the Barnettes

From Dave Beaumont of MeckDeck Productions
Published January 4, 2006


Shadowflag
(Mitchell Kearney)

1. SHADOWFLAG - These guys released an album last year, are currently ranked second in the nation out of unsigned bands by Zippo, considered one of the top seven unsigned bands in America by Sonicbids, are working with producer Bruce Irvine (Tina Turner, Pink Floyd ) and are rumored to be playing NY for a Jagermeister New Year's Eve bash near Times Square.

2. TEN MISSING DAYS - The young guns of Charlotte's pure music scene have grown up and catered their music to a much more mature sound. Relentlessly pursuing the purest forms of expression, these heavy heroes released a DVD at Tremont Music Hall that is completely off the charts! A must listen for any lover of true artistry.

3. HAIRBALL - Ryan and Chris Hunter make Punk Rock music for the masses. The brothers have been at it for years now and are always at the forefront of any major punk project in the Carolinas. Musicians extrodinaire, they have devoted their lives to several projects, including Hot new world group Brakethru. Check out their third anticipated Hairball release early in 2006.

4. IN-V - Another punk-branded duo that broke out of the local mold with primer performances at the 106.5 End of Summer Weenie Roast and the 2005 Y'allternative Rockfest. Chris and Colt stay true to who they are and give every performance they play the utmost attention. If you live in Charlotte, you MUST see an In-v show. They are one of the hardest working bands in the Queen City.

5. THE BARNETTES - It's no wonder this family is at the top of the charts. The three sisters and one brother of the Barnettes were the highlight of this year's Mid-Atlantic Music Conference to many attendees. They play with such sincereity and pleasure that their music is one of the most contagious things we've heard all year.


6. NATHAN ASHER AND THE INFANTRY - Raleighites The Infantry are hot off their win in the 2005 John Lennon song writing contest. With Dylanesque lyrics and an album that was recorded live in a theater, Asher and crew have solidified themselves as the next generation of Carolina revolutionairies.

7. QUEEN CITY INDEPENDENT - Brian McKinney has taken the Charlotte scene by storm, his company QCI has put on some of the phattest shows this city has ever seen. Bringing in acts like Little Brother, the Suicide Girls, and the Ataris QCI has coupled with music mag Amps 11 to open a new music venue in early 2006.

8. SUPASTITION - Local superstar Supastition spreads deep messaging throughout his music and challenges those around him to recognize the South as not just a region where Crunk regins supreme. His intricate rhymes and superb storytelling bring in the masses as evidenced by his packed-house recent performance at Fire and Ice.

9. UPHONIK - Women melt and clothes fly when these hearthrob rockers hit the stage. Not too bad for an act that moved thousands of miles southward after a successful stint in Montreal, Canada. Uphonik played Meck Deck's Benefit for The Bayou and had Mayor Pat McCrory singing their praises.

10. ANTHONY HAMILTON - Arguably the most successful act ever to come out of Charlotte. Touring alongside Macy Gray and R. Kelly, this hometown boy's Grammy nominated songs spread love and affection in many places, including his recent performance on daytime talk show, Ellen. - Creative Loafing

Adrienne Diane Barnette was born in Columbia, South Carolina, the second of four Barnettes, which now makes up The Barnettes (a family band) comprised of three sisters and one brother. Adrienne and the Barnettes now reside in Charlotte North Carolina.

Adrienne has found music to be her passion and enjoyment in life! From the early age of 8 she started playing violin in the 3rd grade at the University of South Carolina.

In middle school she added the alto saxophone and joined the marching band and a year ago she added, her passion instrument; the bass guitar.
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Adrienne Barnette (The Barnettes)

Adrienne Diane Barnette, what attracted you to playing bass? I grew up watching, musicians like Janice Marie Johnson of Taste of Honey and Verdine White of Earth, Wind and Fire. I remember dancing across the living room floor air-slapping my pretend bass as I jammed to Boogie Oogie Oogie; getting down with lead singer/bassist Janice Johnson & Hazel Payne (lead
guitarist of Taste of Honey). Ever since I heard the slap of a bass or the genius bass melodies of Victor Wooten I dreamed of the day when I could get my own.

