Denver’s own “red dirt” country band The Barlow blends country with elements of folk, rock and blues and has only become more diversified with their newest country-fusion album, High Spirits. The Barlow doesn’t feel the need to fit into one genre, but rather chooses to embrace whichever comes their way. Frontman and founder Shea Boynton has watched his band go from betting safe to taking risks, pushing their creativity and embracing the organic evolution of their southern rock, red dirt, indie-type, country-ish music. This spring saw the release of High Spirits and with it The Barlow’s latest sound, taking a classic genre and making it modern, fresh and a little bit funky.
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The band that is The Barlow originally came to fruition in 2017, when Boynton met former bassist Andy Schneider whilst seeing Turnpike Troubadours at the Ogden. A passion project begun, one that would remain that way until post-pandemic when the band’s lineup solidified as Boynton, bassist Jason Berner, guitarist Brad Johnson and drummer Big Ben Richter, with Schneider still playing on records and remaining “actively involved in shaping the music” to this day. With several years and three albums already under their belts, the four-piece now brings Denver the ingenuity of their sound and their dialed-in energy with High Spirits.
With The Barlow having been honing their craft since 2017, Boynton says that they’re “more focused on writing good songs than fitting into any one genre,” which you can hear clearly throughout High Spirits and its ten tracks. There’s nearly always a country undertone throughout, though some songs like “Dreams for Tomorrow” give a psych-jam vibe, while others like “It Ain’t Mine” lean a bit into the blues. “There’s a wide range of musical tastes within the band, and High Spirits really showcases that diversity,” said Boynton of the many influences that had a hand in molding the album.
During the songwriting processes, Boynton says they made a “conscious effort to serve each track individually, giving every song its own vibe and personality instead of sticking to a formula.” The intention behind each process was about “doing right by the songs, even if it meant stepping outside our comfort zone.” Wes Sharon handled the mixing and mastering of the album with that same core philosophy — “if it sounds good, it is good” — and it’s with that mindset that the band, Sharon, and producer Craig Bennington approached the recording process. “Letting the songs lead, trusting our instincts, and not overthinking genre lines,” Boynton said, and the result is the clean yet utterly unique, intricately complex yet tangible High Spirits.
For The Barlow, their goals “have always been the same: to make music we love, keep playing live, and connect with the audience it resonates with,” Boynton said. “Beyond fandom, we’ve built meaningful relationships that make it all worth it.” And they’re taking the next steps to further those relationships and foster more connections with a slew of upcoming tour dates, including June 6 at Fort Collins’ Surfside 7 and June 8 at Arvada Summerfest. While Colorado isn’t known for country music in particular, three fourths of The Barlow are Colorado natives, making their versatile bending of the genre that much more novel and special to experience. The local music scene is “part of who we are,” said Boynton, and that’s something both the band and its fans can be proud of.
Stream The Barlow’s High Spirits here!