Barton Hartshorn spent his formative year in the English village of the same name, in which he was deeply influenced by the folk singers performing in local clubs. Remaining true to his storytelling roots as he embarked on his musical journey, Barton was led through three albums fronting the band Dictafone.
Then transitioning to a solo career, Barton has released four further albums, spending his time writing in Australia for more inspiration, finding success in Europe and the USA and touring and performing wherever he can. Continuing to arm himself on with new material, Barton is praised for his melodic brilliance and storytelling prowess. Slated for release on May 31st, Barton’s next project is Everything… a new EP.
As he follows on from the story of ‘The King of my Undoing’, Barton Hartshorn has unveiled ‘Sister Bird’, a steadily blossoming beauty. Morphing his acoustic honesty into an emotive grit, Barton steadily walks through the music, each step taking another move towards hope. As his words become more certain and his instrumentation more supportive, melodic bass tones and sweeping feedback usher in a mistifying electric guitar arrangement, bursting with layering and arpeggios collapsing into themselves. As the eventual roar of a full-fat riff bursts through the door, the hope returns to its emotional combatant, engrossing the listener in a multi-directional story.
“The King has finished his speech,” Barton shares, explaining the story of Everything… “finished his ice-cream & stopped waving his spoon around. He needs to sleep it off. Let’s leave him there & walk along the sea front, pick a door that looks like home & walk in. There’s a voice in this quiet place, a woman’s voice. She’s saying something about better times. Think I’ll stay here for a while. Will you leave a light on for me?”
