Barrie Navigates Grief & Love On Commanding, Boldly Composed New Album Barbara

Out Today On Winspear, Listen HERE

Today, Barrie — the Boston-born, Brooklyn-based songwriter and producer — releases Barbara, a beautifully peculiar collection of synth-pop, indie rock, and folk songs that reflect a new willingness to let listeners into her world. At once “ethereal and empowering” (Gorilla vs. Bear), the record finds Barrie singing boldly atop intense instrumentation, exploring themes of love and loss in what Consequence has deemed “a massive statement piece from the wildly talented Barrie.”

Listen to Barbara HERE

Written from the confines of Lindsay's childhood bedroom, Barbara was Barrie’s means of processing both the pandemic and the passing of her father — as well as the sudden and wonderful journey of falling in love with her now wife Gabby. With beautifully erratic production and varied instrumentation, Barrie gives the listener a glimpse into the emotional complexities of her world amid ambitious, evocative soundscapes. Lyrics previously buried between blurred guitars are now placed at the forefront, telling personal tales of love and loss and offering catharsis through impassioned reflection. 

There are sweeping reimaginings of nerve-wracking new romance ("Quarry"), loving acoustic gems ("Jenny"), foreboding and glitchy post-pop (“Basketball”), and euphoric breakbeats that confront the woes of capitalism ("Frankie") — all of which coexist in an eclectic yet focused collection that heralds Barrie's artistic maturation.Read more about the process behind Barbara in an interview feature for PAPER here.

While mixed by Joseph Lorge (Phoebe Bridgers, Perfume Genius) and mastered by Patricia Sullivan (Mac Miller, Blake Mills), Barbara is written, orchestrated, and produced entirely by Barrie herself — resulting in a record as bold sonically as it is emotionally. Barrie collected nearly a dozen instruments to create the ambitious, emotive soundscapes of Barbara, pushing the boundaries of dream pop with every flourish of dulcimer, pluck of her grandmother’s harp, or glitched-out warp of a synth. 

After wrapping up a series of dates with Sunflower Bean, Barrie debuted an all new, choreography driven live performance video of “Quarry” over at Gorilla vs. Bear.She is currently gearing up for a run of headlining shows, full dates below.  

Tracklist

1. Jersey

2. Frankie

3. Jenny

4. Concrete

5. Dig

6. Bully

7. Harp 2 Interlude 

8. Harp 2

9. Quarry

10. Basketball

11. Bloodline

Praise for Barbara

“Barrie takes a real creative leap...just brilliant.”

— NPR Music

“Barrie's sweet-sounding voice swims in a pool of dreamy pop.”

— Nylon 

“Hypnotic.”

— Billboard

“A tense inhale-exhale of vibrating synths and angelic vocals.”

— FLOOD

"Barrie moves fluidly between sparkling indie rock tunes and ethereal, pop-leaning tracks, singing about everything from bittersweet love ballads to compelling reflections on family."

— UPROXX

“Ethereal and empowering.”

— Gorilla vs. Bear

“[Barrie] has carved out a distinct stylistic identity, one adjacent to the likes of 

Yumi Zouma and Alvvays, like a dreamier spin on Fleetwood Mac.”

— Stereogum

“Delicate, but ready to party.”

— WBUR

“Buoyed by a sort of ’90s after-school warmth, Barbara hearkens 

to childhood even as it expands far into maturity.” 

—Vinyl Me Please

“Barrie is actively reinventing her sound to encompass larger, more nuanced ideas.”

— Consequence

“Barrie is dream-pop defined, with singalong steadiness and 

emotional cues worthy of an after-school special.”

— KCRW

Upcoming Tour Dates

04/28/22 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby's All Right

04/30/22 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge

05/02/22 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza

05/04/22 – Los Angeles, CA @ Moroccan Lounge

05/05/22 – San Francisco, CA @ Brick & Mortar Music Hall

05/10/22 – Washington, DC @ DC9

05/11/22 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's

05/18/22 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas

Tickets: https://www.barrie.earth/tour