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SONG PREMIERE: Singer/songwriter James Barrett faces uncertainty under ‘The Lamp Post’

SONG PREMIERE: Singer/songwriter James Barrett faces uncertainty under ‘The Lamp Post’
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Back in November, NEPA Scene premiered “The Window,” the first song by singer/songwriter James Barrett from his upcoming album, “One More,” and we’ve been following his progress on the record ever since. Now, we’re happy to premiere another track, “The Lamp Post,” about a month out from the album’s release.

Featured in his live performances at Season 2 of NEPA Scene’s Got Talent, our Youth Scene Open Mics, and his many shows weekly across Northeastern Pennsylvania, the song, named after the indie music venue in Wilkes-Barre, expresses an uncertainty that many of us have felt before.

“I wrote the song last spring about being nervous when something doesn’t seem right,” Barrett told NEPA Scene.

Recorded, mixed, and mastered at The Stude at TwentyFiveEight Studios in Scranton with Angelo Maruzzelli of LondonForce and Jimmy Reynolds, it is one of eight tracks on “One More,” which will be released on Tuesday, March 1 with artwork (seen above) by Alicia Kohut.

The 18-year-old Clarks Summit native, who also serves as the frontman for Emberá, will then hold a release show on Saturday, March 19 at Adezzo (515 Center St., Scranton) with Wilkes-Barre singer/songwriter James Jaskolka of Better Days, a band that is releasing their own album later this month.

“It’s going to be an awesome show. This will be my third time hosting my own show at Adezzo, and every single time, they get better and better,” Barrett said.

“The fact that they’re always free, all-ages shows brings a lot of people out.”

“The Lamp Post” lyrics:

look to the left if you wanna stay
the trees to the right don’t have much to say
I know, they’re changing, and so are we
but I don’t wanna wait for another day
we can fix each other in the little space between the songs on this CD

and you tell me you’re OK
but I can see it in your face
there’s something I cannot explain
so I won’t say a thing
no I won’t

there’s so many things that we said we’d do
and somehow we never did one or two
I guess we all dream a little too much
but I don’t wanna live with that my whole life
I’m gonna take a chance starting with you tonight
and maybe the thought of us will be enough

and you tell me that you’ll stay
so I’ll wait for a better day
there’s so many things I’ll never say to you

there’s not enough time in any day to say all the things I wanna say
there’s not enough time in any day
there’s so many things I’ll never say to you

“The Window” is available now on iTunes, Spotify, and Bandcamp. Find more of Barrett’s music on Facebook and Instagram.

Photo by Robb Malloy/Moon’s Eye Media/NEPA Scene