The Barr Brothers Drift Away on an “English Harbour” In Beautiful New Single (Feat. Jim James and Arc Iris)

I somehow missed the fact that the Barr Brothers are gearing up for a new release. Let It Hiss, is out on October 17, making the band's first record in eight years.

The early singles have sounded terrific, but it's the recently-released “English Harbour,” that has been buoying around my head lately. It's a lilting tune and includes guest vocals from Visible Voice favorites Jim James and Jocie Adams (Arc Iris, the Low Anthem).

Built around Brad Barr’s patient guitar lines, the song captures a fragile balance between surrender and persistence. James’ falsetto lifts the track’s pre-chorus with tender harmonies, while the chorus opens into something a little darker, evoking memory, loss, and endurance. Adams -- who once worked for NASA --  deepens the song’s spectral atmosphere.

Brad Barr says of the track: "Something cool and interesting that happened while recording English Harbour—we imagined both Jim James and Jocie Adams singing on this one. We had befriended Jim when our band The Slip opened for My Morning Jacket in 2007, and opened for them again with The Barr Brothers around 2015. And we’ve loved Jocie’s singing and arranging instincts since we toured with her old band The Low Anthem. The night we had the idea to invite them, we wrote to them both separately to ask if they’d be interested and available to sing on this song and they randomly happened to be eating dinner together at Jocie’s house in LA. Crazy serendipity! The two of them make this song so magical."

Let It Hiss was recorded in Montreal with Brad and Andrew Barr at the helm, and mixed by Jon Low (The National, Bon Iver). The record draws on years of pause and renewal, with contributions from Elizabeth Powell, Patrick Watson, and Klô Pelgag.

The Barr Brothers open up for Mumford & Sons this fall before beginning a headline tour in November. 

The Barr Brothers / Mumford & Sons 2025 tour

Oct 8 - Chicago, IL - United Center (w/ Mumford & Sons)

Oct 9 - Saint Paul, MN - Grand Casino Arena (w/ Mumford & Sons)

Oct 11 - Milwaukee, WI - Fiserv Forum (w/ Mumford & Sons)

Oct 12 - Columbus, OH - Nationwide Arena (w/ Mumford & Sons)

Oct 14 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center (w/ Mumford & Sons)

Oct 16 - Buffalo, NY - KeyBank Arena (w/ Mumford & Sons)

Oct 17 - Montreal, QC - Bell Centre (w/ Mumford & Sons)

Oct 19 - Pittsburgh, PA - PPG Paints Arena (w/ Mumford & Sons)

Oct 20 - Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena (w/ Mumford & Sons)

The Barr Brothers / Let It Hiss 2025 tour

Nov 4 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground

Nov 5 - Portsmouth, NH - 3S Artspace

Nov 7 - Vienna VA (DC) - The Barns at Wolf Trap 

Nov 8 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg

Nov 11 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall 

Nov 13 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts 

Nov 15 - Woodstock, NY - Bearsville Theater

Nov 16 - Northampton, MA - Iron Horse

Nov 18 - Boston, MA - Sinclair

Nov 19 - Boston, MA - Sinclair

Nov 21 - Hamilton, ON - Bridgeworks

Nov 22 - Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall

Nov 27 - Ottawa, ON - Bronson Centre

Nov 28 - Quebec City, QC - Imperial Bell

Nov 29 - Montreal, QC - MTelus

WATCH: Kamasi Washington's NPR Music "Tiny Desk Concert"

Kamasi Washington, who recently delivered a fiery closing set at Newport Jazz Festival, brought his Grammy-nominated wizardry to NPR Music's Tiny Desk. He delivered tracks from three of his albums, ranging from the high energy to the subdued, all while holding the audience in his dextrous palms. 

The engineering is always on point at the "Tiny Desk," and Kamasi's visit is no exception, faithfully capturing ace musicians joined together in a "tiny" space but capable of transporting the audience to another plane. Enjoy the trip.

SET LIST:
“Lesanu”
“Street Fighter Mas”
“The Rhythm Changes”
“Asha The First”

MUSICIANS:
Kamasi Washington: tenor saxophone
Rickey Washington: flute, soprano saxophone
Ryan Porter: trombone
Brandon Coleman: keys
Tony Austin: drums
DJ Battlecat: DJ, percussion
Miles Mosley: bass
Patrice Quinn: vocals

In March, Washington will embark on a European tour. Great excuse for an excusion across the pond. For dates and tickets, click here.

Robert Ellis Changes His Tune

Robert Ellis sounds weary. On his latest record, Yesterday's News, the "Texas Piano Man" has shelved the shiny, glittering piano-driven production of his past albums for an open-tuned acoustic guitar and enough somber self-reflection to make you want to reach for something stronger than a Topo Chico.   

