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Charlie Barnes releases video for ‘Sing To God’!
“Truly promising…” - Drowned in Sound
"...music that moves you in ways you didn't even know was possible..." - Gigwise
Charlie Barnes has released the video for 'Sing to God', a track taken from his debut album More Stately Mansions released via Superball Music on 11th May 2015.
The video premiered on Gigwise and you can now watch it via Superball Music's YouTube channel.
“We wanted to keep it really simple, as we've never done a video before and some of our favourite music videos are just straight up performances." explains Charlie. "The most important part of it was to get a genuinely beautiful venue close to home, and in Leeds they don't get much more stunning than Left Bank.
Using a church-turned-artspace for a video with God in the title wasn't intentional as such, but I do enjoy the fact that both the song and its video were recorded in former places of worship! Our friends Ben and Benjamin blagged us some theatre lights, and long-time van companion Ryan Pearce kindly pointed his camera at us 30 odd times while we threw ourselves around all day. It was a super intense, but we're so pleased with how it's come out.
Oh, and 50 points for anybody who can find the hidden chambered nautilus design from the album cover...!”
'Sing To God' is also available to stream via the Superball Music SoundCloud page.
Although this is Charlie Barnes, it’s not a solo project, Charlie Barnes is very much a band in every sense of the word. Musical inspirations range from Edith Piaf to St Vincent to Mew and it’s this rich tapestry of influences that have given More Stately Mansions diverse sound ranging from sweeping melodies and crescendoing vocals (“Sing To God”) to quieter, more introspective moments (“Balloons”, “Ghosts”) and joyous moments of pure alt rock (“Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth”). It’s this explorative sound that sets Charlie apart from the array of bland singer songwriters currently on the scene.
The album was produced by Steve Durose of Oceansize. The band are all massive fans of Oceansize which is prevalent from their precise musicianship and the more cerebral elements of the album.
Drowned in Sound and Prog Magazine have already noted Charlie’s talent and he’s already supported bands like Secret Chiefs 3 and opened for Vessels and The Twilight Sad as a solo artist.
To help promote the album, Charlie was also asked by Leeds based coffee roastery North Star to create his own signature blend. He spent a lot of his early twenties playing solo in coffee houses around the UK and Europe, whilst working part-time making coffee back home in Leeds and it seems to have paid off.
You can catch Charlie Barnes live at the following dates as he tours the UK and Germany:
8th April – Barfly - London
11th April - Fox & Newt - Leeds
13th April - Oporto (solo show) - Leeds
14th April - Star and Garter (solo show) - Manchester
3rd May – Handmade Festival - Leicester
12th May – Brudenell Games Room (Album Launch) - Leeds
13th May – Eagle Inn (supporting Vennart) - Manchester
23rd May – Way Back When Festival - Dortmund, Germany
24th May - Maifeld Derby - Mannheim, Germany
More Stately Mansions is bold and elegant, proving that Charlie Barnes is a strong contender for one of the most exciting new acts of 2015 - a true, rare talent.