Bastian Baker Archives

We first introduced you to the talented Bastian Baker back in November, in our NYCS Swag Spotlight feature. Hailing all the way from Switzerland, the singer-songwriter brought his unique vocals and his acoustic guitar to the stage at New York City’s Le Poisson Rouge on Thursday night (1/24).

Filled with New York fans and supporters from across the globe, Baker performed a 16 song set, filled with tracks from all four of his albums, including his most recent self-titled project. Beginning his set with a high energy song, “Everything We Do,” off his 2016 album, Facing Canyons, Baker had the crowd mesmerized by his smooth vocals and stage presence from the first note.

Immediately following, the singer introduced the audience to his endearing personality, filled with sarcasm, authenticity, and comedic value. “It’s good to be here. I’m going to play a couple of songs. We started on high energy since you all seem to be in a really good mood, I’m going to play a very sad and depressing song, it’s called “Six”.” The contemporary song showcased Baker’s vocals, as the lyrics, beautifully and delicately told the story of love and loss.

Baker’s set was full of highlights from start to finish. One of the most memorable moments was when the musician shared about his experience being hand-selected to open for superstar Shania Twain on her ‘The Shania Twain Now Tour’. Just before playing an incredible rendition of Twain’s hit “You’re Still the One”, Baker jokingly shared his relationship with the songstress with the crowd, stating, “She was gonna open for me, but last minute, you know- Traffic. I figured I’d do a little something though. Baker would later cover another song, this time by Bruce Springsteen entitled “The River,” which was equally as impressive.

Baker’s performance of his song “All Around Us” deserves to be spotlighted as well. He shared his inspiration for the lyrics with the crowd, just before beginning to play, which made the performance even more meaningful. “The next song is a very positive song- I think we’ve got tired of all the negativity around us the last couple of years. […] It kinda makes you wonder where the good people are. I feel like we only have good people tonight. […] 99.9% of the people you meet are cool and awesome and generous and stuff. And we wrote the song to ya know, put a spotlight on the people that are actually awesome.”

Another crowd favorite of Baker’s included his performance of his song “Blame It On Me.” One of the more country and folk-infused tracks on his most recent album, Baker showed off how effortlessly his vocals worked with his simple acoustic guitar instrumentals. The audience quickly learned the chorus to the song as the singer played, as well as, the chorus of the next song in the set, called “Tattoo on My Brain,” which the crowd also sang along to.

Finally, Baker gave us arguably the best moment of the night towards the end of his set, when he performed his rendition of Leonard Cohen’s iconic “Hallelujah.” The talented singer and guitar player jumped off the stage, asking the crowd to circle around him, as he played his acoustic version of the heart-warming song. You could hear a pin drop in the room, and it was truly a special, one of a kind moment for concertgoers.

Ending the set playing his song, “You Should Call Home” for the first time live, crowd-favorite, “I’d Sing for You,” and his classic, “Leaving Tomorrow,” Baker delivered a set that any music lover would enjoy. He is a professional at infusing different genres into his songs and getting the crowd on his side from the minute he starts to sing. Overall, anyone who gets a chance to see Baker live should go. Head to bastianbaker.com for tour information and make sure to follow him on social media.

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Photo Credit: Ronny Grauer

This week’s Swag Spotlight did not grow up riding tractors or bailing hay, in fact, he did not even grow up in the United States at all. Bastian Baker is native of Switzerland, near Geneva he tells us in a recent phone interview. The singer-songwriter was chatting with our Managing Editor from a cab in Paris on his way to the airport to continue as the opening act for Shania Twain’s “Now Tour”.

His childhood was filled with music, he says his parents listened to REM, Led Zeppelin, and Queen and he knew from an early age that he loved performing. “I’ve had this thing for music since I was a baby, I have pictures of me singing with a plastic Michael Jackson guitar on Christmas Eve and I’ve always been into creating music. I created bands when I was in school, played bars and weddings when I was 13-14 years old. I was part of the choir, it kind of always was an obsession.”

Music wasn’t the only dream that Baker was chasing, he loved playing ice hockey and even made the Swiss National team and played in world champions but when he was 18 years old he realized that he wanted to pursue music as a serious career choice and started sending demo tapes out and playing newcomer festivals. He explains he was discovered while playing songs at 2 in the morning at a birthday party, leading him the opportunity to record his very first song, “Lucky”, which made it onto the radio in Switzerland. Pretty quickly after that, he made his debut at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival and started selling out headlining shows and topping the charts.

He explains to us his fascination and love for New York City. “I have always had a lot of great NY experiences, it is my favorite city in the world.” He has spent time recording and writing songs here as well as in Nashville, getting ready for the release of his official American debut album. Baker tells us that he is proud that his music can be described in many different ways, not boxing him into any one genre. “My first album was kind of pop, the second was rock, the third was folk, and now this one is a genre-defying album, there are a lot of different styles, there are definitely are country influences.” He specifically names “Blame It On Me”, a track that is simple, Baker’s vocals resting easily on an acoustic guitar. For his fans that aren’t into the country genre, he also has music influenced by R&B, for instance, he tells us that The Weeknd is an artist that inspires him. “I kind of want to do the Shania Twain thing, how she became a crossover artist and she did it in a brilliant way,” he explains” That is part of the reason why she wanted me on her tour, [my music] is not a specific genre, I’m just having fun playing music.”

He comments that of course, the concept of an album and releasing a full project of songs is so important but now with streaming as prevalent as it is, he is proud that his songs aren’t necessarily defined into one genre. “Nowadays, songs are being added to playlists and I find it pretty cool that my songs can be added to a country music playlist while they are also added to singer-songwriter playlists or pop playlists,” Baker says. “That is the beauty of music, it brings people together.”

Chatting about Shania Twain’s World Tour, he tells us how much he has enjoyed getting to play for these huge arenas of fans in the states. “It’s so much fun, I love to just be me and my guitar, a lot of people think I am crazy but I find it hilarious, there is no pedal loops or anything, I have a half an hour to show my songs and my personality.” Praising Twain as an entertainer and a person, he is lucky to have had the opportunity to open this tour and to come back during her set to sing a duet with her. “I love that I have 100% of the trust of Shania, she was the one who said I should do it alone, she told me a few times I am the only guy she knows who can get on stage alone and get the attention of the audience.” He loves the passion that he feels from the crowds in America and is happy to meet every single fan who show up at his merchandise table after his set.

His own personal brand of storytelling is unique, bringing a new perspective on life. Since setting out on this musical journey, Baker has performed in 40 different countries and has garnered fans all over the world. The Shania Twain Now Tour continues through the end of the year. Looking to the future, he tells us that he can’t wait to continue promoting the new album and putting together a global tour, hopefully making his way back to the states next summer. Be sure to follow Bastian Baker on his socials, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook and take a listen to his newest, self-titled album below.

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Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

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Tag Archive for: Bastian Baker

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