James Barker Band Unveils EP 'Ahead Of Our Time'

Platinum-selling Country four-piece, James Barker Band, brings its infectious camaraderie to the forefront of the Country scene with its highly anticipated label debut EP, Ahead Of Our Time, available everywhere today, Oct. 20, 2023.

A carefully crafted six-track collection, Ahead Of Our Time shows the bands growth and evolution over the years since its last GOLD-certified EP, Game On, in 2019. 

“It feels so good to finally have this batch of songs out into the world,” shares Barker. “I feel like it serves as the next chapter of JBB, with a more mature sound than what folks are used to hearing from us. Especially the title track, 'Ahead Of Our Time,' which is definitely the most emotional song we've released to date, and also the most honest.”

With five of the six songs penned by frontman James Barker, and credits from some of Nashville's most established writers including Rodney Clawson, Hunter Phelps and Travis Wood, each track showcases the band's signature wit and infectious melodies.

From the clever and catchy "Step On His Boots," to the poignant narrative of love lost because it was simply "Ahead of Our Time," and finding the silver lining of a breakup with "Champagne."

The latter half of the EP finds "Meet Your Mama" tugging at the heartstrings, while "On the Water (feat. Dalton Dover)" sets the stage for a rowdy JBB party with Dover's ceiling-scraping vocals. The EP wraps with the wedding-ready ballad "Heartbeat" that captures the essence of love at first sight over a dynamic train beat. 

Today's focus track, and the EP's title track "Ahead Of Our Time” releases with an all-new visualizer. Telling the age-old tale of the one that got away, the song written by Barker and James Rose possesses an open-ended quality that invites listeners to connect on a personal level.

Seamlessly weaving together traditional Country elements like acoustic guitars and heartfelt vocals, the timeless yet bittersweet lyrics explore a past relationship, suggesting that they were too young and inexperienced to make it a love that lasted a lifetime. 

James Barker Band got its start in 2009 when Barker and drummer Connor Stephen met at band camp. Forming what is now JBB, the four-piece spent its early years in a rented Greyhound bus while traversing Canada from one self-booked show to the next. Now a record-setting band with five No.1s, 300M global streams, countless sold out shows and numerous awards later, the 2023 CCMA Fan's Choice and Group of the Year sets its sights on the US. With more exciting announcements on the way, fans are encouraged to stay up to date with JBB on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and at JamesBarkerBand.com. 

ABOUT JAMES BARKER BAND:

James Barker Band have fueled an incredible story over the last decade, largely on their own, from opening for local bands in dive bars to charting multiple No. 1 singles and hundreds of millions of global streams to headlining festivals and playing stages across North America and Europe.

After landing their record-setting, GOLD-certified fourth No. 1 in Canada with "New Old Trucks" feat. 14x GRAMMY-nominated artist Dierks Bentley, the group currently holds the title of the most No. 1's for a Canadian country group in the BDS/Mediabase era. With this, the multi-award-winning four-piece is continuing their meteoric ascent in Nashville. Made up of James Barker (lead vocals/guitar), Taylor Abram (guitar/background vocals), Connor Stephen (drums), and Bobby Martin (bass), the members of James Barker Band grew up within an hour of each other in rural towns surrounding Toronto.

In 2017 these best friends saw their hard work pay off when they sent their single “Chills” straight to the top of Billboard's Canadian Hot 100 chart. From there, James Barker Band released a string of successful singles, including the GOLD-certified tracks “Wastin' Whiskey,” “New Old Trucks,” “Over All Over Again,” “There's A Drink For That”, “Just Sayin',” “It's Working,” “Lawn Chair Lazy,” “Good Together,” “Summertime,” as well as Platinum-certified songs “Keep It Simple” and "Chills'' and a GOLD-certified EP (Game On). 

Now, the self-proclaimed “band of brothers from different mothers” unveils their six-track, label debut EP Ahead Of Our Time out now. James Barker Band's dedication to their craft and undeniable charisma have been the driving force behind their ascent to stardom and is stronger than ever as they continue to trailblaze many miles from their hometowns. While the opportunities are limitless, the band remains grounded in their small-town roots. For more info, visit jamesbarkerband.com.

Photo courtesy: Starseed Entertainment, Paige Sara

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