"If heaven feels like standing still, I'd rather go to hell / we are running from the silence at the bottom of the well," he sings on the arid "On The Run." And when he continues: "Running from becoming another book upon the shelf. / We are running from each other. We are running from ourselves," you quickly realize the dance party is over — at least for the next 39 minutes.

The album's clear standout is the title track, a stripped-down and spellbinding travelogue of a road weary troubador who sees the water circling the drain from a hotel shower.

 In another set of hands, these sentiments could easily slide into triteness or cliche, but Ellis has always had a knack for finding the beauty in the bleak. 

 

Yesterday's News, recorded live-to-tape in just two days, is an intimate reflection of an artist coming to grips with maturity and mortality, an intimate display that the show goes on after the disco lights burn out. But it's not epitaph, more of an evolution, and Ellis's continued growth makes him an artist well-worth following, wherever he decides to run to next.

Upcoming tour dates:

Fri, OCT 18
Askew Bistro & Entertainment Venue
Providence, RI
Tickets

Sat, OCT 19
Turning Point
Piermont, NY
Tickets

Sun, OCT 20
Jammin Java
Vienna, VA
Tickets

Mon, OCT 21
The State Theatre
State College, PA 
Tickets

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Fri, NOV 1
Sam's Burger Joint
San Antonio, TX
Tickets

Sat, NOV 2
The Globe Theatre
Bertram, TX
Tickets

Sun, NOV 3
Fort Brewery & Pizza
Fort Worth, TX
 Tickets

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Sat, DEC 7
Space
Evanston, IL
Tickets

Sun, DEC 8
Space
Evanston, IL
Tickets

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Sat, JAN 25, 2025
Mercury Lounge
Tulsa, OK
Tickets

Tue, JAN 28, 2025
The Bur Oak
Madison, WI
 Tickets

Preview: Charlotte Cardin Headlining Neumos 11.12.2023

The incredible Montreal-based Charlotte Cardin is embarking on a three month world tour, and the majority of the concerts - from France to Belgium, Victoria to Toronto - are already sold out. Those in Seattle will be lucky to catch Charlotte on the beginning of the tour, as she makes a stop at Neumos this Sunday, 11.12.2023.

Charlotte's a multi JUNO-winning Canadian singer/songwriter, and her sophomore album, 99 Nights, is an absolute gem. Recorded in Montreal, the album has a slew of collaborators; DFA (Dua Lipa), Rob Grimaldi (BTS), Mr.Hudson (Kanye West), Jorgen Odegard (Justin Bieber), Jenn Decilveo (Miley Cyrus), Ryan Linvill (Conan Gray), Felix Joseph (Jorja Smith). 

Her latest single, “Next to You”, is a hypnotic piano ballad that fully displays Cardin’s rich and ethereal vocals, and serves as a love letter and farewell to her hometown of Montreal. You can watch a beautiful performance of the track, here. 

For friends of Visible Voice not in the Seattle area, check the tour poster below and grab tickets near you. You'll thank us later.

McKinley Dixon - Neumos - 3.19.23

If McKinley Dixon isn't on your radar yet, let these words you're reading clue you in: he may be the best musician you've yet to hear. There's a reason The Guardian included him in their list of 2023's most promising musical newcomers, and it's because he really is flat out phenomenal. 

McKinley opened for Tank and the Bangas to a sold-out Neumos audience in Seattle on a night where the winter attempted to stick around for a few more days in the PNW. Often with opening acts, the crowd mills about, orders drinks, and generally doesn't pay much mind to what's happening on stage. Not here. McKinley had everyone in the house glued to the stage, and for good reason. His set what energetic, tight, and sounded fantastic. By the end, the crowd was eager to sing along with the chorus as instructed.

He's based out of Chicago, and to be clear, it's tough to classify his sound into one genre. Maybe that's to be expected from a guy who rocked the set in an ICP t-shirt, calls Toni Morrison the greatest rapper of all time, and writes truly transformative lyrics that tackle topics like violence, religion, and finding new ways of physical and mental communication, as evidenced by his stunning last project For My Mama And Anyone Who Look Like Her. Is he a rapper? Yes, and a great one. A singer? Also fantastic. His backing band is also heavily jazz influenced. Does his music need to be classified? Maybe not. What it is is great, beautiful, honest music. 

Keep up with McKinley here, and catch him on the remainder of the tour with Tank and the Bangas. You'll be glad you did.

\\

Words + Photos by Bodi of Sattva Photo

Preview: Meltt Headlining the Vera Project 3.3.23

Hailing from North Vancouver, psych-rock rising stars Meltt are kicking off their tour and celebrating the release of their new EP, Another Quiet Sunday, with a headlining set at Seattle's beloved Vera Project. 

