Warren Barfield

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 23:23:49 -0400

You get up. You eat breakfast (or not). You go to work. You eat lunch. You come home. You have dinner. You go to bed. For most, the routine leaves little time for anything else. The results are usually shallow relationships with our friends, families, and our Maker. But, when your head hits the pillow at the end of the day, do you ever question if you've made the wrong
things important?

North Carolina-born singer/songwriter Warren Barfield is on a mission to make the truly important things important again in his life. Things like faith, love, marriage, children, truth, and with his songs, he challenges us all to do the same. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "If a man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live." Warren has found those things in his faith, his wife, and his belief in love. "These are the things I would die for; things I will wake up every morning and spend my day fighting for."

Worth Fighting For, Barfield's third record out May 20, 2008 on Essential Records, expresses a vulnerability and passion born out of the realization of how much life passes by without intentionally living, how little we invest in those we love, and how often we settle for the status quo.

Produced by Charlie Peacock (Switchfoot, Nichole Nordeman); Mark A. Miller (Casting Crowns); and Jason Ingram and Rusty Varenkamp (Bebo Norman, Rush of Fools), Worth Fighting For marks a decided return to Barfield's own creative instincts. "There was a huge difference between the first and second records," he says, "but this one meets in the middle. My life is so much different than it was a year ago, and I've got something important to say, so I wanted to clothe these songs in a way that will carry the message to the people who take time out of their lives to come see my shows. That's what we set out to do, musically."

The result is a project that is both sonically progressive, yet completely accessible...truly reflective of the artist-and the man-Barfield is today.

"The most unique thing about Warren is his voice. All of the songs and the production are meant to highlight his unique gift," shares producer Charlie Peacock. "Warren is gracefully human as a person and an artist, with a heart bent toward Jesus."

Producer Mark A. Miller agrees, "Warren is not only a great artist, but a great writer, with a very cool, distinct voice and great overall style."

The songs of Worth Fighting For draw a bead on the sanctity and sacrifice of relationships-the encouragement, prayer, the listening and the commitment we make to those we love, to those we choose to 'do life' with. "True Christianity is about being Christ to others," Barfield says of the theme of the record. "If we really believe in the whole thing, if we really believe He came all that distance and gave His life because He loved us, it'd change the way we love each other. That kind of love really could change the world."

Love is not a place
To come and go as we please
It's a house we enter in and then commit to never leave
So lock the door behind you
Throw away the key
We'll work it out together
Let it bring us to our knees...

Love is not a fight, but it's something worth fighting for...

The epicenter of the album is the first radio single, "Love is Not a Fight," a powerful song about the lengths we should be willing to go to for those we love. Already eliciting emotional responses from those who've heard it, "Love is Not a Fight" was born out of Barfield's own personal awakening.

"My wife is my best friend, who I love dearly, and she loves me," he says. "But isn't it fascinating that two people who love each other so much can cut one another so deeply? When you let issues build up in a marriage, the smallest thing can trigger a war, and pretty soon you can lose sight of your love and commitment to one another. We had a night where something as trivial as spilled pretzels forced into the open things we had left unsaid. Once everything had calmed down, I wrote this song. In that moment, I fully realized my duty, as my wife's husband, was to wrap my arms around her. To love her more than my pride, more than my desire to be 'right,' and to find a way to move through life's good and bad times together. That will be a struggle at times, but love is worth
the fight."

For those who have lost or feel they're losing the battle in relationships and in life, the poignant ballad "Drop The World" is a prayer for comfort and healing. "We've been taught our whole lives that God holds the whole world in His hands," Barfield explains. "There's an epidemic of brokenness in our world, people hurting so much, they need someone to drop everything and hold them. My heart is broken for people whose marriages have ended, people who've lost people they love, and I believe Christ is broken for them. He knows our deepest secrets and loves us anyway. We don't have to hide our pain from Him."

Without an ounce of judgment, Worth Fighting For strikes a delicate balance between hope and hurting, between love and loss, infused with a heavy dose of encouragement and grace. Songs like "God Believes In You," "The One Thing" and "Say It With Your Life" reinforce Barfield's confidence in God's passion for His children. "We can run away from our problems, our fears; we can run out of money, run out of hope, but the one thing I can't run out of is God's love," Barfield says of "The One Thing." "He's always there watching, waiting for us to let Him love us. When everyone and everything runs away, God is running to us."

