Interview: Casey Barnes
5 min read
Former Australian Idol contestant and now independently established and successful singer-songwriter Casey Barnes has been a busy lad over the past couple of years with the release of a pair of albums and a handful of singles that have fixed the musician on the Australian musical map. Since his last album release Casey has been spending a lot of time in the U.S, carefully crafting his next release for release this month. The end result is the Flesh and Bone EP which was released this week.
Ahead of the release we caught up with Casey to discuss his work in the States, the success of the Flesh and Bone single and what fans can expect with his latest Flesh and Bone EP. Here is what Casey had to tell us…
Brendon Veevers: Hi Casey, how are you doing and where does our interview find you today?
Casey Barnes: I’m doing great actually… first day off after a pretty busy week doing some shows interstate but enjoying a day off today with the family!
BV: It’s been a while since we last had a chat. What have you been up to over these past 6 months?
CB: Quite a bit actually… so far this year I’ve released 2 singles off the EP so that’s kept thing busy. Lots of gigs and organisation in the lead up to the EP launch this month!
BV: You have recently released your brand new single Flesh and Bone. Can you talk us through the track in terms of the inspiration behind the single and the theme within the track?
CB: Well it’s definitely my fav track to perform live with the band that’s for sure! The song is all about a guy who is lost basically and is questioning the meaning of life… is there a God, is there an afterlife, or do we all just get one shot and that’s it?? Pretty deep subject matter but a really enjoyable song to write.
BV: The single is the title track off your new EP which is now available to purchase. What inspired you the most during the writing and recording of the new EP?
CB: It was a pretty amazing experience working and co-writing all of these new tracks with Rick (Price). He took my own song writing to a whole new level and we touched on a range of different subject matters. I was also lucky enough to record everything over in Nashville which was incredible.
BV: Any big plans in place to celebrate the EP release?
CB: Ha ha… absolutely. I’ll be doing a few radio interviews on the day of its release then a show with the band that night so it should be a lot of fun!
BV: The instrumentation of the Flesh and Bone single sounds very Americana influenced. Would you say a more American folk/country sound was the direction that were focused on with the new EP or was it something that developed naturally during the recording process?
CB: No, you’re spot on… I made a deliberate decision to head in that directing while working with Rick and I really think it’s a sound that truly represents where I’ve actually always wanted to be.
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BV: The track made it to the finals of the International Songwriting Competition. How did it feel to have the song recognized through this competition?
CB: Pretty amazing when we heard that there were over 20,000 entries from all around the world this year, so to make the final was just awesome!
BV: You have been hard at work in the US recently, collaborating with Rick Price. How did the pairing up with Price happen and what attracted you the most to working with him in the studio?
CB: Funnily enough it all came down to fate.. being in the right place at the right time. I was over in Nashville a couple of years ago doing some shows and met Rick then. We hit it off straight away and haven’t stopped writing together since. He invited me back over there to record all of these new songs we’d written and its just been a great experience all round.
BV: What has been the most rewarding part of working alongside Rick Price?
CB: He’s become a really great friend and mentor and I think taken my own song writing to a better place.
BV: You have been using the crowdfunding platform Go Fund Me to raise money to help with the recording of the release. What was it that appealed to you the most about crowdfunding to back a release?
CB: It was Rick who actually spoke to me about it over in Nashville and I remember watching a few videos online where other artists had used the same platform and had amazing results. Rick is also crowd funding his own album at the moment. Being an independent artist you’re basically paying for everything yourself from recording, touring, promotion etc etc and crowd funding is a great way to get your fan base involved in the process where they also get something out of it too.
BV: Many musicians around the world are turning to the various crowdfunding platforms available to them these days as a way of putting releases, tours or general projects together. Do you see this platform as an option for each of your releases going forward or was it a one-time thing?
CB: I think it’s a great concept as everyone wins and is involved in the process… I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of it in the future.
BV: Are there plans to release another full length album in the future?
CB: Most definitely!
BV: Life as an independent artist has quite a number of challenges. Is signing with a label an option or is being an independent artist something that you feel you are more suited to?
CB: Well I’ve always been independent and it seems to be working quite well for now but given the right circumstances being signed to the ‘right’ label could also be a massive help.. you just never know what’s around the corner.
BV: Are there any tour plans in the pipeline for 2014?
CB: Yes – absolutely! Lots of shows coming surrounding the release of the EP, a few festivals later in the year too!
BV: What else do you have planned for the remainder of 2014 that fans can keep a watch for?
CB: I guess lots more shows and at least 2 more singles are planned for release so I’m really excited about that… and finally getting these songs out there for everyone to hear!
BV: Thanks Casey
Casey’s new Flesh and Bone EP is out now.
::: RenownedForSound.com’s Editor and Founder –
Interviewing and reviewing the best in new music and globally recognized artists is his passion.
Over the years he has been lucky enough to review thousands of music releases and concerts and interview artists ranging from top selling superstars like 27-time Grammy Award winner Alison Krauss, Boyz II Men, Roxette, Cyndi Lauper, Lisa Loeb and iconic Eagles front man/songwriter, Glenn Frey through to more recent successes including Newton Faulkner, Janelle Monae and Caro Emerald.
Brendon manages and coordinates the amazing team of writers on RenownedForSound.com who are based in the UK, the U.S and Australia.
