By Courtney Taylor
news@wbcowqel.com
Galion seems to be the town for up and coming talent.
Eric Barnett is a 35-year-old singer/songwriter who was born and raised in Galion. Although he attended Northmor schools, he loves the town and still lives there now. Barnett is currently recording his first full length album, on which he is the primary writer, singer, and instrumentalist. He plays acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, and drums throughout the songs. Though he has received some help from friends playing instruments and helping write, it’s mainly all Barnett’s work.
Barnett says that some of his inspirations are Tom Waits, Neil Young, Tom Petty, and other artists who write their own music. Though he’s only been seriously writing and playing for about five years, he draws on his own life and experiences for his songs, and considers his sound to be a mix of different genres like folk and Americana. He has only played one Galion show so far, but he has been all over Ohio and to places like Mansfield and Lexington to play, and has an upcoming show in Dayton.
Barnett currently has a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the manufacturing and mastering of his CD. He’s two-thirds of the way to his goal of $1,500, but if the goal is not reached he won’t receive any of the money. Also, Kickstarter is not just a donation program; people get rewards for investing certain amounts of money. For example, donating $10 would get you an electronic version of the album before it’s released to the public, or a lyric book, etc. If he happens to exceed his goal, he hopes to look into making merchandise like bandanas, hats, and mugs. Barnett is very serious about his music, and hopes to gain the support he needs from his hometown.
After the album is finished, Barnett plans to throw a CD release party at the Taproom in Galion. You can go to kickstarter.com/projects/1026037818/eric-barnett-shipwreck-in-a-bottle to give to the Kickstarter campaign, and ericbarnettmusic.com to learn more about his music.