know what they look like and I don't care. A few years ago, I did. It's been a long time since I've actually bought an album, Gotye was the last one. I buy mostly songs these days. I remember my parents thought the music I listened to was crap, think every generation thinks their music was better. There's always been dumb songs, especially in the 80's. But the variety and accessibility has never been this vast. We've got so much to choose from. My guitarist always says, wow, you still love music like a teenager, I wish I could do that; he's slightly jealous over that. All I can say is, I hear a beat and my body starts moving, I hear a hook and I start singing, I can't help it. But I will not deny that there's a lot of crap out there, I just ignore it and find something I love or make something I love rather than complain about it. That's the power of being a musician right? If you hate it all, create something better.

Q: What is a day in the life of Jacqueline van Bierk like? Do you sit around the house playing acoustic folk on an old guitar, or how would you describe your day-to-day relationship with creativity? I am assuming you play instruments as well as sing, mostly because your understanding of it all seems advanced in ways that only a musician could imagine. Or is there a musician in your life to be credited with that sense of "knowingness" (to coin a term)?

Well, there's this guy in my life, his name is BOLT, he's a four year old Mc Knab (Border Collie mix) who takes up a lot of my time and get's me out first thing in the morning.

I write and work on music every day, from July till October, I've wrote a song a day. 31 lyric songs and the rest instrumentals. My approach is always different, sometimes the song starts with a piano, a cool drumbeat or just a melody I have in my head.
I program, play the keys and mess with effects. I haven't touched my guitar in a long time, and my playing isn't very good, but good enough for punk or industrial stuff;) I d mostly textures with my guitar. I love collaborating, when I need heavy guitars I usually ask my guitarist Jim. If it's for a tv projects I might collaborate with someone else who already started a track. While I write a lot alone, I do collaborate quite a bit. NOTHING beats collaborating, great learning experience and with the right person or group, truly magical!

Q: What drives you to excel at what you do?
Music is the only thing that truly brings me joy and fulfills me. I've considered quitting but that's like saying I'm gonna quit breathing. I can't. I want to be able to do what I love, make a great living at it and give back (Build an animal mansion). Travel the world and share my gift, the stories and be inspired by people and places, leaving something worthwhile behind, inspire others to follow their heart and believe in themselves. And of course I want to make my mom proud and get my dog that huge backyard and a bunch of friends.

Q: Are you an American-born citizen? I seem to recall that your routes are European? Where and how did you grow up?
I was born and raised in Germany. Once I stepped foot onto NY ground, I knew I was home. How did I end up in LA? oh yeh....the music.

Q: If your life and career could just go anywhere you might like, what would be your idea of a perfect life?

A few number one hits, a world tour, collaborations with a bunch of my idols, writing for other artists, be the go to person. Have all the latest fun toys and plug ins in my studio. A place in NYC, LA and maybe Berlin. Building an animal mansion, giving shelter to and saving a ton of homeless animals.