DAVE BARNES TO RELEASE NEW STUDIO ALBUM,
STORIES TO TELL, ON MARCH 13, 2012
Barnes Celebrates Recent Songwriting GRAMMY® Nomination for Best Country Song “God Gave Me You” (Recorded by Blake Shelton);
First Single To Christian Radio, “Mine To Love,” Debuts Feb. 3rd
Razor & Tie artist Dave Barnes will release his new studio album,
Stories To Tell, on March 13, 2012. The 11-track album of original material was produced by John Fields (Lifehouse, Switchfoot, Goo Goo Dolls, Jonas Brothers, P!nk). Barnes will tour in 2012 in support of his new release (tour dates to soon follow). He recently received his first GRAMMY® nomination for Best Country Song for “God Gave Me You,” the #1 hit as performed by Blake Shelton from Shelton’s 2011 album
Red River Blue. Barnes’ and Shelton’s versions of the song have sold over one million singles to date.
Stories To Tell is Barnes’ fourth studio album for Razor & Tie and a first for him on many levels. The album was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Fields, marking the first time Barnes has recorded outside of his hometown of Nashville. Leaving everything familiar behind with his writing and recording processes forced him to venture outside of his creative comfort zone. Barnes explains, “I’ve done all the other records in Nashville, but for this one I really wanted to do something different. I wanted to get out of town and do something that wouldn’t sound quite as much like the stuff I’ve done before.”
Stories To Tell also presents a stylistic departure from his previous releases. Adding more programming and synth sounds this time around, Stories To Tell did not suffer from rules and restrictions when it came to its instrumentation. Using orchestral accents and syncopated percussion alongside his soulful, impassioned vocals, the album introduces Barnes’ fans to finely tuned and honestly crafted strong pop songs.
“The music is definitely poppy but everything is accounted for,” he describes. “There are no rogue parts or instrumentation, everything is really fleshed out and that’s what I was going for thankfully. Working with John, I knew he does what I wanted to do, which is make a little more of a pop record and get out of the self-imposed box I’ve been in for a while.”
The underlying theme of the new album is Barnes’ stories to tell
, most plucked from his personal life and experiences. Writing much of the album earlier this year after discovering that he and his wife were going to have their first baby, two songs directly inspired by the news are “Mine to Love” and “One of Us.” Another major theme of this album is enjoying the moment because life has unexpected twists. “White Flag” and “Heaven Help Me” reflect this sentiment.
An artist that has never adhered to a specific genre, Barnes’ music is generally inspired by an array of music influences ranging from rock, pop and country to blues, soul and R&B. “Stories To Tell is another bookmark,” adds Barnes. “For me, that’s why I love making records; not because I was going for a specific sound but I was trying to encompass everything that I was listening to and enjoying at that time in my life. It is like a fun kind of musical history, like a photo album.”
With his multi-format hit, “God Gave Me You,” the single peaked at #3 at Christian Top 40, as well as Top 10 on Christian AC and Top 20 on Mainstream AC. Making a solid mark within Christian radio, “Mine To Love” will be the first song from Stories to Tell to impact Christian radio, releasing February 3rd.
Barnes’ last album, the 2010 release
What We Want, What We Get, featuring the GRAMMY-nominated song “God Gave Me You,” has scanned over 34,000 units. To date, Barnes has sold over 155,000 albums and over 510,000 individual song downloads. He has toured with notable acts including John Mayer, Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum, Bonnie Raitt, and One Republic as well as festivals such as Bonnaroo. His music has been featured in television shows such as CW’s “Life Unexpected,” Disney’s “Suite Life On Deck,” ABC’s“ Brothers And Sisters” and WB’s “Summerland,” as well as the films “Employee Of The Month” and “My Super Ex-Girlfriend.” Barnes’ songs have been covered by a bevy of other artists including country singers Blake Shelton and Billy Currington. as well as Marc Broussard, Kelly Clarkson, and Bethany Dillon, to name a few. Barnes has been recognized by the industry as a rising songwriter.
Billboard Magazine touted “Many of the best pop songwriters come out of Nashville, and Dave Barnes is one such singer/scribe now building momentum.”
Dave Barnes is signed to leading independent label Razor & Tie and is administered by Razor & Tie Music Publishing.
Stories To Tell track list:
1. White Flag
2. How Long
3. Mine To Love
4. Heaven Help Me
5. Love Will Be Enough For Us
6. Seventeen
7. Missing You
8. Find Your Way Home
9. Stories To Tell
10. Warm Heart In A Cold World
11. One Of Us
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