Nate Barnes~ Q&A!!!

Photo Taken By: Jason Myers

1.     Hi Nate, can you tell us a little bit about yourself before you became a country musician?


I’m originally from South Haven, Michigan.  Previously, I was a  nuclear power plant worker but I’ve been playing music since I was a very young kid.


2.     What made you want to have a career in country music?


Well, I’ve always wanted to play music ever since I could remember. My grandad was the man who inspired me. He would sit and tell us stories of blues musicians and of life. I fell in love with wanting to tell stories and play music right away. When I was 21, my dear friend Dennis – who’s also a blueberry farmer – introduced me to country music in a way I’d never heard it before. From then on I knew country music was where I needed to be. It just felt like home – like something I’d been missing my whole life.



3.     Who are some of your musical icons?


BB King, Prince, Elvis, George Strait, Brooks & Dunn, Keith Whitley and many more.


4.     What is the background story behind your latest single “You Ain’t Pretty?”


It was written by Jimmy Yeary, Jason Sellers, and myself. The true meaning behind this song is about building people up and not tearing them down.  It talks about the inner beauty in a woman. It’s not about the hair or make up.


5.     How would you describe your music in 3 to 5 words?
Strong. Honest. Real. Grit.


6.     What are a few of your favorite venues to play at? 


Foundry Hall and the Park Theatre in Michigan. Also – any small town venue.


7.     What is your recording process like when making new music?


Cut the song in the studio with an amazing band, then work on overdubs and vocals. It’s an honor to work with my producers Mickey Jack Cones and Derek George who truly bring these songs to life. I love every minute of it. I’m a new artist and it’s been great learning all that I can from the very best. 

8.     What is one of your favorite quotes?

“Don’t die with your music still inside you.”   ~ Wayne Dyer


9.     Is there anything else you would like to share?

I feel so blessed for this opportunity and for the amazing team I get to be a part of at Quartz Hill Records. It’s truly a dream come true.  Thank you to Benny Brown, Jason Sellers and Paul Brown for believing in me. It’s gonna be an amazing year for all of us!

Nate Barnes~ “Artist Spotlight”!!!

Photo By: Jason Myers

            It is told that storytellers are their greatest when they write about what they know. Quartz Hill Records up and coming country artist Nate Barnes is no exception. The blue-collar power plant worker writes and sings about the work and the everyday life he is a part of in the small town of South Haven, Michigan. Barnes sings about God, family, hard-work, heartache, love and the simple kind of life. He also sings about how to get by and the blood, sweat and tears that get us there. The honestly which Barnes sings stories of the every-day life, working class Americans is sincere (because he is also one, too). 

            Barnes started working at only 13 years old, he helped at a youth camp. His work ethic was strongly inspired by his mom who had three jobs, as well as his stepdad who worked double duty at both the local power plant and on a blueberry farm to make ends meet. By 14, Barnes was working on roofs and building houses with his uncle. Then at 18, he started his stepdad’s footsteps, by receiving an entry level job at the power plant by cleaning toilets and driving buses. He worked his way up through the levels of manual labor- making scaffolding, pouring concrete, shoveling and digging trenches, putting down pipelines, and working on mechanical maintenance for sometimes 14 hours in one day, working in heavy suits, helmets, often times in high cold or heat. 

            During the long hours of manual labor, music was never far away from Barnes’ heart. The small-town boy and dreamer first started playing at church in sixth grade and later at parties and small gatherings. His mom would take him all over town and sit through each show. As time went on, Barnes started performing at bars and venues every night and weekends. 

            He was musically influenced by both of his grandparents; Barnes grew up singing with his family after Sunday dinners. Barnes and his family would join around his grandmother as she played hymns on the blues on the family piano. Barnes remembers how, after each session, his grandfather would sit in his recliner with blues on the radio and a western on TV while he amused his grandkids of stories about growing up and working in the fields in Tupelo, Mississippi. 

             When Barnes was 21, a close friend and mentor introduced him to the music and stories of Keith Whitley, George Strait, Alabama and Brooks & Dunn. As he dove more and more into the world of country music, he found out that these were the passages of his own life- the lessons he had learned, the individuals he had love, the sorrows he had tolerated – the stories speak in a way that felt like home. 

            Even though, he has spent many years playing bars, coffee shops, small venues and festivals in and close to his hometown, Barnes was discovered as result of a fluke, he met chart-topping songwriter Jason Sellers, while passing through Nashville on his way to vacation in Gatlinburg. A conversation led to a song and Sellers knew right away that he had met a true original musician. Sellers introduce Barnes to Benny and Paul Brown. Working with the Brown’s was the start of his country music career. 

            On October 30, 2020, Barnes newest single came out “You Ain’t Pretty.” If you would like to find out more Nate Barnes then check out his website (https://www.natebarnesmusic.com).