BARNS COURTNEY

Barns Courtney has lived through more industry upheaval than most artists survive – A&Rs disappearing, catalogs sold off, years stuck in dead-end contracts – yet he’s still standing. Signed at 19, reduced to sofa-surfing and odd jobs, he clawed his way back when Bradley Cooper hand-picked his voice for Burnt, just as his DIY single Glitter & Gold – recorded in an abandoned care home with filing cabinets for drums – quietly went platinum in the US. Since then, multiple Top 10 alt-radio hits and a reputation for chaotic, unmissable live shows have made him one of rock’s best-kept secrets. Now, a decade on and finally free on indie label Avenue A, Courtney isn’t making a comeback – he’s proving the music always connects, even when the machine fails.