Barns Courtney: Building Songs from Risk, Instinct, and Noise

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with Barns Courtney for a wide-ranging conversation about performance, songwriting, musicianship, ambition, and the strange balance between control and chaos.

Barns talks about the solo acoustic shows he has been playing and how stripping away the band has changed his relationship with an audience.  Without a fixed stage plan, every night becomes more unpredictable, more conversational, and more dependent on what is happening in the room. We discuss why great performances need an element of risk and how those shows have reminded him not to let ambition overshadow gratitude.

We also talk about his ongoing work as a singer and the discipline required to maintain an instrument that is constantly changing. Barns reflects on vocal lessons, life on the road, the financial realities of touring, and the challenge of building a sustainable career without losing the joy that made him want to perform in the first place.  Barns also takes us inside the making of his new album with producer and multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Wilson. He describes being challenged to improve as a musician, learning when to loosen his grip on an arrangement, and discovering how a fresh perspective can reveal what a song actually needs.

Our conversation moves through meditation, neurodivergence, social media, aging, creative discipline, and the story behind “Glitter & Gold,” which was recorded with one microphone, an out-of-tune piano, filing cabinets, and whatever sounds were available in the room. Throughout it all, Barns returns to one idea: the real purpose of performing is not to prove how impressive you are, but to connect with people and bring them some measure of joy.

Key Takeaways

• Barns continues to take vocal lessons and views singing as an instrument that must be constantly relearned as the body changes.
• His acoustic shows have created more space for improvisation, audience interaction, humor, and genuine unpredictability.
• He believes a performance can become too controlled, and that risk is often necessary for a show to feel transcendent.
• Working with Jonathan Wilson challenged Barns to become more proficient as an instrumentalist and more open to outside ideas.
• Barns now approaches songwriting with greater discipline, comparing the process to fishing: showing up regularly without knowing what will surface.
• The live album captured the sound of a band that had developed trust, instinct, and a shared musical language through touring together.
• Barns has come to see performance less as a display of ambition and more as an opportunity to connect with people and bring them joy.

Music from the Episode

• Fun Never Ends - Barns Courtney
• 99 - Barns Courtney
• Glitter & Gold - Barns Courtney

About the Podcast

The Bandwich Tapes is a music interview podcast hosted by Brad Williams. Each episode features thoughtful conversations with musicians, songwriters, producers, and other creative artists about their careers, influences, collaborations, musical craft, and the experiences that shape their work.

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