Meet James Barrett | Songwriter and barista

We had the good fortune of connecting with James Barrett and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi James, what role has risk played in your life or career?
As long as I could remember I have had one goal in life: to be able to write my own songs and play them for a living. The idea alone would give my teachers a lot of stress early on. I knew from the beginning that I never wanted to go to college. To me being stuck in another place for four years after feeling stuck in public school didn’t make sense to me when I could be driving anywhere I want to play a show. So after I graduated high school I got a job and started my life as an actual person in the real world. It was terrible and a huge reality check but never once did I think I made the wrong choice. Since leaving high school in 2016 I have balanced my time between working day jobs and writing music or playing a show somewhere. It absolutely has not been easy. There have been moments in my career that have made me feel like my biggest aspirations have been met and there are some moments that make you wanna quit entirely. Trying to pursue art without a degree (or even with one) is a risk that you have to be prepared to endure. I may not be where I want to be right now but I know my years of perseverance has led me on the correct path. Now it’s only a matter of “when” instead of “if.”

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I currently front my own seven piece rock band here in my hometown of Scranton Pennsylvania. Over the last few years I have written two full length LP’s which includes my most recent work “A Series of… Mostly Nothing.” I spent the majority of the pandemic writing that record and it feels like the most important thing I have done in my life. I like to believe the sound I created for this album is unique which helps me feel like I am doing something that is totally my own. Writing and recording these last two records really felt like the turning point in my music career that I have been waiting for all my life. My hope is that my first two records will continue to grow while I work on new music.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would immediately take them to Lake Scranton to join me on my favorite place to walk. I go three or four times a week so that is an absolute must. There are so many great restaurants and cafes to hit. I work at a fantastic coffee roasting company called Grateful Roast. I think daily visits there to start the day followed by a new restaurant for lunch or dinner each day. Ale Mary’s, Jack’s Draft House, Maroni’s Pizza, Eden A Vegan Cafe, The Bog, Chicano’s, the list goes on! If we weren’t eating or at the lake we could go visit my local record store Gallery of Sound to check out some vinyl. There are tons of beautiful trails to walk or hike as well. Scranton has a lot of beautiful things to offer.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
This question is actually a lot harder than it should be but for good reasons. If I made a list of every person I had to thank for helping me get here I would go on for weeks. The truth is I have been extraordinarily lucky in my career to have such a diverse and supportive fanbase. All my life my friends and family have supported me through every record and tour I’ve been a part of. I feel extremely blessed when I am in my hometown of Scranton because everyone knows everyone here and everyone knows what I do and I know what they do. Our community has grown into a supportive one which helps me feel like I have earned the respect of those in my town.

With all that being said I do have a special thanks for a few people. My dad and my brother Tyler played music before I started and they were integral to my start. I also could not be here today if I never crossed paths with my longtime friend and engineer Jake Checkoway who has helped me evolve my sound into what it is now.

Website: https://www.jamesbarrettmusic.com/

Instagram: @ jamesbarrettmusic

Twitter: @TheLordOfSynth

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jamesbarrettmusic

Image Credits
Abby Clare Dom Kozuch Mark Ashe