Local Band Reaches Top Ten On iTunes Rock Chart

Mystic band Barefoot Truth released their newest album at the beginning of September and quickly made it to number 10 on the iTunes Top Rock Album Chart. 

“We were AMPED,” Will Evans said. “Our previous record, "Threads" hit number 21 only for a brief moment, so it was very encouraging to hit the top ten and stay there for several days. Proof that growth is happening.”

Evans and the other members of Barefoot Truth, Andy Wrba, Garrett Duff, Jay Driscoll and Wayno weren’t there only ones ecstatic by the band’s success.

Within hours of the release of Barefoot Truth’s newest album, fans started tracking the progress of “Carry Us On” on iTunes Top Rock Album Chart. The band’s Facebook page filled up with congratulation messages as the album reached number 21, number 19, number 17, number 14, number 10.

That use of social media by the band’s fans it’s a big part of Barefoot Truth’s success.

“The power of a grass-roots movement is pretty remarkable.” Evans said. “We've always encouraged free trading of our music, in hopes that in exchange those people might come support us live someday.”

Barefoot Truth started as the acoustic duo of Driscoll and Evans. They played throughout the summer of 2003 and recorded their first full-length album, “Changes in the Weather,” in 2004. Since then the acoustic duo expanded to include Duffy, Wrba and Wayno.

Now seven years since that first album the group has clearly grown up. Many of the songs on “Carry Us On,” will sound familiar to long-time fans. They were previously recorded but when the band was only an acoustic duo and were 19-years-old.

Evans said the inspiration for “Carry Us On,” comes from the nearly seven years they’ve put into the band and their desire to take it level where they can realistically play and write music for a full-time living.

At times their unique career-path has proved challenging. As the group expanded Evans said they had to figure out everyone’s role in the group and learn when to step up and pull the others along and when to step back.

“I constantly battle the emotions of not knowing whether this is the right path,” Evans said. “It is difficult when everyone else's normal life schedules pretty much couldn't be any more different than my own.”

But Evans, who grew up in Mystic, said his family couldn’t be more supportive and the fans keep them going.
 
“Hearing from fans about how a song or concert really changed their lives someway or another,” Evans said. “When we hear about some of the ways our music makes its way into people's lives, it really makes it all worth it.”

After performing at the Life is Good Festival in Massachusetts over the weekend Barefoot Truth is off Virginia, New York and the Midwest to tour. They’ll be back in southeastern Connecticut for Thanksgiving performing at the Garde Arts Center in New London on November 26.