Barton Hartshorn’s solo career has seen him release four albums as a solo artist. Unveiling Headquarter Café over a decade ago, it was during a trip to Australia that I Died of Boredom & Came Back As Me took shape. That sent Barton to European success and two USA tours before he returned to the studio with his band and recorded Not What I Expected To Hope For and then Manchester Sun. Now returning with his next major project Everything…, Barton Hartshorn shares a new storyline that is seeing acclaim from across the industry.
The latest teaser for the EP is out now, an emotive single entitled ‘Sister Bird’. As it progresses from sparse folk soundscapes into glowing rock arrangements, the track begins to be filled with intricate melodies, the bass moving around the acoustic guitar rhythms, the twinkling electric guitar arpeggios playing against a distant organ, it all comes together to detail an emotional and spellbinding atmosphere. With the distorted introduction of another electric guitar, the strong blooms into optimism, it’s a beautifully written story, delicate in its themes, but executed with such phenomenal gravity.
Barton shares its place in the story, “The King has finished his speech, 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?”