These are the lessons that cannot be imparted by parents or college professors. These are truths learned in the trenches, carved out on the journey, forged in fires of failure and forgiveness. Truths only time and experience can teach.

Worth Fighting For sings with conviction these ongoing, perpetual truths, underscored by the power and honesty of Barfield's lyrics and the rich complexity of his musical palate to deliver his richest, most personal recording to date.

James Tealy

Fri, 6 Mar 2009 19:00:21 -0500

“In the meantime I’ll keep a looser grip on the stuff I’ve piled in this sinking ship. And I’ll hold tight to Jesus, ‘cause He’s permanent, ‘cause He’s everlasting.” —from the song Permanent

In an industry where style typically triumphs over substance, singer/songwriter James Tealy’s music is a refreshing exception to the rule.

Not only are the songs from Redeeming the Days deeply personal and heartfelt, but Tealy has a knack for writing about deeper things with the panache of a pop music craftsman—a rare combination that not only attracted the attention of Universal Music and Grammy-winning producer Monroe Jones, but inevitably connects with listeners on all levels.

Back in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit Tealy’s hometown of New Orleans, his perspective on just about everything changed, especially concerning what’s really important in life—and what isn’t.

“It’s impossible to walk through something like that without it coloring my entire narrative,” Tealy says. “My wife and I had been living and working in New Orleans for 10 years when Katrina hit. We left the city a day before the storm with three days worth of clothes and our pet rabbit. Eight weeks later, we were allowed back into our zip code for one day between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to salvage whatever we could from our home. We lost some stuff but what we gained from the experience is immeasurable. The effects of those days show up in my conversations and writing in ways I don’t expect sometimes—and then I realize how deeply it’s affected my worldview.”

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Tealy tried to write but it was still too early to honestly process his emotions. Weeks later while doing some interviews for a Katrina Relief Project, the poignant, poetic lyrics to “Permanent” surfaced.

For “Blue Horizon,” Tealy teamed up with friend and producer Ben Shive to chronicle the story of the day he and his wife drove out of New Orleans in a Budget moving truck with what they had salvaged of their belongings. “The song is really about the pressure I felt as a husband to protect her, to be present for her in those moments while I was still processing my own grief and loss.”

While subject matter like this could make for a heavy album, Redeeming the Days is the perfect title. Tealy’s stalwart faith in God is apparent in each track, even when God’s not mentioned by name. “When I write a song, I’m trying to capture a moment or tell a story. If Jesus shows up in a song it’s because my followship of Jesus seems to color every story. Some songs I hear—and occasionally write— are like windows. They want to present some objective truth and have you, as a listener, stand separated from it and look in. Those songs are written to teach.

“But I think my songs are more like doors than windows. I want listeners to come in, sit down and join in the story. Instead of teaching people some truth that stays distant, I want to invite people into the story to experience what I’m experiencing as I try and figure out what it means to walk in the ways of Jesus.”

Brooks Ritter

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:02:24 -0500

Alright, before you read this bio. you have to know that Brooks rocks! Incredible voice, and it comes from an awesome heart!

Artist Bio.:

The artistry of Brooks Ritter is a seamless garment. An indivisible blend of voice, musicianship and songwriting that is capable of communicating the wide range of human emotion and illuminating our hopeful, fallen, love-sick, grasping condition. His lyrics are insightful and honest, his music displays the rare kind of versatility that makes you think and makes you move, and his voice is an instrument capable of subtle nuance and supple power that glides effortlessly through the realms of rock, folk and soul.

"... Brooks Ritter offers one of the most intense and purposeful vocal performances I've heard in a long time." -- Subvergent.com

"Brooks Ritter sounds like someone on the verge of mega-stardom, yet humbly decides to offer sincere melodies ... instead of indie-rock swagger." -- The Black and White.