At what age did you first take a bass in your hands? 22 yrs. old.

Where were you born? Columbia, South Carolina, USA. We now live in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Did you play any other instrument before you started playing bass? I grew up playing the violin. In the 3rd grade I took classical violin lessons at USC (University of South Carolina) and in middle school, I joined the marching band and picked up the alto saxophone. I play the electric guitar as well and have recently added tinkling the ivories to my list of musical endeavors. Growing up, I also played a little with the viola, cello, and drums (instruments of my sisters and brother). Instruments have always intrigued me! The Barnettes (my sibling band) is unique in the obvious fact that the band is comprised of siblings, but also intriguing because it has allowed me to bring in different instruments in both recording and performances.

Are your parents or relatives involved in music? My mom and dad are awesome singers. My dad tells me all the time how he wishes he could “make the guitar sing,” and sympathetically I suggest he leaves that to me! Because my parents are great singers, all of us kids have taken their model of singing and applied it to our instruments…making our goal to “make
our instruments sing.”

Can you remember the first piece you ever learned on bass? The first piece I ever learned on my bass was Taste of Honey’s, Boogie Oogie Oogie! Of course, at first attempt it did not sound much like Janice Johnson’s funky groove, but after all day consistently slapping and fingering away, and blood blisters protruding on my fingers, I called my parents in the den, flipped on my pre-recorded PBS (Public Broadcasting System) music special of the jive-talented duo, strapped on my black shinny new, 4-string Ibanez, hit play, and proceeded to do a Boogie Oogie Oogie of my own as I got down dancing across the
floor.

Tell us about your band, The Barnettes. My very first band is The Barnettes. As stated on our website; “The family that plays together stays together. The Barnettes, a band comprised of three sisters and a brother (Elesha Renee', Adrienne, Kristen and Rufus) have been making music together for years, but the brand of music they tote now is a long cry from the Mozart and Beethoven they grew up on. Elesha Renee', Adrienne and Kristen played cello, violin and viola respectively from elementary age on.
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Along with Rufus on percussion, the quartet performed the classics at various functions in and around the Carolinas for years. Having never officially adopted a quartet name they were always simply introduced as the Barnettes. So, when they decided to embark upon the project "Four Green Walls" going by the Barnettes came natural. A year ago eldest sibling Elesha Renee' was working on the soundtrack to an Indie film when she got the bright idea to take the Barnettes in a new direction. Rocking out on a cello and violin was not going to work, so she purchased an acoustic electric and started intensely teaching herself the guitar.

It didn't take much convincing to get musical savant Adrienne to pick up the bass. Having never studied piano, Kristen picked up the keys with ease and with Rufus on the drums the Barnettes were reborn and with them the birth of an eclectic fusion of pop/rock and soul. With songs that hint at lyrical mastery - strong verses and unforgettable choruses - and melodies you keep humming long after the song is over, their music has staying power. The group played with naming the CD "Money Back Guarantee" as they guarantee endless listening pleasure or your money back; but they settled on "Four Green Walls" after the room in their home that has been witness to the hours and hours of meticulous practice, recording, re-recording and mixing. "I like it better live," - BassGirls.com

By Jared Neumark
Published December 21, 2005


We are family: Elesha (from left), Adrienne, Rufus and Kristen Barnette in their cramped practice room
(Catalina Kulczar)

On a warm, lulling Sunday afternoon in late October, the Barnettes' black sedan halts sharply in front of a blue bungalow home in east Charlotte and out pop the girls in long pants. They seem to be the only people in Charlotte too busy to notice the day's midsummer feel. The Barnettes have skipped out on church early. Daddy Barnette, a minister, pardoned them. Their family band takes priority in an already-packed Sunday schedule. Church. Brunch. Practice all afternoon. Band meeting. Then Kristen and brother Rufus are off again to colleges in Winston Salem and Greensboro, respectively. It's a normal weekend.

