The Barefoot Movement
Johnson City, Tennessee, United States | SELF
Music
Press
This young trio from the North Carolina/Tennessee area has produced a nice collection of mostly original material. The trio is guitarist Quentin Acres, mandolinist Tommy Norris, and fiddler Noah Wall. They are joined on the project by bassist Ryan Baisden and cellist Dave Eggar. The group shares in lead and harmony vocals and each contribute to the compositions, with the bulk of them coming from Ms. Wall. The two instrumentals are Acres' "Southfork By Midnight" and Norris' "Calico Jack." The remainder of the tunes are written by Wall, with the exception of "Wasting Time" from Andrew Marlin and "The Whole World Round" from Joe Stuart and Mitch Jayne. Wall is a good songwriter; her songs are crafted well and fit into the trio's arrangements. Let us hope we hear more from these new faces in the music. - Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine
"The Barefoot Movement is a group that embodies all the things that I love about what is referred to as "traditional" music. On their CD entitled "Footwork" - Noah Wall, Quentin Acres, and Tommy Norris take the listener beyond the standard ideas and arrangement designs. They are both great players, singers AND arrangers of ORIGINAL songs. With ten of the twelve songs being originals, they know the importance of having and building an identity of their own. And it's these original songs and the way that they have arranged and delivered these tunes that really captures your attention and keeps you wanting more."
- Adam Steffey
“The Barefoot Movement effortlessly meld the best of American music – folk country, bluegrass, blues – into one tasty gumbo, and top it all off with beautiful harmonies and top-notch instrumentation. Great songs performed with a passion that’s too often absent these days.”
Mike Elliott Host of Homegrown Hour & Creative Director
WLUS 98.3 FM
- www.us983.com
“The Barefoot Movement is one of the brightest new bands on the horizon---extremely talented and great to work with!”
-Terri Dollar
Program Director
Artsplosure/First Night Raleigh
- www.firstnightraleigh.com
“The Barefoot Movement always puts on a great show that the crowd thoroughly enjoys. Their energy is contagious, they are great musicians, their harmonies are beautiful, and they are certainly going places.”
Frieda Bender Egerton
Owner, Operator, & Talent Coordinator
Ridgeway Opry House
- www.ridgewayopryhouse.com
“The Barefoot Movement is one of the brightest new bands on the horizon---extremely talented and great to work with!”
-Terri Dollar
Program Director
Artsplosure/First Night Raleigh
- www.firstnightraleigh.com
Discography
"Footwork" - Debut Full Length Album - June 2011
"Figures of the Year" - Secondary Full Length - June 2013
Photos
Bio
Biography by Jenn Diffley
Johnson City, Tennessee's The Barefoot Movement have been making waves in the folk world since the release of their 2011 debut album Footwork. 2013 brings the release of a new album, cross country touring, and all manners of shoeless excitement. Their new effort, "Figures of the Year," comes on the heels of their west coast tour, opening for Anti Records artists The Milk Carton Kids from Denver to San Francisco to Vancouver. The record itself is a journey through a year, each song telling its part of the larger story, with both original and traditional numbers, complete with all the elements that make up the Barefoot sound: lush harmonies, thoughtful instrumentation, and memorable melodies.
The band is a quartet of immensely talented musicians from the Carolinas and Tennessee whose music successfully melds Americana influences with the invigoration of acoustic modern rock and jazz. Their sound simultaneously captures the rustic beauty of old Southern front porch Bluegrass improvisation while being immediately accessible to the modern era.
The group was initially formed when Noah Wall, singer and fiddler, and Tommy Norris, mandolin player, attended high school together in their home county of Granville, NC and began setting Noah's lyrics to Tommy's chords. Though the band was threatened when the two members left to attend colleges in different states, it was while Noah was a student of the Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Program at Eastern Tennessee State University that she met Quentin Acres, when both were chosen to perform for the Old-Time Pride Band. The three soon united to form The Barefoot Movement. The name evolved from Noah's tendency to remove her shoes during shows, a testament to the relaxed atmosphere and down-home stylings of the group. The trio met bassist Hasee Ciaccio at ETSU when she needed a ride home from Merlefest in 2011, and that ride in the Barefoot Van has continued ever since!
Noah Wall's voice is captivatingly honest, marked by a clarity of tone and connection that is rare among modern singers. Mandolin player Tommy Norris and rhythm guitarist Quentin Acres provide an instantly recognizable and intricate backdrop of melody--a symbiosis that allows the group unparalleled fusion and adaptability. Lyrics are written by Noah and are often based on her personal experiences. However, she is also blessed with a profound empathy that enables her to write lyrics based on the narratives of others. Listeners may find themselves engrossed in the travails of heartbreak or experiencing the anguish of war—whatever the subject, Noah's lyrics are a journey through the human experience. This is made all the more poignant by Quentin's robust voice, which provides a masculine but emotional grounding woven throughout the band's melodies. Embedded in each track are compelling visual evocations, complex tonal twists, and a downright good time.
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