Dave Barnes has stories to tell

Fresh from his first Grammy nomination, Dave Barnes is looking forward to the release next month of his new album.

Stories To Tell is out on March 13 and features 11 original songs. The album is produced by John Fields (Switchfoot, Jonas Brothers) and sees Barnes make a departure from his usual writing style with the inclusion of more programming and synth sounds.

“I’ve done all the other records in Nashville, but for this one I really wanted to do something different,” he said.

“I wanted to get out of town and do something that wouldn't sound quite as much like the stuff I've done before.”

Barnes’ soulful vocals are complemented by orchestral accents and syncopated percussion in what his label, Razor & Tie, describes as a “finely tuned” finished product.

“The music is definitely poppy but everything is accounted for,” says Barnes.

"There are no rogue parts or instrumentation, everything is really fleshed out and that's what I was going for thankfully.

"Working with John, I knew he does what I wanted to do, which is make a little more of a pop record and get out of the self-imposed box I've been in for a while.”

The stories Barnes wants to tell are all drawn from his own life and experiences, with two songs directly inspired by news last year that he and his wife were going to have their first baby.

Other songs like “White Flag” and “Heaven Help Me” recognise the need to enjoy each moment because life can throw up some unexpected twists.

“Stories To Tell is another bookmark," adds Barnes. "For me, that's why I love making records; not because I was going for a specific sound but I was trying to encompass everything that I was listening to and enjoying at that time in my life. It is like a fun kind of musical history, like a photo album."