We recently caught up with Sheri Barclay, the gal behind the long running show The Barclay Hour. Sheri's a Viva veteran who's also been spent time live broadcasting in places like Brooklyn, Canada, and St. Maarten along the way. Sheri recently settled down (maybe) in Tel Aviv, so we got in contact with her to see how that was going.

Viva Radio: You were just in Berlin. You're in Israel now. You might even be somewhere else when you read this e-mail. What are you doing travelling around?
Sheri Barclay: In my 20's I turned into a gypsy without even knowing it. I was in New York couch surfing as performance art. I meant to turn it into a documentary project, but that as of now it's staying on my hard drive indefinitely. After couch surfing for 6 months I felt like it was time to settle into New York for real, (the 4th attempt in 10 years) but instead I found a $213 ticket to Berlin and now I'm in Israel; it goes on like that forever. Also, I missed my epic Israeli grandmother very much.

VR: How's the music scene in Israel? Have you been opened up to anything new, culture-wise, pop culture-wise or music-wise?
SB: Things are really exciting right now because Tel Aviv is on the map more than ever and promoters are bringing people like The Brian Jonestown Massacre. From what I've heard that wasn't happening that much before, I'm the kind of person that doesn't like new things musically; I already know what I want to hear so taking me to a rave in the middle of the desert (known as a nature party), is not going to do it for me. I'm getting old.

I am insanely excited to see Jesus and Mary Chain here though. I had a fanzine once, though it was more like fanboy tales than music journalism, I'm back at it now that HEEB magazine has been cool enough to run my little stories. I got to interview RedBand which is the greatest thing to ever come out of this country ever. Watch out for that.

VR: Do you change up your DJ sets from country to country?
SB: The bars I usually end up Djing at are similar country to country, but I have whipped out something really nationalistic in both places which made people laugh or leave the bar.

VR: What goes into preparing each episode of the Barclay Hour?

SB: It depends on if the show is for a live station or internet radio, which means either figuring out how I'm going to present the whole thing or just hanging out in my room making a playlist. Whatever pops up along the way (including music, of course) is all, more or less, material for the show (sometimes to the dismay of my family and friends.

There's an American Apparel almost everywhere in the world, which also factors into the format, as I take requests and occasionally do in-store parties and feature the sets on the show.

VR: What do you hope to achieve with your show?
SB: I want to establish the show on as many relevant stations as possible. There's so many community stations out there that can't have DJs 24/7, so it would be great to get on a few of those, or at least back on my old stations simultaneously spreading the Viva/Barclay Hour love.

VR: Does your personal music taste mirror your radio show pretty closely?
SB: Everything is completely personal and what I listen to all the time. Like a lot of people, I go through deep music phases. I'm currently in a 70s summer daze. I have a soft spot for 90s country, but I can't get away with that really.

VR: What's in store in the near future, for both you and your show?

SB: Sunday nights 10 p.m. Israel time for now, on the radio.

Check what's up at Heeb, and my Grandma has a thrift store I just made a page for. I occasionally find some crazy stuff there and post it.

I also am still doing the handmade t-shirt thing over here.

Let me know if any of y'all are in Israel, I'll be at the beach. Or at work.

VR: Will do. Anything else you want readers to know?

SB: Just that I really hope to see Viva grow as a station. I think it's time for an update of the Viva website and I think American Apparel should have a billboard of me in a bikini with a boombox on a Tel Aviv beach when that gets going.