Dave Barnes & Matt Wertz

Overview

When Dave Barnes first showed up on the music scene 12 years ago, he was the guy hitting the college circuit with limitless energy and an equally unrestrained expectation for the future. There were songs to be penned, tours to be booked and a whole world of experiences to be seized.

Since then, the singer-songwriter has written and released seven albums, played hundreds of cities each year, received Grammy and CMA nominations for Blake Shelton's cut of his song “God Gave Me You,” become a father and formed deeper relationships in the industry than his 23-year-old self could have dared hope.

Turning 35 this year, Barnes is in a season of both nostalgia and reality about what it means to be a traveling musician, and those reflections have become the life and breath of his eighth full-length release, Golden Days. “It kind of tells a story of beginning something, where you are now and, as the season changes, the things you look back on,” he says.

MATT WERTZ is excused. Yes, it has been three years since his last full-length release, but when you take his relentless touring schedule, a breakup with his major label, a new deal with Nettwerk and the trials and tribulations of life into account, the ever-so-charming singer-songwriter gets a pass. In fact, it’s these experiences that have helped shaped the inspired songs on Wertz’s new album, WEIGHTS & WINGS, and by that rationale, it was worth every bit of the wait.

All of the songs on Wertz’s new album are tied to relationships, and each track delves into what the singer has learned about himself and others during that last few years. More than ever, the reflective songwriter has his heart on his sleeve, and Weights & Wings is the very incarnation of that lifeline.

This year, Wertz will head back on the road to reconnect with his fans and share the songs he’s worked so hard on. His hope is that listeners will be able to identify with his music, and find a “windows down, sing along at the top of your lungs” quality about the album, too.