Today the Barnettes have to cram in an interview and then start prepping for their big break. The siblings are taking their act to the next level: an early December audition with Mallet Records, a jazz and R&B label in Atlanta. At the Midatlantic Music Conference in Charlotte a month earlier, Mallet owner Jason Taylor had fawned over the Barnettes, and now he wants to hear them try a Latin/Caribbean sound, a completely foreign genre to the quartet.

Adrienne funks it up on the bass
(Catalina Kulczar)

It's only been two years since Elesha strolled into a guitar store and made her first $299 band investment: a black Ibanez electric guitar. She had never played guitar before but had grown up, along with her siblings, performing classical music - she on cello, Adrienne on violin, Kristen on viola and Rufus, "the little drummer boy." The siblings admit that playing classical instruments wasn't always their first idea of fun. Each child had a practice log, which their parents made them sign to ensure they rehearsed long enough. The four children toured the area on weekends playing classical music at small, formal gatherings such as bank receptions - not exactly the typical breeding ground for inspired rock & roll.

"You couldn't really jazz up those instruments," says Adrienne.

"And you can't sing and play the violin," adds Elesha.

What put Elesha in the guitar store in 2003 was her need to reclaim some creativity in her postgraduate life. Her day job at Proctor and Gambol, selling wholesalers on the hydration quality of shampoos, was not exactly the stimulating outlet she was used to at UNC Charlotte. The year before, Elesha had directed her own full-length film. Her friends and family encouraged Elesha to continue in media arts, but after meeting musicians when she was compiling the sound track for her film, she had another idea. She wanted a band.

It didn't take much convincing for her siblings to jump on board. The second edition of the Barnettes formed. In less than half a year, Elesha, Adrienne and Kristen taught themselves new instruments and managed to practice enough on weekends (along with Rufus on drums) while attending separate schools during the week. Giving up weekends for the band means giving up the time most kids spend socializing. But the Barnettes are used to spending time with each other.

Elesha shakes her tambourine
(Catalina Kulczar)

The Barnettes are not the only set of siblings who have stuck together for love of music. From alternative teen rockers Justincase to R&B megastars Jodeci, prominent family acts seem to be a Charlotte-area specialty. And there's more: Popular Concord-based indie-grass group the Avett Brothers and Charlotte Latin rockers La Rña both feature a pair of brothers, as does the experimental twang-rock band the Houston Brothers. Is it Charlotte's family-friendly vibe or just the Southern tradition of placing family above all?

Psychotherapist and performance coach Phil Towle says bands are in many ways already like families, and if a culture of love and respect is developed, a healthy group dynamic will exist. A functional family band consists of members who feel valued equally: "If Johnny is a better lead guitar player than I am, I can pick up the bass because I feel like I'm a part of something."

To Elesha Barnette, sharing a bloodline with her band mates is a positive. "It's an opportunity to get to know each other as adults," she says. "Most siblings are growing apart from each other at this age." Before the band, for example, Elesha would never have figured her brother Rufus possesses the poetic capabilities he's shown in the lyrics to his songs, such as "These Walls."



"It's about a girl who's done me wrong," Rufus says.

What's more, the siblings' familiarity helps in the collaborative process. For the song "Half Way," Elesha had written the lyrics, "I want to meet you half way." Adrienne tweaked it a bit to "Will you let me meet you half way?" It may seem an insignificant change, but to Elesha, "it turned the song into something everyone could relate to." Someone who didn't know her as well as Adrienne couldn't have sensed what Elesha was - Çreative Loafing

January 19, 2006

Despite having just released their debut album, Elesha, Adrienne, Kristen and Rufus Barnette have been performing music together for longer than most of the bands on the current Billboard charts. The four siblings form the pop-rock-soul quartet, The Barnettes, a straightforward name that succinctly sums up everything that's most important to the group: family first.

