AUSTRALIAN COUNTRY STAR CASEY BARNES WANTS TO ‘GET TO KNOW YA’ AHEAD OF HIS BRAND NEW ALBUM
After two long, hard years of canceled tours, postponed shows and being locked away from family, friends and fans, Australian country music prodigy Casey Barnes is only interested in one thing – human connection!
When the world was thrown a curve ball in 2020, Aussie artists had two options; hunker down and wait out the storm, or push forward into the unknown. For Gold Coast country star Casey Barnes, walking into the eye of the storm was the hardest decision he’s ever had to make, but now it’s paying off in spades, with massive commercial radio success, multiple number one hits and one of the only country artists to achieve mainstream success in Australia in 2021!
Following on from the release of several successful singles over the past twelve months, including the #1 smash “God Took His Time On You” and 2021’s most played country radio song “Come Turn Me On”, the Gold Coast based country music icon has today unveiled “Get To Know Ya”, the lead track from his forthcoming album “Light It Up “, landing on Friday 25 February, 2022.
Written from various lockdowns over the course of 18 months, via a series of zoom calls with producers MSquared (Michael Delozrenzis and Michael Paynter) and Nashville based singer/songwriters Kaci Brown and Sam Gray, “Get To Know Ya” is yet another addition to Casey’s ever growing catalog of hook-laden, arena-sized anthems.
“We’ve all had our fair share of lockdowns and isolation over the last two years and we’re finally enjoying the luxury of being able to get out and about again and reconnect”. Said Casey Barnes of the new track.
“That’s what this single is all about… that instant connection when you lay eyes on someone for the first time. The nervous feeling about getting to know them and hoping they feel the same way because in your eyes, they’re that one in a million. This single is one of my favorite songs on the album and I’m so excited to finally get it out there!”
Where previous singles highlighted Casey Barnes ability to produce everything from slow, melodic ballads to fast paced, raucous country rock, new single “Get To Know Ya” is a masterclass in seamlessly blending earworm-worthy pop hooks, classic country instrumentation and stadium ready sounds. It’s another fan favorite from Casey’s liveshow, finally ready to add to an already massive collection of beloved anthemic pop-country tracks which have helped cement Casey Barnes as one of the most important figures in Australia’s rapidly growing country music market.
To celebrate the launch of his new single, as well as the release of brand-new album “Light It Up” on Friday 25 February, Casey will also be hitting the road from late February until August, performing more than twenty shows around the country, including a special show where it all started;w Forth, Tasmania.
“When I was six years old, I’ll never forget my very first gig. It was Johnny Cash, supported by John Williamson in my hometown of Launceston in Tasmania.”
I just remember being completely captivated by the performance and thinking ‘one day I’d love to do this too’. Several years later that thought became a reality when I was invited to jump up on stage and perform for the very first time at the Forth Pub with the band, and the rest as they say is history. It was only recently that my Mum dug up a bunch of old photos and one of those was a pic of me up on stage as a very green and nervous 15-year-old. That venue has always held a very special place in my heart, so it had to be the first spot on the tour and fittingly it sold out in record time.”
A lot has happened since Casey first performed on stage at the Forth Pub in Tasmania.
He’s gone on to play shows all over the world, opening for acts like Bryan Adams, Mariah Carey, Lady Antebellum to name a few and performing at major events including Savannah In The Round, CMC Rocks, Tamworth Country Music Festival, BluesFest and more!
Five number one singles on the country charts; eight Golden Guitar nominations, including New Talent, Album of the Year and Male Artist of the Year; and a swag of other awards action – nominations for Best Country Album at the ARIA Awards, Best Independent Country Album at the AIR Awards, and Most Performed Country Work (‘A Little More’) at the APRA Awards.
Casey was awarded Artist of the Year at the Gold Coast Music Awards in 2020 and 2021. Adding to this, he received the People’s Choice Award for best live act at the Groundwater Country Music Festival, a nod to his powerful live show and ability to connect with his audiences. Casey’s songs have collectively been streamed more than 28 million times, making him one of the most streamed Australian country artists of all time.
Casey’s 2020 album, “Town of A Million Dreams”, cemented his place in the Australian music scene, topping the country charts and spending over 75 weeks on the ARIA Australian Country Album chart to date.