MUSIC
Albums By Roland Barrett
broken Beautiful Moments
“We live this life in broken beautiful moments…”
The poignant sentiment that opens the fourth collection of original songs expands upon the themes central to Rollie’s song-crafting: love, loss, redemption and an irrepressible nomadic spirit.
The wait is over.
“Broken Beautiful Moments”, the new album by Roland Barrett, has finally made its way out into the world.
Produced by longtime bandmate Brad Robinson, the album is a departure in concept and performance, featuring previously unreleased music and reimagined renditions of familiar Rollie Barrett favourites. With eighteen musicians and performers lending their talents over a two-year recording process, the album chooses diverse musical styles to showcase Rollie’s songwriting and performance gifts.
“Broken Beautiful Moments”
Albums By Roland Barrett
Ancient Wave
Ancient Wave is a testament to the heart of the wanderer and the soul of the open road. It’s an album full of simplistic wanderlust dreams and a search for purpose against the backdrop of an otherwise static world . From the beginning to the end of the album you will discover testimonials of regret, love, hope, forgiveness all wrapped up in a utopian vision. Some of the songs contain Barretts own personal experiences and stories while living, travelling and performing throughout California. Barrett chose to once again team up with Producer/Singer-Songwriter Leeroy Stagger and longtime band mate Brad Robinson who’s song, “The Cards”, debut’s on Ancient Wave.
Dark hearts
The album is a diverse yet cohesive collection of stories of surrender, triumph, love, life on the road, the fragility of being, the resurrection and embrace of a lifetime of memories, and, for good measure, a satirical look at relationships. Each song resonates as a tribute or remembrance of the lives of people close to Barrett – “Heaven’s In The Wind” is an homage to a father and son’s steadfast refusal to bow to adversity, instead choosing to both literally and figuratively follow new horizons wherever they might lead. “I’d Be The One” is both a universal lament and tribute to a life of obligation and service in the armed forces, a narrative Barrett knows well.
Nomad Ballads
The 2012 release, Nomad Ballads, was my first crack at taking my music career from cover artist to recording artist. I had a handful of songs that I was proud of and I was performing them regularly, sneaking them in between the “hits” at cover gigs. It was an exciting time and the album still stands up as some of my favourite material. I co-produced the album with my friend and studio owner Ian Welsh who consequently ended up performing with me for a number of years.