Barr Brothers talk 'Queens of the Breakers', recording in isolation, touring with War on Drugs and more
Jam-based folk band The Barr Brothers have been constantly raising the bar for the Canadian indie scene for the last half-decade. With an eclectic mix of slide guitars, homemade percussion instruments, influences from the blues, Celtic and Appalachian folk traditions, and Malian rhythms, The Barr Brothers have carved a unique, genre-skirting sound for themselves.
Although based in Montreal, the band is spearheaded by two brothers: drummer Andrew Barr and songwriter/guitarist Brad Barr, both from Providence, Rhode Island. After touring for roughly a decade as two-thirds of the avant-rock trio The Slip, the brothers moved to Montreal to pursue a fresh approach to their musical career. While there, they met the third original member of the band, harpist Sarah Pagé, who was their neighbor in their new apartment in Montreal. The trio teamed up with bassist Morgan Moore, pedal steel guitarist Brett Lanier to launch their self-titled debut album in 2011, which focused on acoustic and electrified songs rooted in Appalachian folk. Their sophomore record, 2014's 'Sleeping Operator' further explored the connections between the Delta blues and its West and North African ancestry.
