An Interview with Berang
A new album release from Berang gives off some serious indie rock vibes with that brightness that breeds pop-rock attributes and it does it with this enormous character that you end up really getting attached to throughout the records unfolding.
The Does It Ever Get Better album is riddled with addictive guitar work and a vibrancy that you can feel in your bones. The energy level on this record is very infectious, and it's something that really gives it a particular kind of drive.
You have hints of alternative rock, even folk in its undertone at times, but for the most part, this is, again, a very vivacious pop-rock kind of record, and there's something about it that just feels alive and breathing.
One of the things that hits me the hardest about this record is some of its honesty. The vocalist is outstanding at storytelling, and the lyrics really spill out a lot, starting with the very first track, "The Least Fortunate Timeline", which comes in with such a thick but slightly rambunctious guitar approach.
The guitars across a lot of this record are really hard-hitting, but they're very melodically based, so you have some amazing progressions going on.
The drumming on this first track alone is outstanding. You can hear some unique time signatures coming in and out, giving the record this almost 90s underground rock style.
There are attributes about this record like that one, that make me think of old school underground style stuff like the first few Nada Surf records.
No matter what, these guys always give off this amazing pop overtone. It is a damn near perfect blend of color and edginess that they bring together so well, and the second track, "Specific Ways of Being", is an amazing example of exactly that.
You still have these sorts of wild guitars that are thrashing but not in a heavy way. They're just strummed with a vigor.
But you also have the vocals giving you this set of addictive pop melodies that really let the song kind of shine.
Again, the energy level is really key here. It feels almost like these guys recorded it live on the floor, and everyone involved was just feeding off of each other's energies the entire time.
The funny thing about that is that this is actually a solo project from songwriter Bert Janssens.
This blew my mind simply because again, it just feels like that live performance energy is pushing through almost always.
One of my favorite tracks on the record is actually an acoustic ballad-style song, which is called "You'll Be Alright".
This single gives you a warmer, cleaner acoustic tonality and again brings in that folk influence. The guitar performance on this song is Amazing. It really pulls you in, and the vocals are pristine. This whole track just tells a beautiful story and again has a vulnerable style of approach to it, so that you feel connected when you listen to it.
I find this song to be one of the best on the record in terms of this style. There aren't too many that have that folk acoustic feel, but it's amazing how they put this right in the center of the record and how it came through in such an honest way.
It's also one of my favorites lyrically. Just the way the lyrics are laid out and how the story unfolds, the way so much inner thought that gets laid out throughout the song is impressive.
It's one of the songs that sort of stays with you. It also has a bit of a cinematic feel because of the emotion behind it.
Then we have the title track, "Does It Ever Get Better", which is definitely one of the songs on the record that encompasses a lot of what you hear in the full album itself.
It's got the honesty, personality, loads of that character that shines through all the time lyrically, that indie rock soundscape, and it sits so well under that pop umbrella.
I think the title track is almost like a radio single.
The album closes with a song called "Support of Any Kind", which definitely gives me a little bit of a grungier undertone and that '90s Vibe. I just love the way the guitar sounds throughout this track and how you can really hear a lot of the influences pulled together.
This is definitely a record with loads of influences under its belt in general.
This album is one that you should be listening to all the way through from start to finish because only then will you get the full spectrum of what it actually has to offer.
Listening to a few tracks will give you a gist or an idea of what you may expect to hear. Again, that first single alone gives you some of the staples that you hear throughout the record, but there are surprises around its corners, and it does keep you on your toes.
Besides, there's something about the record that feels almost like a concept album. It's not all the way there, but it feels like these are stories that come, as I mentioned before, from a personal perspective, so they are very authentic-feeling, and they have ways of connecting.
I think listening to the full album is the only way to get the entire story.
Upon listening to the full album, I knew I wanted to ask a few questions in terms of where it actually came from and what might be coming up next for the artist.
So, while you listen to this record, I have a read through of our interview with Berang below.
Let's talk about Does It Ever Get Better! This record was loaded with a bright, pop and indie-rock tonality! Where did this album come from?
I always find it difficult to pinpoint where it actually began, but I recently realized that I tell people it started with the feeling I got while reading the newspaper. The writing process leaned into this theme after finishing a couple of songs where I found this common denominator: “so many things are going sideways, this requires some protest.”
