Bahari as you can only see them
Interview conducted on Feb. 27, 2020
by Dan Locke
Bahari is a dark pop duo based in Los Angeles. Comprised of singer/bassist Natalia Panzarella and singer/keyboardist Ruby Carr, the band’s name means “ocean” in Ruby’s native African language. Known for their rich harmonies, they have previously toured with Selena Gomez and Birdy and collaborated with artists such as ILLENIUM, ZEDD & Grey. In early 2018, they released their viral single, “Savage,” which has over 100 million streams and has since been certified Gold. They kicked off 2019 with the release of their song “Crashing” with ILLENIUM. Their new song “gameboy” is out now along with the official music video. “gameboy” is the first release off of their upcoming album that will feature a plethora of Bahari’s dreamy and dark pop sound. Bahari has been featured in Billboard, NYLON, Galore Magazine, LadyGunn Magazine and Ones To Watch.
Why is the tour called The Group Therapy Tour?
We have felt so lucky to be apart of this tour opening for Elohim. We feel the tour is named the Group Therapy Tour because El has such an open environment with her fans and they help each other with dealing with anxiety. As people that also struggle with this, it’s been incredible to see a group of people come together and just talk about it.
Tell me about your upbringing?
Natalia Panzarella – I was raised in Nashville, my mom was a singer and songwriter and I always really looked up to her. I started playing guitar and writing songs around 8. When I was 15 I met Ruby at a recording studio and the rest is history.
Ruby Carr – My mother moved to Kenya when I was a baby, I grew up on a small island called Lamu and I am so grateful for being raised there. There was so much freedom and it was an amazing environment for a child, my sister and I both went to boarding school, which taught me so much and really changed my perspective on life.
How did you each discover music?
N – I was raised around it and just shown from a young age the power of music by watching my mom. Everyone in my family plays instruments so I would just want to be like them growing up.
R – I was always musical even as a toddler I was obnoxious about singing all the time and to anyone who would listen. I was in the choir in boarding school and started playing the piano which is where it all started. I fell in love with music and knew I wanted to do it forever.
How did you end up meeting each other at Rock Mafia Studios?
We both were there to write at a really young age and when we ran into each other we instantly became friends. Ruby would sleepover at my house all the time and one morning we were sitting on my dad’s couch and we starting writing “Wild Ones.” We brought the song to rock Mafia and they let us record it there and after that, we just knew we wanted to do music together forever.
Ruby – How is the live music scene in Kenya?
R – music is a huge part of the culture in Kenya, everywhere you go people are listening to music and playing instruments and its importance in all traditions. The live music scene in Kenya is amazing, people really know how to have fun and let go. There’s music everywhere you go and some of my favorite artists are based out of Nairobi.
Why did you pick Bahari as the groups’ name?
N – I was really fascinated by Ruby’s life, growing up on an island. I was asking her a bunch of questions and somehow we stumbled on how to say ocean in Swahili. She said “Bahari” and we just looked at each other like, “that’s the one.”
Your first song was “Wild Ones” which gained a lot of popularity online. Which in turn got you featured on TV and movie soundtracks. Were you ready for that?
We were so blown away by the response to “Wild Ones”. We put it out not really knowing what to expect and when it connected us to so many people we just wanted to keep writing. Hearing our voices in our favorite TV show will never be something we don’t freak out about.
Tell me about your first live gig together.
N – Our first show was at a festival in Long Beach and I remember being really nervous because we had only released one song. The crowd was super welcoming and we quickly got addicted to performing together.
R – I remember it so well. we played at a volleyball tournament and I remember looking at each other before and realizing we were both really nervous. But after we were ecstatic and it was the first time feeling that rush.
You did a cover of the song “Get Together” which was done by The Youngbloods. Did this song mean anything to you?
This song came out in the late 60s at a time where people really needed to hear it. We wanted to cover this song to shed light on the message of lifting each other up. We felt that was universal and needed to be heard.
How was it to play Kaaboo in 2016?
We always have the best time playing festivals. Kaaboo was such fun! I remember we played at the end of the day and we’re playing some new songs so it was awesome to see an audience’s reaction before the songs were out.
How was it to tour with Selena Gomez and Birdy?
We felt so lucky to be apart of the Birdy tour and Revival tour. The Revival tour was our first tour, so to travel together and play every night was such an incredible experience.
Did they show you anything about touring which you will never forget?
N – I learned from both of them to be vulnerable, to take a deep breath and remember everyone just wants to connect over the music.
R – The biggest thing I learned from both of them is to find ways to stay grounded, whether that’s the people you have around you, or finding small things that make you feel at home wherever you are. Watching Selena perform every night and watching her confidence and the way she connects with her fans was a huge inspiration to us.
Why did you give out your text number?
We are constantly on our Instagram responding to people, but we wanted to have a place where we could have a conversation and get to know people more that connect to our music.
Do you have any surprises for the upcoming tour?
We are playing a lot of songs from our upcoming album. It’s been so fun to play songs that aren’t out yet and see people’s reactions.
Are you planning to do any festivals this summer?
As of right now we are just focused on this tour and putting out our album. We can’t wait to get back to playing festivals and definitely will be after the release of our album.
How do you see yourself in 5 years? Anything you’d like to say in closing?
N – I just hope we get to keep doing what we love. We feel so lucky to be able to play music and we can’t wait to release our album.
R – I see us doing exactly what we are doing, keep putting out music and keep touring and meeting people all over the world.
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