Nurtured in the vibrant artistic community of New Orleans, singer-songwriter Brett Barrilleaux – aka Roving Reporter – somewhat stumbled into the musical life, urged on by friends to turn his roiling energy and spirit into song. He took to it with ease, earning praise and applause from audiences throughout the Gulf States.
Now a part of the equally nourishing and exciting music scene of Seattle, Washington, Barrilleaux is furthering his ambition and his reach with his first forays as a solo artist. He’s bringing with him a lifetime of music obsession that finds the threads connecting such disparate loves as pop, alt country, zydeco, modern electronic, and jazz/funk. It’s a bold, colorful blend that’s also as comfortable and stylish as a broken in pair of jeans.
On November 2 Roving Reporter will drop a new single called “Forget About Me”, which is part of an upcoming debut EP Joie de Vivre. Today Glide is excited to offer an exclusive premiere of the song. The song marks the beginning of a new chapter of Barrilleaux’s creative life with its catchy melodies and psych-pop instrumentals. While a breakup anthem at the core, the lyrics take a different path with a hopeful outlook set to a soundtrack of shuffling drums, kaleidoscopic fingerpicked guitar grooves, and vocals that feel reminiscent of power pop acts like Teenage Fanclub, Matthew Sweet and the poppier work of Ween. The addition of guitar solos add to the transformative emotion of the song.
Describing the song, Brett Barrilleaux has this to say:
I’ve been sitting on this Travis-style fingerpicking riff along with the lyrics of the first verse for almost two decades. That original verse was so entrenched in my mind, I decided to build on the juxtaposition between the upbeat, rambling riff and that penitent classic breakup theme: it’s not you, it’s me.
The song was written on acoustic, and still holds up great that way. That original riff is there throughout this recording, albeit electrified and tucked back in this psychedelic, wall-of-sound version. But it’s still the mortar holding it together and keeping the tone positive.
My hope is that this song is approachable and enjoyable for anyone, regardless of their preferred genre. And with any luck, it can inspire others to handle tough situations with integrity and respect, and to move towards something more healthy for everyone.
LISTEN:
Photo by Amber Zbitnoff
