The James Barker Band is set to take the Next from Nashville stage at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 22 which will kick off the third and final day of the massive music festival.
James Barker of the Ontario-based James Barker Band said that the group is beyond happy and «pumped up» to be in the Great Lakes state for the Faster Horses Festival at Michigan International Speedway.
The James Barker Band is set to take the Next from Nashville stage at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 22 which will kick off the third and final day of the massive music festival.
The Next from Nashville stage usually features up-and-coming talent, and is set in another region of the grounds at MIS away from the main stage (but, not too far).
«We’ve been really lucky and fortunate this past year, but this (Faster Horses) feels exciting and special,» Barker said. «You get booked where you have fans already built, you see pockets develop and it only takes one champion fan and one radio station to grow interest in an area.
«With festivals like this one (in Michigan), it’s a relatable situation as we’re also used to shoveling snow for half the year so we’re excited like the rest of them to get outside and in the sun.»
The four-man group from Woodville, Ontario, Canada recently received two Juno Award nominations for breakthrough group and country album of the year. They ended up winning the award for country album of the year in 2018 for its «Game On» album.
The Juno Awards are held each year, and are exclusively for Canadian-based artists. As for what Faster Horses represents to Barker and the group, he said that playing at the same festival as Brooks & Dunn is a «bucket list» type of accomplishment.
Barker said that the group likes to keep it loose and have a little fun on stage while performing. He said that «our main thing is, if we’re having a good time then everyone else is having a good time.»
«If you’re looking to cry, we’re not for you,» Barker jokingly said over the phone.
«Festivals (like this) always feel like a big production, and being outdoors is special. We’ve been lucky, but this feels exciting and special.»
