via The Barlow, with permission
When Colorado-based outlaw country music band The Barlow buckled down to write and record its new album, High Spirits—the band’s follow-up to 2022’s New Year, Old Me—there were no constraints, no boundaries. There was only freedom to explore and create songs that endeavor to connect with people in a meaningful way, yet ensure the band’s legacy has a hard-charging red dirt country act was intact and stronger than ever.
“We tossed the rule book out on this record,” said Shea Boynton, The Barlow’s lead vocalist and guitarist, and the most recent guest on The Load Out Music Podcast. “Our goal was to create great songs, regardless of genre. This time around, we made a point to be more open to different sounds and approaches.”
The Barlow is still growing its national footprint outside the Rockies, but the band has spent time on the road with the likes of Big Head Todd & The Monsters, Whitey Morgan & the 78s, and The Steel Woods.
Boynton and his bandmates Ben Richter (drums), Jason Berner (bass guitar), and Brad Johnson (guitar)—along with periodic contributions from Craig Bennington on pedal steel and banjo and Andy Schneider on keyboards—have made quite the impression on those who know the band. But it’s never been easy.
Boynton worked as a carpenter until the housing bubble burst in 2008. Overnight, he found himself out of work, so Boynton took odd jobs and spent the next six years going to school part-time so he could break into the oil and gas industry—all while playing music. Along the way, he was in a serious car accident during a hunting trip, and during his long recovery, Boynton found that his resolve to play music only strengthened.
“Music has always been a constant to me,” he told me. “It’s always something that I have kind of gravitated to. There’s been periods of my life where I didn’t do it and it made me weird. It’s just something that I have to do.”
Today, when not fronting The Barlow for some 100 shows annually, he helps to build and manage pipelines that pump water for drilling purposes. But music is always there—it’s just not something that Boynton feels like he has to do. He truly wants to do it.
“Music even now is a balancing act,” he said. “I never really ever want to play music out of a place of desperation. I like the balance that we have. I like the amount that we’re on the road, I like the amount that we’re off the road, the pace in which we work, the pace in which we record. I’m good with it.”
What’s great about speaking with Boynton is simply his nature: Raw, real, without mincing words about life on the road and in music in general. And Boynton gets rather candid in discussing the industry.
“It’s harder for people to latch onto a small band,” he said. “And I have nothing but respect for people that do. It’s easy to jump on the bandwagon of a band that’s already made it. It says a lot about people that come out and pay $10, $15, $20 to come see a small band like us…I always try to remain grateful for that.”
Gratitude, Boynton noted, is always in the back of his mind. He cares about those who do show up. Those who do support local or regional bands. That’s what’s at the front of his mind.
“I play these shows sometimes and you’re like ‘why the fuck are we here? What are we doing? Why am I in Timbuk-fucking-Tu. We drove all day. We’re gonna lose our ass.’ It’s tough to remain grateful for the people who do show up because it’s important.”
The Barlow’s new album High Spirits, which dropped last Spring, was recorded in two sessions in 2023 and 2024 at Evergroove Studio in Evergreen, Colorado. It flows effortlessly from one song to the next—with clean harmonies, catchy melodies, and solid heartland country-rock rhythms that feel like a breath of fresh air. The record was produced by Bennington and the band, engineered by Athena Wilkinson and Brad Smalling at Evergroove, and mixed and mastered by Wes Sharon at 115 Recording in Norman, Oklahoma, who is known for his work with The Turnpike Troubadours, Parker Millsap, John Fullbright, and Mike McClure among others.
The album’s standout tracks includes the title track—a foot-tapping, driving groove woven with harmonies and stinging electric and pedal steel guitar licks; “It Ain’t Mine,” a haunting western ballad that paints a solitary scene, with a half-moon hanging low in the sky and a wandering cowboy adrift on the high plains; as well as “Roping the Wind,” which sits at the crossroads of Southern Rock and traditional country, with its tremolo guitar and galloping beat from which you can almost feel the dust kicking up as you ride across the ranch.
The record is self-assured yet approachable.
“It showcases our growth,” says Boynton. “We’re always working to be better songwriters, better performers, and better musicians. We’ve learned that trying to chase ‘cool’ is pointless… by the time you get there, it’s gone. We unapologetically do things our way. We poured ourselves into these songs, and we hope people connect with them.”
Since the release of New Year, Old Me, The Barlow has steadily gained traction on stage and the road, building a loyal fanbase. They’ve shared the stage with acts like Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Whitey Morgan and the 78’s, and the Steel Woods, to name a few. They continue to play all over the Rocky Mountains and surrounding states, picking up fans one gig at a time. Tour dates for 2025 are already booked through mid-May with more to come.
With High Spirits, The Barlow solidifies its reputation as a leading Colorado red dirt country band, proving heartland authenticity comes from creativity and inspiration, not geographical location. And Boynton is simply a joy to speak with, providing an honest perspective that shines through in our conversation on the latest episode of The Load Out Music Podcast.