Not even a year on from the release of his latest studio album, Australian country rocker Casey Barnes is back with his latest single, sharing “Come Turn Me On” this week.
Having served as one of the more prominent names in Australian country music over the last decade, Casey Barnes’ continual rise to the top of the genre has been well-documented in recent years, with numerous albums and chart-topping singles (and millions of streams on Spotify to boot) accompanying his journey.
While 2020 served as something of a bleak year for most, Barnes was able to turn musical lemons into lemonade, following up his 2019 signing to Chugg Music by sharing his latest album, Town of a Million Dreams in April. The response was exceptional, with the record hitting #16 on the local charts, arriving at the top of the Country charts, and even receiving a nomination for Best Country Album at the 2020 ARIA Awards.
Now, one month shy of the record’s first anniversary, Barnes is back in the saddle sharing new single “Come Turn Me On” ahead of its official release on Friday.
A masterful piece of country pop/rock, “Come Turn Me On” is exactly the sort of song that the phrase “crossover hit” was made to describe. Written by Barnes and previous collaborators, Nashville-based songwriting duo Brown + Gray, the slick guitars and pounding beat turn the track into one of the Aussie artist’s best to date.
“I’d like to think that we’re trying to shape our own unique sound at the moment,” Barnes explains of the inspiration behind the track. “I don’t really want to sound like anyone else.
“With this single, it has that blend of modern country meets commercial pop which I’ve really connected with over the last few years. The song is about a guy who’s basically travelled around the world, seen his fair share of girls but nothing compares to coming home to the one he loves.”
Accompanying the track is a razor-sharp Colin Jeffs-directed clip which sees production levels raised to their peak as the viewer joins Barnes on a trip through a nighttime hotspot paired with neon lights and clever choreography.
“We’ve gone all out with this video and I think it’s easily the most expensive clip I’ve shot to date – but we wanted to make sure this one was pretty special,” he explained. “My wife Michelle is a creative genius and the whole concept for this video has been her baby.
“Colin Jeffs from Ten of Swords Media has brought it to life. We found this incredible venue in Brisbane called Smoked Garage which is a multi-level event space where each floor has a completely different look to it, so it was the perfect place to shoot. The concept is that it’s one big party and everything has been made to look like it was shot in one take within the venue, culminating in a big high energy finale out in the side street at the end.”
While Barnes is officially set to release “Come Turn Me On” on Friday, March 5th, the arrival of the track coincides with the launch of a run of Australian tour dates, which kick off on Sunday, March 7th at the Adelaide Fringe Festival, and keep Barnes busy until October.
Casey Barnes’ “Come Turn Me On” is out on Friday, March 5th.
Casey Barnes Australian Tour Dates 2021
Sunday, March 7th
Adelaide Fringe Festival, Adelaide, SA
Tickets: Adelaide Fringe Festival
Thursday, March 25th
Prince Bandroom, Melbourne, VIC (18+)
Tickets: Casey Barnes
Saturday, March 27th
Mathinna Country Club, Mathinna, TAS (18+)
Tickets: Call Mathinna Country Club on 6377 1164
Saturday, April 10th
Winton’s Way out West Fest, Winton, QLD
Tickets: Moshtix
Saturday, April 24th
Gippsland Country Music Festival, Mossvale Park, VIC
Tickets: Moshtix
Friday, April 30th
Highfields Tavern, Toowoomba, QLD (18+)
Tickets: Casey Barnes
Saturday, May 8th
Big Country 2021, Berry, NSW
Tickets: Ticketmaster
Thursday, August 26th
Gympie Music Muster, Gympie, QLD
Tickets: Gympie Music Muster
Friday, August 27th
Gympie Music Muster, Gympie, QLD
Tickets: Gympie Music Muster
Friday, October 1st
Savannah in The Round, Savannah, QLD
Tickets: Savannah in The Round
