Iter Itineris: The Journey of Barny Holmes
Barny Holmes
Photos: dnimagery
Lifestyle
Iter Itineris: The Journey of Barny Holmes
From singing in a local church choir at 5 years old to playing at Wembley on national TV (via Reading Festival at 16), Barny Holmes’ rise to the stratosphere has been bubbling.
With most musicians finding the covid pandemic one of the most challenging periods of their career, Barny used this time to bolster his success.
The eclectic musician speaks to Business Enquirer about his career journey, how social media is changing the game, and his philosophy on life and music.
From Suffolk to Sri Lanka
During his career, Barny has forged a reputation for himself in the East of England performing at popular city venues, clubs and bars, as well as being a recommended wedding musician.
His reputation and popularity has also taken him to Sri Lanka, Tuscany, Lake Como and Sardinia, performing at events for his clients.
“I’ve worked hard throughout my life so far to
perfect my skills. Now, I get to travel the world doing what I love,” Barny shared.
Dear Diary, Barny, whose musical style is largely folk and rock, considers writing and performing music to be therapeutic for him.
“I often wondered why people used journals, but as I’ve grown older I’ve realised that’s exactly what song writing is for me,” said Barny, “whether it’s to share happiness, regrets, heartbreak or guilt, it’s a way for me to express my emotions and keep my mental health in check. I recommend it to everyone”.
Barny’s emotional release can be heard in songs such as acoustic folk song, Montagues and Capulets, an ode to a relationship that wasn’t meant to be.
“We were parallel opposites, like fire and ice. In the end, we drowned in frustration and disappointment,” explained Barny.
Ballad Capri Sun discusses today’s obsession with social media and its effect it can have on relationships.
“It’s a personal song to me as it references my
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Barny Holmes
routine at that time. Each night I would have a Capri Sun before bed. The song is about the very last night I spent with my girlfriend at that time. I drank that last Capri Sun and the next day I never saw her again,” reflects Barny.
Musical Foundations
Barny’s singer/songwriting skills are limitless, and that, in part, is due to the diverse artists where he has taken inspiration from throughout his career.
Growing up in the early 1990s, Michael Jackson was a key influence. “I noticed I had similar vocals so tried to adopt his style,” explained Barny.
American singer-songwriter Maynard James
Keenan and his rock band, A Perfect Circle has also had an influence on Barny’s music, as well as the likes of John Mayer and Jessie J.
“I love listening to a range of music to suit my mood, anything from RnB, motown and heavy metal,” he shared.
Hailing from Ipswich, an inspiration close to home is Ed Sheeran, who Barny spent some time with as a teenager. “What’s inspiring about Ed isn’t just his undeniable talent. It’s the amount of graft he’s put in over the last 10 plus years,” said Barny, “he also has this incredible ability to criss-cross between genres, something which I love to do too”.
Sweet Sixteen
The most inspirational moment for Barny, however, took place on his 16th birthday, when he was taken to Reading Festival.
“I’d heard that the day before Green Day were pulling audience members on stage to perform with them, so I went to Reading prepared. I found the tallest guy I could and asked to sit on his shoulders, and held a shirt with “GUITAR” written in biro above my head. Billie Joe shouted out for me, “hey, the guy with the shirt!”” shared Barny.
On his 16th birthday, Barny performed on stage with Green Day, playing the opening to Basket Case on lead singer Billie Joe’s guitar.
“In the end, 80,000 people in the crowd were chanting my name. Feeling that euphoria was when I realised this was what I wanted to do,” he said.
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“In the end, 80,000 people in the crowd were chanting my name. Feeling that euphoria was when I realised this was what I wanted to do,”
Barney Holmes
In the aftermath of his impromptu Reading Festival performance, Barny was able to go backstage, meeting the likes of Supergrass and being interviewed by Kerrang, giving him a taste of the glamorous side of music.
Green Day and the Reading stage isn’t the only brush with fame the musician has experienced.
Barny also featured on BBC talent show The Voice as part of band De’Vide, joining Jessie J’s team.
“Jessie was a fantastic mentor, very humble and forthcoming with advice,” shared Barny.
De’Vide also made it through to the bootcamp round of ITV’s The X Factor, performing to Tulisa, Gary Barlow and Louis Walsh at Wembley Stadium.
“These opportunities certainly opened my eyes to the world of TV, and how it differs from more organic live performance,” said Barny.
A Growing Brand
Whilst many performers took a step back from their industries during the covid pandemic when live, in-person performances were halted, Barny took the opportunity to develop his online brand.
“It’s not in my personality to sit back, and I thought I had to do something to keep my career thriving,” explained Barny, “so I used Instagram to grow my online presence,”.
His method was to join other artists’ Instagram Live videos, asking his existing followers to encourage a duet.
Starting with friend Samantha Harvey,
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Lifestyle
Barny performed with acts and influencers including Dan Spragg, Affion Crockett and Wayna Morris.
In three months, Barny’s instagram following grew from 3,000 to 13,000.
“That experience helped me to realise how crucial social media and online content can be to drive my career to the next level. The marketing side of the industry is something I am continually learning, honing and growing,” he said.
Growing “Barny as a brand” is something Holmes will be taking from strength to strength in the next 12-18 months.
A musician through and through
Whilst music is Barny’s heart and soul, his backbone is driven by his philosophy towards the industry.
“I believe that you are the controller of your own destiny, and can take the future into your own hands,” Barny explained, “I’m inspired by people who do that, like Ed Sheeran and Luke Gittins. And whilst money and appreciation is an important by-product of being a musician, what makes me a musician is doing it. Living and breathing music. It’s part of my personality and my routine”.
Over the next 12 months Barny will continue to write and create music and keep performing whilst continually aiming to raise his prestige and presence.
“I want my music to reach more people. I believe as a brand you can still have an important, human connection. I want to share my struggles and allow people to share theirs in return,” said Barny.
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Barny Holmes
www.barnyholmes.co.uk
info@busenq.com www.busenq.com