Andrew Peterson

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:40:04 -0400

OK, this concert will not be at the Bridge Acoustic Cafe! We have partnered with Valley Creek Baptist in promoting this event. Our cafe isn’t large enough and they have been more than willing to open up their space to make this happen-kudos to Josh Brown, Scott Kerr and the Valley Creek crew! Singer/songwriter/author Andrew Peterson will be performing songs from his upcoming release and sharing the inspiration behind his new CD Resurrection Letters Volume 2! The free album release tour is sponsored by Centricity Records. Andrew is one of the greatest songwriters that we have in Christian artistry. This is a rare opportunity you won’t want to miss!

Andrew’s Bio!

Frederick Buechner said, “The story of one of us is the story of us all.”

Perhaps this explains why we are drawn to great storytellers, why we yearn for connection with those whose own stories seep with imagination.

Singer/songwriter Andrew Peterson fits inside both of those categories. And the most recent chapter for this prolific storyteller includes a stunning new album, Resurrection Letters, Volume II.

Since completing his last album, The Far Country, independently, Peterson recently signed on with Nashville-based Centricity Music for the Resurrection Letters, Volume II release. His career accomplishments, including the Top 10 radio hit "Nothing to Say" and a Dove Award nomination for his song "Family Man,” make Peterson a reputable addition to Centricity’s roster. The respect, according to Peterson, is mutual.

“The thing that first drew me to Centricity was that they like and believe in my music. That seems kind of silly, like it should go without saying that a label would actually care deeply about your songs, but you'd be surprised how often they just don't. This new situation feels like I'm part of a team,” explains Peterson. “I wanted to do everything I could to get these new songs into the world to do their work.”

The idea for Resurrection Letters, Volume II came to Peterson unexpectedly last Holy Week while writing a series of meditations for his website, andrew-peterson.com. One of his online readers called those writings “resurrection letters”, and a light went on. “I knew I wanted that to be the title of the album, but I didn't know why,” says Peterson. “Then I saw that the songs I was writing were mostly connected by that theme.”

The songs flowed in the days and weeks to follow, lyrics mostly about death and rebirth, about the way that picture pervades all of creation. It wasn’t long before Peterson had returned to local Nashville recording spots (with befitting literary names like Mole End Studio and Night Owl’s Nest) to begin tracking. As with his preceding two albums, Andy Gullahorn and Ben Shive, the co-producers and fellow sojourners he calls the Captains Courageous, accompanied Peterson.

“I've been making music with Ben and Andy for years now, and we've found a good rhythm,” Peterson says. “They're both exceptional musicians and songwriters, men from whom I have learned a lot, both about music and about God. They were around when all these songs were being written, and even co-wrote several of them with me, so there was never really much choice in my mind about who would produce the album.”

Throughout his dozen-year career, Peterson has managed to attract a remarkable cast of musicians to his projects. Alison Krauss and Ron Block of Union Station are previous contributors, and for Resurrection Letters, Volume II he called upon folk artist Pierce Pettis for vocal backing and the legendary Stuart Duncan to bow his fiddle on a song. The recording also features Jill Phillips, Andrew Osenga (Caedmon’s Call), Gary Burnette, Don Chaffer (Waterdeep), multi-instrumentalist Gabe Scott, percussionist Ken Lewis, and of course Peterson’s prodigious collaborator, Shive, who produced, played piano, and conceived the album’s lush string arrangements.

“One of the most exciting things that we were able to do was the choir,” Peterson says. “Ben [Shive] and I had the idea to record a choir for the end of the song ‘The Good Confession,’ so we put the word out that we were looking for people to sing on the record. People drove and flew from all over the country, many of them people I recognized from our shows. We gathered about forty folks who had never heard this song, and recorded them singing, ‘I believe He is the Christ, Son of the Living God.’ It was beautiful. Hearing that choir enter at the end of the song is my favorite moment on the record.”

During the recording though, Peterson realized that he had more to say. He recalls, “Folks have asked me over the years if I'd consider putting together an Easter album, something similar to Behold the Lamb of God” (his popular Christmas project and accompanying annual tour). “I've resisted that because I feel like Behold the Lamb is in some ways as much an Easter celebration as a Christmas one. I felt good about this album, the sound of it, and the songs I had written. But one day I woke up feeling like this was the second half of the story. These songs are about our lives in the wake of Christ's resurrection. Not until I was mostly finished with this record did I realize that I still want to write an album about the actual death and resurrection of Jesus.”

