Erez Barnea uses his pain and experiences while serving in the Israel Defense Forces to combat his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Writing and music production has become a therapeutic outlet post service. Born in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and raised in Israel, Erez states that music has always been a part of his life. At the young age of twelve, he bought his electric guitar which opened him up to learning and experimenting with various chords.
Erez combines his favorite musicians and bands along with earlier influences from his parent's record collection to create an amazing musical journey. He draws inspiration from artists including; Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam. His recent single, “Better Man” is a song that will have your body swaying and thinking about that special someone in your life.
The title is so perfect for Erez’s hardships and heroic story. Knowing how writing has become a regular part of his life has no doubt made him a better man. “Better Man”, is a classic acoustic love song. It's definitely a track you want to add to that special playlist of yours! We love this track so much, we seriously can't wait to see what's next for Erez.
Listen to Erez Barnea here.
Hi Erez and welcome to BuzzMusic! You have such a unique story with music. How did you get the idea to use songwriting as a means of therapy?
I’ve served as a combat fighter in the IDF (Israeli Defense Force), a service that left its mark on me. At first, I kept it all to myself, but that changed. A year after I finished my service, my brothers in arms and I went on a group journey, provided by the non-profit “Bshvil”. This journey served as therapy for all of us and helped me open up. During that journey, I also discovered that writing helps me to express myself and hopefully will help other people deal with their pain
Do you plan to incorporate electric guitar into your future productions?
Hell yeah! I’m a rocker too! Better Man is actually the only fully acoustic song on my upcoming EP. The rest of them are more on the rock’n’roll side.
What was the inspiration behind, “Better Man”?
Better Man was written while my wife was pregnant with my baby boy Dylan (who is turning 2 months old of Friday 11.22!). My wife and I love each other but like every couple, we have had our ups and downs. During her pregnancy, I began to understand that I need to try harder and be better at everything. I wrote this song as a promise to my wife and our little Dylan, to be a better man.
Do you perform at any live venues and if so where?
I have performed all over the LA area, mostly in Hollywood (Whiskey a Go-Go, Viper Room, Hotel Café, The Study and more). My upcoming show is at The Kibitz Room and 1.7 at The Mint.
There’s nothing more powerful than performing a song you wrote alone in your room and hearing the crowd sing the lyrics along with you!
Thanks for being with us and giving us another Folk love song classic. What does the future for Erez Barnea look like? Any upcoming goals?
My goal is to keep making music and to keep on rocking! I want to tour all across the US and then across the world! Another small goal, in case Dave Grohl is reading this, is to open up for the Foo Fighters! Thanks for having me and see you soon!