Yvette Barbra Hontiveros Almalbis-Honasan, better known as Barbie Almalbis, is a Filipino singer-songwriter.

Recently, award-winning artiste released her fourth album Scenes From Inside. However, it was not an easy feat as back-to-back recordings in the wee hours of the mornings led her to suffer burnout.

We speak to Barbie on her musical journey, her latest album, and yes, ways musicians overcome burnouts.

Copied and pasted from Eksentrika.

Copied and pasted from Eksentrika.

Hey Barbie, congratulations on releasing your fourth album! Let’s start right from the beginning. How did you get started with your musical journey?

Hello Eksentrika! I grew up in a musical family. Everyone in my mom’s side of the family played instruments, and it was she and my grandmother who taught me to play guitar when I was 11.

I loved practicing every day, also because there was not much else to do in our small fishing village in Roxas City. I began writing songs in high school, around 14 years old.

When I moved to Manila to study at a university, I had written many songs and got to meet friends who were in bands. I began tagging along to their bar gigs, and played a few songs between their sets, and eventually got offered to play a regular gig.

After months of playing at Freedom Bar in Quezon City, my band got signed with Sony Music and recorded our first album.

I’ve recorded with two bands, Hungry Young Poets and Barbie’s Cradle, before becoming a solo artist in 2006.

Copied and pasted from Eksentrika.

Copied and pasted from Eksentrika.

Why did you title your latest album, Scenes From Inside? What’s the inspiration behind it?

The album title was inspired by the cover art made by Kuki Ulpindo, my sister-in-law. She carved and made a block-print of one of our home gigs, based on a photograph my husband Martin took.

We played most of our gigs virtually from home this year. Since the album was finished during the lockdown, it seemed a fitting title, being that this year, everything happened inside.

You also mentioned that this album was the easiest to make because it was produced at a relaxed pace to avoid burnout. How bad of a burnout did you experience with the previous albums?

The recording is one of my most favorite things, though doing an entire album in one go could get really tedious and push you to your creative limits, and I find I don’t get to do my best because I’ve run out of ideas or got too tired.

I remember often feeling low and burned out after an album was done because we had spent many long nights at a studio, sometimes recording in the wee hours and coming home at 4 or 5 am.

And afterward, I also missed the creative process, because making songs and recording always made me feel alive. It’s like having a nice sugar rush and experience a bad crash afterward.

Having the space and time to do it at a steadier pace gives me the freedom to work better. And doing it in phases allows me to keep creating all year round without feeling too much pressure.

Since the tracks of this album were released as singles as opposed to their entirety, do you feel this method is efficient economically? Why and how is it efficient/or not efficient?

Definitely! I find it to be a more economically and creatively efficient method. It also allows you to always have something new to share with listeners.

How long did it take you to produce the entire album from start to finish?

It took about two years. After we made an EP (Tigre) in 2018, we recorded and released singles throughout 2019 and 2020. The album was already pretty much done by then, we just pushed the release a little because of the pandemic.

What are some of the other tips and tricks you can share with musicians to avoid burnout?

I honestly would not have been able to make this album without the help of the community. Many of the songs here were co-written by my husband Martin and some friends. Arranging and producing each song was a very collaborative effort with my band as well. Having people you love working with definitely makes the process much easier and more enjoyable.

Copied and pasted from Eksentrika.

Copied and pasted from Eksentrika.

Finally, where can people purchase the album?

Scenes From Inside is on all online streaming platforms and distributed by Sony Music Philippines.

All images by Barbie Amalbis.

Copied and pasted from Eksentrika.

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