For this reason (and because he liked the quirkiness of the idea), Peterson decided to label the project as Volume II. Volume I will be the follow-up, though it has yet to be written.

Peterson’s songs have long centered on family and faith, and Resurrection Letters, Volume II offers no exception. “All Things New”, the first single, is at the heart of the album. According to the artist, the song offers an invitation to believe in the stories of Christ, in His promise to purify us from the inside out.

“When at Easter we sing, ‘Christ the Lord is Risen Today,’ we're proclaiming that He is the resurrection and the life. It isn't just something that happened, or just something that's going to happen--it's happening now. The sun is always rising somewhere,” Peterson says. “I know that if I'm able to keep my eyes open, to really pay attention to the days as I move through them, there's a wealth of inspiration.”

That inspiration also found its way into another song, "Windows in the World,” which carries the theme deeper. “God litters our paths with little moments of truth, signs along the way that speak of His purposes,” he continues. “Sometimes those signposts, or bread crumbs, are general, like the change of seasons, the way a seed falls to the earth, dies, and rises again. Other times those signs are very specific, like the sacraments of Communion and marriage. These are pictures that God uses to remind us that we are called to a deep and lasting relationship with Him.”

When not pouring imagery into his songs, Peterson focuses on another kind of writing. Last March, Waterbrook Press published the author’s first fantasy novel, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, to critical acclaim. Garrison Keillor’s News from Lake Wobegon and The Chronicles of Narnia, along with bedtime tales Peterson spun for his daughter Skye and two sons Aedan and Jesse, inspired the book. In fact, he’s has already begun penning the second installment of the Wingfeather Saga series. In 2007, a richly illustrated children’s book, The Ballad of Matthew’s Begats (Thomas Nelson), became a visual companion to Peterson’s song of the same name. In addition, he’s been lending his diverse talents to the VeggieTales establishment, co-writing three children’s songs with solo artist and friend, Randall Goodgame.

Many would consider the current setting of Peterson’s multi-faceted work somewhat idyllic. Last year, he relocated his family of five to a charming little house on the side of a hill just south of Nashville. The storybook dwelling offers a respite from the artist’s hectic schedule, while also quenching the boyish side of Peterson, always thirsty for a new adventure.

“There are woods to play in, a front porch to palaver from, and rabbits and deer aplenty. We call it the Warren--a fancy name for a rabbit hole--because of the rabbits in the yard and the fact that I had just finished Watership Down when we bought the place,” Peterson says. “Junipers, hackberry trees, and white oaks abound, not to mention the pumpkins, apple trees, and blueberry bushes we planted. There's a dried up pond, a tree house, a front porch swing, and our oldest friends in Nashville as neighbors. We’re very grateful.”

Usually found with his hands dipped inside several honey pots at once, Peterson has also launched an online artists’ community known as The Rabbit Room (www.rabbitroom.com). Here songwriters, artists, and authors converge to share ideas. Music can be heard, new and used books from favorite writers can be purchased. It’s a place where imagination roams free and connection is made, two elements that seem to permeate everything Peterson touches.

“To love, to hope, to dream is to exercise the imagination, and the more you use it the bigger and better it becomes,” says the writer. “I try to be constantly aware of the gift it is to be alive, to recognize that the world is full of surprises, that God isn't hiding behind the curtain like the Wizard of Oz, concealing Himself because He's smaller than what He projects. Instead, the veil that conceals God's fullness exists because of his mercy, because our minds couldn’t contain him and would probably fry to a crisp. He shows himself to us in small doses, urging our imaginations to expand that we might find ourselves lost in wonder, truly awake and able to see the world not just as it is but as it will one day be.”

Andy Gullahorn

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 14:48:19 -0400

Andy is an awesome singer-songwriter/guitarist from Nashville, he has written some incredible Christian, country, and story-teller songs during his stellar career, but don’t take my word for it, take his. Here is his first person artist bio.

Some people were born to be on stage. Some people were made to have their name in lights. Some people were born incredibly attractive. Some people can't help but be rock stars. Some people read. Andy is not any of those people.

