Doing it Up with Doo-Wop – Interview With The Barberettes

You’ve stated before that the Kim Sisters & Andrews Sisters are some of your biggest influences, what inspires you the most about them? Was there any specific song or performance that intrigued you?

Shinae: We got introduced to Kim Sisters through YouTube. So first video that we saw was they sang a cover song in one of the old TV shows, and I think the song was called Can’t Get You Outta My Head *sings first few bars* What singer is the original singer?

I can’t remember off the top of my head, but I know the song. I actually found them on my own a few years ago just looking through old Korean videos

Shinae: Right, so their performance has everything. They start with singing harmony, and then they just come down stairs and then they line up on front of the stage, and then they start dancing but the dance moves are like sick moves, you know what I mean? It’s not like what you think, they have all these twists and they just have fun. And then all of a sudden there’s a marimba that joins on the stage, and they start to play marimba. Not a joke, like they’re really serious. And then at the end they change their outfits! That video is pretty awesome. Yeah, I really love that one.

And the other stuff that’s on YouTube about the Kim Sisters is really cool. Like sometimes they wear Hanbok, which is Korean traditional clothes, and then that was Ed Sullivan show in the 1960s. and then they start singing Arirang, which is most famous traditional song. And they are really good, they are no joke, they do everything PERFECTLY. They were singing Arirang and in the middle of singing they rip off their clothes then it’s like western dress and then singing a Western song. Those performances were incredible, they really influenced what we’re doing so far.

Are there any other artists you’d really like to collaborate with?

Grace: Bruno Mars.

I can see that working really well, actually!

Shinae: He’s really into doo-wop. Actually his family is all musicians. Like his father and mother met in like a music group in Hawaii, and his father was in a doo-wop group with his brothers. They were actually known for awhile in Hawaii, so that’s how he grew up. So he kind of has doo-wop in his music. And he’s second album is called like Doo-Wops and Hooligans even. Oh my gosh! If that ever happens, it would be a dream come true…

You never know though, sometimes you put the word out there and artists here about it and magic happens.

Shinae: If that happens, then I’m going to die! Like I would stop living immediately!