Meet Elizabeth Barker | bio writer/band whisperer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elizabeth Barker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elizabeth, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I mostly work with musical artists, and I think the fact that I’m completely music-obsessed plays a huge part in why I’m good at my job. I remember being as young as nine or ten and reading my stepdad’s copies of Rolling Stone and being in awe of all the pop stars and rock stars; it’s a fascination that’s stayed with me my whole life. People sometimes ask if working adjacent to the music industry has made me jaded or soured me on music in any way, but I feel like it’s had the exact opposite effect. Because of my work, I’ve learned about so many artists and scenes I probably never would’ve found on my own — there are so many songs I first heard on a private SoundCloud stream that now feel essential to my being (one example: “Airport” by Alex the Astronaut). And even when an artist doesn’t totally click with my personal taste, I’m always lit up by the way people talk about the first record that made them fall in love with music, the first song they ever wrote, the first time they got up onstage and felt absolutely terrified but went through with it anyway (and then kept doing it again and again). I have a special fondness for the inveterate weirdos who really couldn’t imagine doing anything else with their lives — those are definitely my favorite clients by far.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a freelance copywriter and my main gig is writing publicity bios, mostly for the music industry. I started out as a magazine editor, then went freelance and spent a few years writing for magazines in the health/wellness space and for a number of music publications (as well as my own music/fashion blog, the dearly departed NoGoodForMe.com). About ten years ago I got my first bio-writing job — an independent singer/songwriter, referred to me by a friend — and immediately loved the process of working directly with the artist and figuring out how best to tell their story. Within a year or two, bio writing became the crux of my work and I started picking up clients in other fields (fashion, beauty, film, visual art, wellness, food, sustainability, etc.).

Looking back, the biggest learning curve has been finding my way as an interviewer. I’m a shy person by nature, and back when I was a journalist the interviewing aspect of the job was always the most daunting. For a long time I often felt nervous at the start of the bio interview — but at some point I realized that the best conversations happen when you relax a bit and actually listen, instead of devoting all your energy to coming up with clever questions. Everything feels so much better and flows more easily when there’s a certain level of comfort, and that’s when you can really get to the heart of someone’s story. (One of my clients once referred me to as “the band whisperer,” which I took as a major compliment.) Now I partly see the interview as an opportunity for the artist to practice speaking about their work, so that hopefully they feel more confident when it’s time for them to talk with the media.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I mainly gravitate toward restaurants/shops/bars that have been around for decades and decades without ever updating their décor. And I love the ocean more than anything, so an ideal day would involve driving out to Santa Monica and taking the PCH all the way up to Leo Carrillo and then going to Neptune’s Net for fried seafood and beer. I don’t get there nearly often enough, but Topanga Canyon is one of the most magical places on Earth — I could spend hours at Hidden Treasures and then head back home through the Valley and stop at Casa Vega for a sweet corn tamale and a Rancho de La Luna mezcal margarita. I’m also partial to any outdoor location where you can wander around for hours taking pictures of flowers and wildlife (e.g., Huntington Gardens, the Venice canals, Hollywood Forever, my own neighborhood in Echo Park). Largo is a treasure and I’ve seen so many great shows there; my favorite bookstore is Skylight and I’m madly in love with the L.A. Public Library forever. Other favorite food spots: Jitlada, Lawry’s, Guelaguetza, Canter’s, Musso & Frank’s, Patra Burgers, El Compadre, Dan Sung Sa, California Donuts, Kinrose Creamery (a new discovery for me — their sour cherry ice cream with fairy floss is a dream), lots of places at the Original Farmers Market (especially Singapore’s Banana Leaf for laksa). And I pretty much would always rather be at Dan Tana’s than anywhere else in the world.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My friend and former editor Tracey Pepper, who hooked me up with my first bio-writing gig back when I started out as a freelancer. Tracey now works as a media and communication coach, but she taught me so much about how to craft a strong narrative and unearth all the cool little details that make for good storytelling.

Website: https://wordsbylizbarker.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizafishbarker/

Image Credits
Carly Eressy, Scott Marceau