The Barnettes seem like a promoter's dream: born and raised in Columbia, S.C., the siblings have been making music together since elementary school. All four of them are young and fresh-faced and even their birth order is press-kit perfect: Elesha is 24; Adrienne, 23; Kristen, 22; and Rufus, 21. Their marketing plan seems almost ready-made, but this is no prefab act. The four first picked up instruments in the same way as many other kids in orchestra. Playing the cello, violin, viola and snare drums respectively, the siblings exercised their musical chops playing classical pieces both individually in their respective school bands and together at church and formal events.

It wasn't until 2003, however, that the idea of forming a proper band came to initialize, and even that decision was an unexpected one. As a senior film/media production major at UNC-Chapel Hill, Elesha created her own feature-length film entitled "Key Lime Pie" and immersed herself in the local indie music scene while compiling the soundtrack and score.

Bored after graduation, "I started teaching myself chords on the guitar," Elesha said. "I wrote a couple of songs and asked Adrienne, "let's be a band."

After Adrienne revealed that she had always wanted to learn to play bass, the sisters purchased one and Adrienne taught herself to play.

"Two weeks later she accompanied on the bass at church. I always say that [my siblings] are musical savants," Elesha continued.

The two asked their younger sister to join and figured on being a female band, but since rocking out on the viola would prove to be a challenge, Kristen intended to learn the drums. The siblings lightheartedly agreed that the attempt "didn't really work out," and during a weekend practice session at their parents' Charlotte home, Rufus tried out the drums and became the unexpected fourth member of the group.

Kristen decided to take up the keyboard, an instrument she had never learned before, and taught herself to play mostly by ear with an introductory keyboarding course at school, supplementing the basics. A few weeks later, the group played their first 'Open-Mic Night' at The Evening Muse in Charlotte's North Davidson Arts District.

Since then, the group has been quickly gaining popularity in Charlotte and across the Carolinas. They recently performed at the Uptown festivities for the opening of ImaginOn and at the Mid-Atlantic Music Conference. They were also featured last week on Fox News Rising, and they will have their first college gig at UNC Charlotte in AfterHours tonight at 7 p.m.

They have also released their debut album, "Four Green Walls," named after the living room where they have practiced together for most of their lives. Their sound is an eclectic mix of rock, pop, soul and R&B, with touches of folk and blues thrown in for good measure. Their classical roots sometimes shine through, but they have come a long way from the orchestral fare on which they grew up.

Life for the four has been understandably busy for the past few months. "Other interests have been on the back burner," Kristen, a senior nursing major at Winston Salem State University, said. "I have a list of things I'd 'like' to do in the future, like rock climbing ... someday before I die."

Rufus is a junior at N.C. A&T University, majoring in animal science. Adrienne, a former member of the UNCC track team, graduated in December 2004 with degrees in communication studies and psychology. She is now working on her master's in counseling at UNCC as well.

With a dedication that cannot be manufactured and a humor that reveals just how genuine they are, the siblings have agreed that for now, family comes first, and top priority is taking the band and their individual talents to the highest possible level. They all get together every Sunday for "church, dinner and practice," despite the younger two living about an hour away from the family's home base. While some college students and graduates would balk at having to spend weekends working with their siblings, The Barnettes see it as a rare blessing.

"Normally, you tend to fall into the banality of life, even with your siblings, and after a certain point you just know each other on the surface," Kristen said. "The band has provided an opportunity to know [the other siblings'] personal aspirations and dreams."

Adrienne agrees that she has "learned to appreciate everyone on another level and respect the role each one plays."

The band credits this mutual respect as a major part of their success in drawing what is probably the most broad - U-Times by Danielle Brockington

Soulful, churchy voices ring out from the darkness. Three young women, one male - African American, yes; voices meshed in familial harmonies. A small combo of instruments backing the vocals with a certain Southland swing sharpens the thrill of audience discovery in this vast black room. But before you picture the Staples Singers performing "The Weight" with The Band in The Last Waltz, you should know that this scene was live - not Memorex - in Charlotte last month when local family band the Barnettes took to the stage at the 4th annual Mid-Atlantic Music Conference.

