How an up and coming musician named Barnaby learned to thrive in the unknown .

Barnaby wrote his first song when he was 7 years old. Equipped with a tape recorder and a keyboard, it was creating music that brought him the most joy as a kid. “I used to break apart CD cases and put my own art inside, pretending it was my album. My sister and I would put on shows for our family and friends to whatever was in the boom box. Growing up my parents would play everything from Bob Dylan to Whitney Houston." Being exposed to a wide range of music led him to explore a variety of genres and blend different sounds together.

While he was in high school trying to balance learning how to drive and doing school work, Barnaby completed two albums. He spent most of his free time writing, producing, and singing. “I refer to those two albums as my dark past. I cringe when I hear them. The vocals sound too young to me. While I’m a sucker for a good pop song, it can be like McDonalds. Tastes great but too much is a bad thing. Those two albums aren’t who I am today.”

Music has always been an escape for Barnaby. “In high school I had extreme pizza face, was lanky, and all around awkward (although, I still am). I was an easy target.” The combination of these things all at once served as inspiration and motivation for Barnaby, at just 14, to escape through music. “Looking back I think those people were troubled and most of them peaked in high school.” As Barnaby got older, he began writing more personal music that served as a form of emotional release. “I enjoy writing stories – not always necessarily about things I’ve been through, but sometimes more of a character. Although I think the more stuff I experience, the more I find myself subconsciously writing about it.” Barnaby took a break from releasing music after high school to focus on college and life. That all changed when he wrote a song in 2017 called Believe It. “It was 3am, I was upset, a bit drunk and still smoking cigs. I went to my car, sat there for about 2 hours and recorded the song on my phone.” Pleased with how it came out, he was inspired to make an album around it. “I knew the album would be called Believe It after finishing the song. It served as inspiration throughout the entire album making process. It feels sad and uplifting to me at the same time. I think the lyrics reflect being at a point in life where you’re accepting things as they are instead of trying to fight the truth. I was coming out of a relationship and having trouble accepting it.” This theme of working through uneasy times with a sort of acceptance of ones own inexperience shapes the album and can be heard throughout.

Instead of waiting to record with proper equipment, Barnaby used what was closest to him whenever inspiration struck - his phone. All of the vocal tracks for Believe It were recorded with his phone and later mixed on the computer. “I got to record at random spots - outside hiking, during traffic, my bedroom. I don’t want to annoy my neighbors, so being able to record wherever is freeing. It goes to show you don’t need fancy equipment or lots of money. You can do whatever you want to with the right determination.” So what does the future hold for Barnaby? With plans to release music videos for Believe It later this year, he's also started writing and recording a second body of music. “I’m trying to grow and expand my knowledge of producing, singing, and songwriting. Always.” While Believe It deals with many different subjects including heartache, loneliness, anxiety and depression, Barnaby plans to cover more topics in the future. “I may release some tracks I've been working on recently as an EP this year and then put out a more personal LP next year! Plans are always evolving, so we’ll have to wait and see. If there’s anything to take away from Barnaby, it’s that waiting for the right moment or perfect circumstances to present themselves will leave you idle. With enough determination and passion - anything is possible.

He was featured in recently released Lifoti's June 2019 influencer issue, you can check it from below link's for your country: