The Barr Brothers

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The Barr Brothers
OriginMontreal, Quebec, Canada
Genres
Years active2006–present
LabelsSecret City
MembersBrad Barr
Andrew Barr
Morgan Moore
Brett Lanier
Eveline Gregoire-Rousseau
Past membersSarah Pagé

Andrés Vial

Joe Grass
Websitewww.thebarrbrothers.com

The Barr Brothers is an indie folk band founded in Montreal, Quebec in 2006, consisting of two American brothers Andrew (drums, percussion, vocals, keyboards) and Brad Barr (guitar, vocals), as well as bassist Morgan Moore, pedal steel guitarist Brett Lanier, and harpist Eveline Gregoire-Rousseau.[1]

History[edit]

Originally from Providence, RI, Brad and Andrew Barr moved to Montreal from Boston, MA in 2005, after a decade of touring and recording as two-thirds of the trio The Slip. That group was noted for its approach to long-form, live Improvisation and was equally considered part of the Jam band and Experimental music scenes.[2]

Soon after moving to Montreal, Brad heard the sounds of a harp through the bedroom wall of his new apartment. He went next door to introduce himself to Sarah Pagé, who was performing both in classical contexts and developing music with the songwriter Lhasa de Sela. Andrew also began performing with Lhasa. Soon the trio of Andrew, Brad and Sarah began performing Brad's songs under the Barr Brothers name, building upon them with Malian rhythms, Slide guitar, homemade percussion instruments, and influences from Delta blues, modern classical and Appalachian musical traditions.

The Barr Brothers' recordings have been nominated three times for Juno Awards: in 2013, 2015 and 2018 for Adult Alternative Album of the Year.[3] Their debut album The Barr Brothers[4] was released in 2011 and focused on acoustic and electrified songs rooted in Appalachian folk. Their second album Sleeping Operator (2014)[5] further explored the connections between the Delta blues and its West and North African ancestry. Leftover songs from the Sleeping Operator sessions were released as a five-track collection Alta Falls (2015).[6] The songs on the EP were partially recorded in Iceland by Valgeir Sigurösson (Björk, Sigur Rós and Nico Muhly). Their third album Queens of the Breakers was released in autumn 2017.[7] Also in 2017, Secret City released a split album called Live, which is The Barr Brothers Live At Festival International De Jazz De Montréal 2015, and Patrick Watson Live At Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste 2013.[8]

The band tours frequently in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Europe and with some shows played in Japan. Notable venues have included Levon Helm's studio in Woodstock, New York, the Red Rocks Amphitheater, and two appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman.

Career[edit]

2011–2013: The Barr Brothers[edit]

The Barr Brothers toured throughout North America and Europe to support The Barr Brothers, with notable appearances including the 2011 Montreal International Jazz Festival[9] and the 2011 Osheaga.[10] They opened for Ben Harper and Deer Tick,[11] played the CMJ Music Marathon and, in January 2012, made their first appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman.[12] Their song "Beggar In The Morning" debuted on Paste Magazine in March 2012,[13] and they had a headline slot on the main stage Scène TD de la place des Festivals at the 2013 Montreal Jazz Festival;[14] Their song "Ooh, Belle" was used in an episode of the television series Touch.[15]

2014–2016: Sleeping Operator, Alta Falls[edit]

Shortly before the release of Sleeping Operator, The Barr Brothers performed at Oregon's Pickathon.[16] In addition to the Juno nomination, the band was nominated as Most Illustrious Band Outside of Quebec by ADISQ, the Quebec music award council, and the album was nominated as Anglophone Album of the Year. They also received a nomination for Anglophone Show of the Year.[17]

The record was promoted with global touring. Notable support dates included shows with Calexico[18] and My Morning Jacket[19][20][21] in the United States and Europe. The My Morning Jacket tour included the Barr Brothers' first performance at Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre.[22]

As headliners, the band performed with Marco Benevento at the Midnight Ramble Sessions at the Levon Helm studios in Woodstock NY,[23] and performed on the main stage at Osheaga[24] and the Folk On The Rocks festival in Yellowknife.[25] Their most notable headline show was at the Grand Évènement of the Montreal Jazz Festival.[26] Many musician friends made appearances at this show: Patrick Watson, Robbie Kuster, Joe Grass, Michelle Tompkins of Sin & Swoon, Mamadou Kouyaté, and Little Scream's Laurel Sprengelmeyer.[27]

Outside of the band, the Barrs participated in a tribute to The Grateful Dead on the Lachine Canal in the summer of 2016.[28] Following the October 2016 death of Leonard Cohen, Brad Barr participated in a tribute to Cohen's music put together by POP Montreal.[29][30]

2017–Present: Recording and Collaboration[edit]

Anticipated collaborations with the Malian duo Bassekou Kouyate and Amy Sacko, scheduled for the 2017 editions of the Festival d’Été de Québec and the Montreal International Jazz Festival,[27] were cancelled due to Kouyate and Sacko's Visa issues. Replacement players were found in Burkinabé Balafonist Mamadou Koita and Senegalese Kora player Sadio Sissoko, and the resulting show was well reviewed.[31]

Following the release of Queens of the Breakers,[32] the band was invited to open for The War on Drugs across Europe and the UK; and scheduled their own headline shows in major markets in North America, Europe and the United Kingdom.[33] In January 2018, Sarah Pagé left the band to pursue other interests.[34]

In 2018, Compulsion Games revealed that the brothers worked on the soundtrack and performed the songs for the game We Happy Few.[35]

In October 2018, The Barr Brothers won ADISQ's Félix award for Concert of the Year - Anglophone. They were also nominated in four other categories at Gala de l'ADISQ: Album of the Year - Anglophone; Quebec Artist with the Most Success Outside of Quebec; Sound Recording and Mix of the Year; and Soundman of the Year.[36] They performed again at the Levon Helm Studios in December 2018.[37]

In the winter of 2019, the band performed each of their three albums across three nights in Toronto, Montreal, and San Francisco in a series they billed "An Album Nightly". Elizabeth Powell, Jesse Mac Cormack, and Richard Reed Parry opened the shows and contributed throughout the concerts.

Discography[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "News". The Barr Brothers. Retrieved 2011-09-07.
  2. ^ "The Art of the Sit-In | Marc Friedman". JamBase. 2014-06-24. Retrieved 2017-03-22.
  3. ^ "Past Nominees & Winners, The Barr Brothers". junoawards.ca. Juno Awards. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  4. ^ "The Barr Brothers – The Barr Brothers". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  5. ^ "The Barr Brothers – Sleeping Operator". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  6. ^ "The Barr Brothers – Alta Falls". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  7. ^ "The Barr Brothers – Queens Of The Breakers". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  8. ^ "Patrick Watson / The Barr Brothers – Live". discogs.com. Discogs. 22 April 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  9. ^ Halle, Karina (23 November 2011). "Festival Recap, Nov 2011". consequence.net. Consequence. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  10. ^ "Osheaga 2011: The Barr Brothers". montrealgazette.com. Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  11. ^ "The Barr Brothers's Concert History". concertarchives.org. Concert Archives. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  12. ^ Solomon, Rachelle. "The Barr Brothers after The Late Show with David Letterman, Jan 2012". cbc.ca. CBC Radio. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  13. ^ "The Barr Brothers - Beggar In The Morning". Paste Magazine. pastemagazine.com. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  14. ^ Dacks, David. "Montreal Jazz Festival...June 2013". exclaim.ca. Exclaim!. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  15. ^ "Touch Soundtrack". tunefind.com. Tunefind. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  16. ^ Ash, Alex (4 September 2014). "The Barr Brothers Live...Sept 2014". zumic.com. Zumic. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  17. ^ Kelly, Brendan. "...ADISQ nominations, Sept 2015". montrealgazette.com. Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  18. ^ "Calexico Releasing a New Album...Feb 2015". brooklynvegan.com. Brooklyn Vegan. 10 February 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  19. ^ "The Barr Brother Announce World Tour...Jan 2015". jambands.com. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  20. ^ "Europe/UK tour with Calexico | The Barr Brothers". thebarrbrothers.com. Archived from the original on 2017-03-24. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
  21. ^ "Red Rocks Entertainment Concerts | Concerts Events | Detail | My Morning J 5 29 2016". redrocksonline.com. Archived from the original on 2017-03-24. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
  22. ^ "The Barr Brothers To Support My Morning Jacket..." highroadtouring.com. High Road Touring. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  23. ^ "The Barr Brothers and Marco Benevento Collaborate...May 2016". jambands.com. 9 May 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  24. ^ Kelly, Brendan. "Osheaga: Video interview with The Barr Brothers, July 2016". montrealgazette.com. Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  25. ^ Gibbins, Mike (25 April 2016). "Folk on the Rocks reveals first acts...Apr 2016". mytruenorthnow.com. 100.1 True North FM. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  26. ^ "Concert: The Barr Brothers - Festival International de Jazz de Montréal". Archived from the original on 2017-03-24. Retrieved 2017-03-20.
  27. ^ a b "The Barr Brothers au Festival de jazz". MatTV (in French). 2015-07-02. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
  28. ^ "Montreal Folk Festival on the Canal follows the current where it leads". Montreal Gazette. 2016-06-13. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
  29. ^ "POP Montreal stages Leonard Cohen tribute". Montreal Gazette. 2016-11-30. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
  30. ^ Dunlevy, T'Cha (2016-12-10). "Remembering A Legend". Montreal Gazette. Archived from the original on March 24, 2017. Retrieved 2023-05-06 – via PressReader.
  31. ^ "Jazz fest review: Barr Brothers take lineup change in stride". Montreal Gazette. 8 July 2017.
  32. ^ Budnick, Dean https://relix.com/articles/detail/track_by_track_the_barr_brothers_queens_of_the_breakers/ Relix
  33. ^ Prabhu, Suraj. "Barr Brothers talk 'Queens of the Breakers'...July 2018". meaww.com. Meaww. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  34. ^ Bernstein, Scott. "Sarah Pagé Departs The Barr Brothers". jambase.com. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  35. ^ "Soundtrack reveal: The Make Believes". Compulsion Games. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  36. ^ "Archives 2018 - ADISQ". adisq.com. ADISQ. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  37. ^ "The Barr Brothers, Dec 2018". levonhelm.com. Levon Helm Studios. 8 December 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2022.

External links[edit]

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