Sibling bands are not unknown to Charlotte: Concord's Avett Brothers are now on the upswing of critical buzz, and the lamented trajectory of Justincase took that group as far as a record deal with Madonna's Maverick Records. Brothers Herman and Juan Miguel Marin of La Rña are making regional history with their annual Carlotan Rock festival celebrating homegrown Rock en Español.

For young African American musicians such as the Barnette siblings, the most significant local model would likely be the early-90s success of Jodeci, who rode high along the continuum between New Jack Swing and the "hip-hop smoothed out on an R&B tip" that prevails on today's urban radio.

The Barnettes, purveyors of an unfashionable sincerity and a pop-friendly rock & soul sound, differ in virtually every way from the thugged-out titans of mass appeal who parade daily on BET. And it's that very distinction that makes the Barnettes the band the Queen City needs now. Originally hailing from Columbia, SC, the Barnettes are God-fearing, fresh-scrubbed college grads who support the Troops and (as I saw that October Saturday) can play easily to both the giddy children at ImaginOn's opening and the surprised music-bizzers at the Mid-Atlantic conference.

As young musicians working outside of edgier subcultures such as Dirty South hip-hop or hellbilly rock, the Barnettes - Elesha Renee', Adrienne, Kristen and Rufus - are more like black Hansons than former Mouseka-bimbos Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera. Hanson was the most interesting of those late-90s teen revivalists - and most enduring. The trio not only survived the meteor of "MMMBop," but went on to become an independent group and even collaborated with Grateful Dead/Ratdog poobah Bob Weir. Here's hoping the Barnette family follows the Hanson brothers' relatively graceful example.

The Barnettes are off to a good start, with eldest sibling Elesha Renee' piloting the band's ship as manager with her own company, Deck As Ef Productions, on South Torrence Street. The group's grounded nature is reflected in their debut CD's title: Four Green Walls, a reference to the home practice room where they also recorded and mixed the homemade album.

For the past 15 years, the sisters played cello, violin and viola (with brother Rufus on percussion), and toured around the Carolinas with a repertoire of classics. Now they're applying that sonic knowledge and discipline to their recently adopted pop-rock sound, displayed to decent - if raw - effect on Walls. The family relies on its classical training as a foundation, yet this new sound - which has been showcased locally from the public library to the Evening Muse - was the outgrowth of the aesthetic exploration that college afforded. Until now, the band's prime lyricist and mover Elesha had never heard of such chamber-rock bands as Rasputina or Love, and so she considered pluggin' in a prerequisite to rockin' out. She gained some vital experience through scoring her own coming-of-age indie film Key Lime Pie (www.keylimepiethemovie.com) during her final years studying film and TV in UNC-Chapel Hill's communications department. The college project involved her selecting the music of Chapel Hill rock bands like Ever After and All Day Afternoon to supplement her own arrangements. Then, inspired by her un-produced girl group screenplay, Elesha took up the guitar as a post-graduate hobby and began to entertain dreams of pop stardom. Sister Adrienne's sudden interest in the bass turned the internal "What if?" into a "Why not?"

The resulting eight songs on Four Green Walls are a promising fusion of Southern soul, rock and pop, with the odd nods to gospel, folk, classical and twang thrown in for good measure. Cold is the heart that could not warm to the Barnettes' gospelized harmonies and long overdue revival of country soul on the dark, funky rocker "Wrong." The swinging, bluesy "Lost" (unwittingly) evokes Stax gospel band the Rance Allen Group at its finest. And then there's soul-folk in the vein of West Virginia's Bill Withers - see Elesha's Black Lily-bound solo acoustic turn on "Halfway." Live at ImaginOn, the band augmented its originals with selections from the Motown catalog and several pop chestnuts. While not quite ready for prime time, the siblings' songs and taste for vintage black pop point towards an accessible direction that could abet the group's desire for MT - Creative Loafing - Kandia Crazy Horse