We live in very complicated and difficult times and it felt right to write a protest album. ‘Eternal Friend’, my first album, is an album based on connections you might find in the future and have already found in the past. ‘Does It Ever Get Better?’ is a protest album about the disbelief you experience in this day and age but also about the hope you find in your environment. I think while saying this, it still puzzles me. More than 2000 years of civilization and it’s still impossible to take care of people in need and provide a decent life for everyone?
The tonality isn’t a coincidence, though. The indie/punkrock-based sound also resonates with my punk rock-roots but it’s also a carefully constructed paradox in comparison to the times we’re living in. The songs are actually straight-forward and easy-going, written in a very complicated period.
All in all, it’s still a record about hope. And I think the bright approach really helps to show that.
I'm hearing a few different approaches to this record! Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
This is a very difficult question! Let’s see, I always refer to Elliott Smith, Frank Turner and The Weakerthans but I’m also a very big fan of Frightened Rabbit and Sparklehorse. Folk artists like The Tallest Man On Earth and Sufjan Stevens shaped my music and writing process over the years.
I can’t write this without mentioning one musician that helps me everyday, and his name is Jeff Tweedy. His music and band, Wilco, taught me so many important things about chord progressions, noise and finding your own voice. Oh, and a subtle nod to The Gaslight Anthem is always implied.
Did you record this at a home setup, or at a big studio?
We recorded the album in a big studio because I really wanted to record all the instruments at the same time to make the atmosphere and band-feel come to life. There aren’t many studios in my environment that have the space I had in mind, so we went to MotorMusic Recordings in Mechelen (Belgium, where I live). I have recorded there before and I fell in love with how the drums sound in their main hall. I went to the studio an hour early everyday to record the acoustic songs before Maarten (bass) and David (drums) arrived. Since we booked a big studio, we didn’t want to waste time so we managed to record the entire album in three days. I recorded extra vocal takes afterwards because I wanted to focus on my guitar parts and I liked the idea of double tracking vocals. There are a couple of soundscapes on the album that I recorded at home.
How did this all start for you as an artist?
I started writing music for Berang around the end of 2019. I felt a certain need to write music that allowed me to tell stories and play shows without too much hassle. But I don’t think I need to tell you what happened when I was ready to play some shows in March 2020. During the pandemic I kind of lost track of writing. After the pandemic in April 2022, friends of mine started hosting small live-shows on Sundays and they asked me to play the first one. So that show motivated me to write more material and rehearse the old stuff again. Eight months later, I released my first album.
Are you performing live right now?
I took some time off during the holidays, but I will be performing again very soon! I’m planning the album release shows as we speak. I perform solo most of the time but for this album I want to play more band shows. To project the energy of the album, I think it suits very well to play the release shows with the band.
Now that this is out, what's next for you?
I’ll be diving into the last logistics of the release shows and afterwards I’ll be on the road. I am going on a solo tour that will take me to The Netherlands, Germany and then back to Belgium. There’s still space for last-minute shows, so if anyone on European soil reads this: feel free to hit me up! In summer I’ll play a couple of band shows at small festivals. And after that, I think it will be time to write again. I don’t want to wait another three years to release new material, but I also don’t want to stop playing shows while writing album three. I guess it’s all about balance.
Who's in your headphones right now?
Madi Diaz! I think her latest album ‘Fatal Optimist’ has been in my headphones every day since I discovered her music a couple of weeks ago. She also covered the entire album ‘Enema Of The State’ (she named it ‘Enema Of The Garden State’) by Blink 182 that I bought on Bandcamp. She knows how to hit the spot of a 35-year old punkrocker. She’s donating every penny to the Defending Our Neighbors Fund to help immigrant families find help and resources they need, by the way!
Before I listened to Madi Diaz today, I listened to Great Grandpa and Kurt Vile. ‘Four of Arrows’ and ‘Wakin’ on a Pretty Daze’ are amazing albums with subtle but very clever arrangements!
What would you tell people they can expect on this release?
I think they can expect a mixture of easy-going punkrock and heartfelt indiefolk with a couple of references to Emily Dickinson, Wilco and The Big Lebowski. Or if you want it in a short sentence: Bob Dylan on steroids.
Before we go, what would you like to express to fans of the music?
Thank you for taking the time to listen to my music and consider yourself a fan. Folk and punk have never been more important than today. I think people say it often but it really, really helps to support small, unknown and local artists. Every listener counts! Thanks!!