Ok - I am sick of pretending like I hired someone else to write about me. I am way too cheap and disorganized for that. I am writing about myself so I will no longer talk about myself in the third person.

I was born in Austin, TX and grew up on a little farm Northeast of town. I started playing piano when I was around 3 years old. When I was 9, my best friend's dad bought me a guitar because he said that little boys who play piano will "grow up to be gay" - but real men play guitar. For some reason that didn’t convince me. However, when I was in Junior High - I decided to quit music and devote myself towards training to play in the NBA. This involved walking around in those weird looking strength shoes that supposedly make you jump higher. In the process, I had very strong legs but was still a "piano player" at heart and was too wussy to actually lift weights so my arms were as buff as the ones you put in Mr. Potato Head. Anyways - somewhere in my high school basketball career I had a realization. 6'1" was as tall as I was going to get. No matter how high I could jump, my hand was too small to palm the ball and dunk it with authority. I wasn't as good as I thought I was.

Right around that same time I happened to be at a Garth Brooks concert (back then I only listened to country music) and he called my little brother up from the audience and gave him his guitar. Pretty random. To make a long story short - I ended up learning how to play on that guitar and it changed my life. I finally took those strength shoes off and spent all my free time playing guitar. Somewhere along the line, I realized that I didn't just have to cover every country song known to man - I could write my own songs. So I started with a horrible song called "Me, Myself and I". Probably the most depressing song you could ever hear. Typical teenage angst. Many songs later, I actually had some stuff that I kind of enjoyed.

I went to College at Belmont University in Nashville to be close to the country music scene. This was the town where all of the real songwriters lived – and I wanted to be one. So did 3500 other students at Belmont. Big surprise. Four years later somehow I graduated, got married, finished my first CD “Old Hat” and started my career in music. That career was writing songs for Word Publishing and playing guitar for my wife, Jill Phillips. So for the last seven or so years I have been traveling the country playing guitar for Jill and writing for a couple of publishing companies. At the last one I was mainly writing country music.

Singing and recording my own stuff was always last on my priority list. Last summer we took some time off the road to have our second child. I finally had the time to record the CD I had been threatening to make for 6 years. I am not much of an engineer, but I recorded the whole thing by myself in my house – using one mic with one setting on the one preamp. My initial goal was just to use all acoustic instruments. It ended up just being my amazing vocals and acoustic guitars along with a few friends coming in to sing a background part or two.

If I were still writing this in third person, now would be the time for me to talk about how amazing Andy’s latest recording “Room to Breathe” is. I would throw in some incredible reviews from well known publications. Unfortunately, I am not writing this in third person. Also unfortunately, nobody at any well known publications even have a copy of my CD. Before I finished it I had already hit the road with a guy named Andrew Peterson and then was back on the road with my wife again as well. So needless to say – there was no big marketing push. All I had was my awesome website, www.andygullahorn.com .

The bottom line is that I don’t have any big dreams of becoming a superstar artist. I quite like playing guitar for other folks and letting them handle the stress. I would be much more comfortable with those superstar artists recording my songs so I don’t ever have to put on makeup for a photo shoot. I just have a few songs that I like to share with folks and some people actually like listening to them unless both of them are lying to me. So that is why I am here. I hope you like it. If you do – tell a friend. If you don’t – lie to a friend.

Rachael Hurt

Fri, 9 May 2008 13:21:03 -0400

This girl rocks! The picture above is from the 2007 Gospel Music Association’s Music in the Rockies competition finals, where Rachael took home 5 awards-one of which gave her a spot in Disneyland’s Night of Joy and another a write up in CCM magazine. More awesome than her talent is her personality and humble heart. She is currently living in Nashville working on her first solo project. If you enjoy great acoustic soulful music, and powerful vocals don’t miss this!

