Micah Barnes

You have your big, soulful-voiced singers, the kind blessed with amazing pipes, who are a joy to hear, a sight to see. Then you have the songwriter, the person who can turn a phrase, find a hook, create art of of air. Two different types at the top of their game. Each one is a rare beast, but when one person has both of these high level-talents, there's magic happening.

Micah Barnes of Toronto used to be in The Nylons, so you know he can sing. It turns out he can write brilliant blue-eyed soul, centered around his piano and of course, the voice. He's had a long recording, performing and vocal coaching career, moving between L.A. and Toronto, battled some personal grief and demons, and most importantly, survived and become known by insiders as one of the great talents in the country. His six-track EP Domesticated, is joyful and polished. It's ear candy, Top 40 for sure, but the kind even the most cynical punk or shoe-gazing indie fan can acknowledge as expert-league.

I hear strong soul-pop here, crossed with smart, 80's New Wave crispness. Barnes works with full respect for the art of making a hit, or at least that definition of a hit we grew up with, a song that would sound great on the radio, and of course pumping out of the stereo at a party. Economies and trends have moved people away from precision, perfection and of course, pricey productions, but with such a enjoyable voice, radiant melodies and strong stories, what else would you want than this polished gem? - Top 100 Canadian Blog

Micah Barnes, formerly of The Nylons and a renowned singer/songwriter in his own right, is in Winnipeg to perform at the West End Cultural Centre on Saturday at 8 p.m., but dropped by the Winnipeg Free Press News Café to do a brief performance and interview with Uptown Magazine Friday.
Son of a composer (Milton Barnes) and a writer (Lilly Barnes), Micah began performing in the cafes and coffeehouses of Toronto while still a teen in the late '70s. With his drummer brother Daniel, he formed the Micah Barnes Trio, a cabaret act which caught the attention of many on Toronto’s 1980s Queen Street scene. Barnes joined a-cappella group The Nylons in 1989 and recorded and toured for four years before moving to Los Angeles in 1996 to begin recording as a solo artist. Working with producer Brad Daymond (later of 'N Sync fame) he released Loud Boy Radio, which yielded a hugely successful club single, Welcome to My Head, With remix producers Thunderpuss on board, the single gave Barnes a No.1 Billboard Clubs Hit in 2003.
Barnes moved back to Canada several years ago and has continued to record and tour. Most recently he has returned to his early roots, touring a one-man cabaret show titled the Rules of Romance. He’s also become an acclaimed vocal and career coach and will be doing a workshop for local performers at 1 p.m. Saturday also at the West End Cultural Centre. - Winnipeg Free Press

Micah Barnes latest release, New York Story, went from 49th place on the Canadian Jazz Charts to No. 1 in just 5 hours!

It's been three years since Micah Barnes released his acclaimed third solo disc 2011's Domesticated, which resulted in rave reviews and standing room only crowds across the country for the singer-songwriter. Toronto native Barnes began his career gigging on Queen Street West in the 1980's and has played around the world since then, notably as a member of famed a cappella quartet, The Nylons.

Traveling back and forth between Toronto and New York City in recent years, the new album is inspired in part by his romance with New York City's musical history, resulting in his homage to the Cotton Club, Apollo Theatre and The Brill Building: "New York Stories. The song "New York Story", lyrics and music by Micah Barnes, is a haunting, lush jazz ballad about two lovers who meet in one of the world's most romantic cities.

For this project Barnes has expanded his horizons, both as a songwriter an as a musician. "New York Stories" is a much-anticipated full-length album featuring 15 songs, including three inspired covers tunes (Cole Porter, Smokey Robinson and Etta James) and a deeply romantic duet with the legendary Jackie Richardson. Micah's song writing collaborators on this collection include Daniel Barnes and Russ Boswell and up and coming singer songwriter JP Saxe all of whom join Micah performing on this disc along with special guest pianist Michael Shand (Johnny Reid).

Having cut his teeth in the cabarets and jazz clubs of Toronto while still a teenager Micah became a well-loved singer songwriter on the Queen Street scene before joining The Nylons and touring the world. Recording with the A Capella Pop act brought Micah into the global music scene and landed him in Venice Beach, California where he launched a solo career touring the U.S. which led to his #1 international club hit "Welcome To My Head" and coverage in Rolling Stone Magazine as "an Indie artist to watch". - Langfield Entertainment