Country music can mean different things to different people. And in different places. Oklahoma has its rootsy Red Dirt style. There's Nashville's pop sensibility. The "About" page for Arvada band The Barlow simply states: "Colorado Country." Shea Boynton is The Barlow's founder and frontman. He says Colorado Country musicians have to work harder for their wins.
“Geographically it's probably one of the worst places to tour from because any bigger markets are far,” said Boynton. “Kansas City, Albuquerque, Salt Lake City, they're all six plus hours. But the whole thing with getting in your van and touring where you're from, that's what we do. We take pride in writing our own songs and performing our own songs and grinding it out in the clubs. And we're not chasing the industry. We're gonna do it our own way.”
The Barlow just dropped their fourth album in six years. Cut at Evergroove Studios in Evergreen, ‘High Spirits’ builds on their guitar-heavy, rugged outlaw country sound.
“I always tell people we're very country on the record, but we're a rock and roll band live,” said Boynton. “People don't vet us, we show up and blow the doors off the joint.”
Boynton turns 40 this year. He's played music most of life, but says he's only recently gotten into a groove as a songwriter.
“I started writing songs in high school out of necessity. I played in a bunch of different bands over time. Somebody needed to write the songs. We didn't know songwriters, you know, just hanging around waiting to give us songs, so it was always out of necessity. I've always considered myself a late bloomer in general, but I feel like whatever stride I've hit, I really didn't hit till later in life into my thirties. I definitely wasn't a good songwriter in high school or in my twenties. Life experience, that helps. I feel like it's taken a lot of time and a lot of trial and error.”
That growth as a songwriter parallels The Barlow's evolution as a band. Their debut album in 2019 was very DIY, recorded in a basement.
“The first record we had zero money,” said Boyton. “You could say we cut every corner possible, and it shows. It's not great production, it's not a great mix, but I've never wanted to take it down because it shows growth. I'm still proud of making that from nothing and with nothing. Through every record, there's some growth and there's things we learn that we do differently every time. I think if you're not, you're not a student of the craft.”
