Taking the name of the village he grew up in, Barton Hartshorn spent his childhood listening to the local folk singers play and began to develop a musical identity around the values of storytelling, staying true to his early influences across his solo career. Seeing praise from indie press worldwide, the artist has performed across Europe and toured across America. Continually noted for his melodic talents and honest writing, the artist now looks ahead to the upcoming EP ‘Everything…’ which features songs from the soundtrack of the film Un-Cancelled; due for worldwide release in 2024.
The first teaser single in the run-up to the May release of the EP is the charming new single ‘The King of my Undoing’. Immediately flinging the audience into the action with Barton’s powerful vocal narration taking centre stage above an ensemble of dynamic acoustic instrumentation, the track takes listeners on a journey through self-assurance, growing past their anxieties into a glowing world of confidence. In the arrangement lies a constant playful musicianship among each instrument, piano rhythms seem to push the vocals, whilst the guitars and drums seem to drive each other forward. The bass line sits beneath it all, having moments of melodic intention that dive out into the front line. Overall, the track is a gorgeously human representation, packaged in a glorious showcase of folk-pop songwriting.
Barton shares the meaning behind the track, explaining, “That voice at the back of your head thinks he’s in control, thinks he’s wearing the crown. Let’s see what happens if we give him the microphone. Who knows…maybe he’s right, maybe we’ll learn something. Let’s roll tape on this one…give him his 15 minutes of fame, then maybe, just maybe he’ll shut the f**k up.”