For the unfamiliar, Meltt combines distorted riffs, otherworldly soundscapes, and ethereal vocals to offer profound meditations on loss and love, grief and hope. Fans of Foals, Tame Impala, and Glass Animals will no doubt find much to savor, be it at an energetic live show on their Another Quiet Sunday Tour, on the aforementioned new EP, or their transcendent 2019 LP Swim Slowly. There's a reason they've racked up millions of streams across multiple tracks: this is just genuinely great music.

Much of Meltt's newest work touches on the feelings around grief and suffering centered around the loss of band member Ian Winlker's father to ALS. In the band's own words, “The title track, ‘Another Quiet Sunday (Keep Moving On).’ is purposefully vague as to whether the perspective being sung is someone passing away and into a new form/life, or someone saying goodbye to someone passing away into a new form/life. Meaning either returning back to the living after encountering the other side or moving on. We wanted it to be optimistic: the vibe being all of this is temporary, we’re always in transition, and we’ll all rejoin with each other eventually - either turning back into energy that exists within the universe, or becoming part of nature, or reuniting with our ancestors in some spiritual form.” Echoes of this same sentiment permeate the soulful 5 song, 18 minute EP which is now streaming worldwide. 

Dates for their upcoming USA tour are below, and details and tickets can be found here.

Words: Bodi Hallett (Sattva Photo) // Images: Courtesy of Meltt

Cafuné - Paramount Theatre - 9.30.22

There aren't a whole lot of artists or bands who can say their first time performing in Seattle was to a sold out audience in the historic Paramount Theatre, but New York's Cafuné can. Opening up for Chvrches on their Screen Violence tour, Cafuné left their mark on the audience with a rollicking set, making the most of their 40 minute slot and undoubtedly priming themselves to come back to Seattle on a sold out headlining tour of their own in the near future. 

If you have TikTok, You may know Cafuné from their viral hit "Tek It" from their debut album, Running. Shortly after blowing up on socials, Elektra Records signed Cafuné. Smart move on their part, because Sedona Schat and Noah Yoo's musical chops and showmanship ensures they're set up for a lengthy touring career, regardless of having another song go viral on TikTok.

With a musical through-line of alt-pop and indie rock, Cafuné would nest nicely in your playlist alongside Phoebe Bridgers, the aforementioned Chvrches, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in equal measure. Their next tour will undoubtedly be as a headliner, and when they come to your town, you'd be well served hitting up their show and moving those dancing feet to their effortlessly catchy sound.

Catch Cafuné on tour now, and hopefully again soon.

Photos + Words by Bodi of Sattva Photo

Fitz & The Tantrums - Chateau Ste. Michelle - 8/21/22

Completely selling out the legendary Chateau Ste. Michelle on the outskirts of Seattle on a Sunday night is no small feat, but that's exactly what LA-based Fitz & The Tantrums (with fantastic support from fellow LA-native Andy Grammer) managed to do. As we all continue our gradual emergence from covid, it's hard to overstate the power that comes with being in community, even if that community for the night is a sea of strangers, while energetic and upbeat music fills the air. Make no mistake: Fitz and the Tantrums provide the perfect soundtrack to dance the night away and feel rejuvenated, refreshed, and just optimistic about what comes next. 

As they put the finshing touches on their 5th studio album, Fitz and the Tantrums somehow found time to tour the country, serving up music that's inspiring without being saccharine, positive without being preachy. With killer vocals from Noelle Scaggs and Michael (Fitz) Fitzpatrick and a backing band that could slot right in filling a stadium at the Super Bowl Halftime Show or on the streets of New Orleans, they just sound good. Their music is a balm for the soul, something which we could all use in these increasingly divided and disparate times. 

See them on tour. Dance the night away. Make friends and memories. You'll be happy you did.

 

The Band CAMINO - Seattle, WA - 4/1/2022

On a stormy April 1st, The Band CAMINO - with support from flor and Hastings - played to a sold out, enraptured audience at Seattle's historic Showbox SODO. This being the band's first tour since everything closed down, and armed with their self-titled, Elektra released debut that premiered in September, it was impressive to see the following and fanbase TBC has cultivated over the last several years. Selling out the SODO is no small task.

In a turn of inspired marketing that will only help to further broaden their sizable audience, a well lit photobooth was available for all fans to take selfies and share their love of the band. Given that so many are hungry for the return of live music, bands likely don't need to pull out personalized touches to bring out the crowds. Yet, in doing so, they're no doubt deepening their ties with their fans who will feel like an integral part of the action. It was fun to see, and downright admirable.

Their live set pulled mainly from their new album, with a few cuts reaching back to their 2016 and 2017 EPs. Hearing the audience sing along with tracks from each showcased the loyalty of their fans during an electric, energetic performance that was sincere in its engagement with the audience and tight with showmanship. For old fans, this will be a night that no doubt exceeded expectations. For the new coming into the fold, it no doubt ensured strong word of mouth for many more sold-out shows to come.

Catch The Band CAMINO on "The Tour CAMINO" here.

Photos + Words by Bodi of Sattva Photo