Eric Peters

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:22:15 -0500

Eric Peters doesn’t just write and sing songs. He washes the dishes, takes out the trash, cleans the bathroom, vacuums and balances the family checkbook. His life isn’t a whole lot different than yours.
Eric is a former member of the now defunct acoustic duet, Ridgely, a nationally touring act widely regarded for its tight folk-pop harmonies and interweaving melodies. The duet toured together from 1993-99 and built a respectable grassroots/college following in the process, selling more than 10,000 combined units of their self-titled EP (1995) and full-length album, The Only Thing (1997).
Originally hailing from south Louisiana, Peters’ ability to create unique character sketches is likely birthed out of his consistent touring schedule, meeting scores of people on the road and an active imagination. On stage or off, it doesn’t take long to see that Eric is as genuine as he is down to earth. What you see is what you get. Unafraid to laugh at himself, he also knows when it is time to be quiet. Eric remains a songwriting craftsman at heart and one who humbly acknowledges the honor of playing his songs for those who would graciously lend their ears to him no matter the setting: coffeehouse, theater, quiet sanctuary, or living room.
Eric’s first solo effort, a 6-song EP, More than Watchmen, was independently released in 1999. His follow up full-length, Land of the Living (2001), is a folk-pop album traversing the realms of folk, Americana, cajun Zydeco and covers much fertile ground in between. Miracle of Forgetting (2003), co-produced by Don McCollister (Sister Hazel, Caedmon’s Call, Indigo Girls) at Nickel & Dime Studios in Atlanta, is his third national independent release. Bold and big in delivery, it is replete with radio-friendly material. Eric’s fourth release, Bookmark (2004), is a departure of sorts with its minimally sparse production. An acoustic collection of both old and new originals, the album aims at capturing the emotions, inflections and expressions of his intricately raw solo shows. Eric’s newest release, Scarce (2006), is produced by Brent Milligan. It is a body of songs focused on the writing craft and continues to unfold the story of redemption and grace. Eclectic elements of shimmering folk-pop and lonely piano within.
On multiple levels, redemptive themes permeate Eric’s writing. As a body of work should, intentions and interpretations are discovered long after the first impressions fade away. Like an earthen bed of rock, the varying layers continually reveal new discoveries the deeper and harder one looks. Honest, heart-on-the-sleeve moments relate the common human struggle to find hope, worth and place in life. “I trust that my songs are interpretative, not instructional. While instruction can be instantaneous and fleeting, interpretation allows for the factor of time: to heal, time to breathe, time to forgive, time for anger, time for failure, time for success, time to change and time to become.”
Recurring themes of faith and hope-triggered plotlines are simply an echo of who Eric Peters is, the experiences of his life and his own attempts to bring understanding to his own fallible world. “I am doomed without the strong and tender hand of mercy. I’ve tasted grace in the many instances where I’ve fallen flat on my face. I hope to share that of myself: the tangible and intangible, the noble and despicable, the manageable and the mysterious. As the mining term goes, I too am the detritus finding blessed life inside of life - my own angle of repose.”
Influences: Jackson Browne, Bill Mallonee & Vigilantes of Love, David Mead, Patty Griffin, The Samples, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Freedy Johnston, Crowded House, John Hiatt, the prose of Frederick Buechner, Wendell Berry, Annie Dillard, Kathleen Norris, Anne Lamott, Flannery O’Connor and Wallace Stegner, ornithology, nachos, and the season of fall.
Quick Facts: *1996 : toured with Caedmon’s Call *1998 : toured with Bebo Norman and Mark Williams *1999 : toured with Bebo Norman *2002 : toured with Andrew Peterson *2006 : toured with Andrew Peterson’s “Behold The Lamb of God” Christmas Tour *Opening slots for Pierce Pettis, Derek Webb, Jan Krist, Austin Echo and Vigilantes of Love *Card-carrying member of The Square Peg Alliance

Rich Fyhr

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 13:22:26 -0500

Rich currently lives in Nashville, TN, and has recently finished a full length gospel album with co-producer Randy Thomas (Co-writer of the Grammy Award winning song “Butterfly Kisses” with Bob Carlisle). In it, you will find him wrestling with life topics in light of his faith, hear songs that deal with healing from things in the past, and songs of hope for the future. Although these songs were inspired by things that have happened in his life, it is easy for listeners to find themselves inside his lyrics. Rich’s live shows are marked by his laid-back style and wacky sense of humor. It’s a great opportunity for the audience to listen to a great musical artist, and storyteller.