HELLO JOE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US! CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF, WHO IS JOE BERK IN YOUR OWN WORDS?
Thanks so much for this opportunity! My name is Joe Berk and I’m a country singer / songwriter from Denver, CO. After moving around from Connecticut, to Long Island, to Michigan, Texas, Seattle, and other places, I’ve finally settled in Colorado where I hope to stay for a while (it’s the greatest state in the country!)
Obviously I spend a lot of time writing music, but when I’m not doing that I love to get outside. You will frequently finding me off hiking in the mountains during the warmer months, and skiing once winter hits. I’m also a big fan of fishing, frolf (disc golf lol whatever you want call it), and getting rowdy with the boys!
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR MUSICAL STYLE? HAS YOUR STYLE CHANGED MUCH OVER THE YEARS?
I would say compared to other country artists, my style is definitely more of a fusion of other genres. My first two concerts were Iron Maiden and Nick Lachey, yet I’ve also seen way more country artists perform than I can count on two hands. I’d say my style is a fusion of country songwriting with R&B, classic rock, and pop elements tied into it as well. As far as how it has changed, I think the hooks I’m writing have continued to get better and more creative which is a huge part of my style as well.
WHERE DO YOU FIND YOUR ARTISTIC INSPIRATION?
I think having great music to listen to is a part of it, but it also comes from great life experiences. Whether that is great relationships, heartbreaks, the challenges life throws our way, or a simple drive through the mountains, I try to find inspiration in all of the little things.
WHAT PEOPLE HAVE INFLUENCED YOUR CAREER?
I think my friends, especially the ones I’ve made here in Colorado, have played a huge role in my career. Each and every one of them is my biggest hype man and it really helps motivate me to keep pushing. They’re the first ones I show new music to, and are the first ones to show my music to other people, which means a lot to me to have such great friends like that.
WHAT’S YOUR PROCESS LIKE FOR MAKING MUSIC?
For writing new songs, it usually starts with a hook for me. That usually helps make sure that the song has a good concept, and allows you to build the rest of the lyrics around a central theme. As far as instrumental and melodies go, from there I’ll usually just start playing riffs / chords on the guitar until something sounds right, and then start free-styling a verse that seems like it could work with the theme, adjusting until I have something that I’m happy with.
WHAT DO YOU DO TO GROW YOUR PERSONAL BRAND?
Well you’re asking this question at a very exciting time! Within the next couple weeks, I’ll be doing my first merch drop. I’ve decided to make my merch drops super limited release, with only 25-50 of each shirt printed before the design is discontinued. Once they sell out, that’s it, so this has already started to generate some more brand awareness! P.S. And if you’re reading this, be sure you don’t miss out on the first drop (announcement coming on Instagram)
WHAT IS THAT ONE THING THAT YOU ALWAYS KEEP IN YOUR MIND WHILE PREPARING YOUR CONTENT FOR SOCIAL MEDIA?
Especially lately, I try to do more unique things that will help my content stand out and keep people engaged. A couple examples of this are creating mashups of different country songs, random word generator songwriting challenges, and giving sneak peaks of unreleased demos.
WHAT IS ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO A BUDDING ARTIST?
The best advice I could give is to just keep generating content. Keep posting videos, keep engaging with your fans, be genuine in how you present yourself, and write a lot of songs. Not every song you write is going to be a hit, so that’s why you have to write a lot of them. It feels a lot better picking the best 10 songs out of 50 you’ve written to fill the first album, rather than writing 2 songs out of necessity to fill the album because you only have 8 written.
ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS?
I just dropped my first music video, which is super exciting, but I have a few other major announcements coming soon, so be sure to follow me on Instagram / Facebook so you don’t miss it!
WHERE CAN OUR READERS FIND YOU ONLINE?
You can check out my website at www.joeberkmusic.com or my Instagram / Facebook / YouTube pages @joeberkmusic
