The Barr Brothers joined Meredith Carson for KGNU’s Morning Sound Alternative for a live in-studio session during their Colorado tour, performing songs from their latest album Let It Hiss. The Montreal-based duo discussed life on the road, including their recent departure from Quebec, upcoming shows in Boulder and Denver, and a planned drive through the Southwest.
They also reflected on their musical influences and creative process, from classic American songwriters like Randy Newman and Harry Nilsson to the folk and dance traditions of Quebec that have shaped their sound. The interview touched on their family’s culinary background, experimental guitar techniques, and the collaborative spirit behind their music. (Air Date 3/13/26).
Listen to the studio session here:
Transcript:
Meredith Carson: I would like to welcome The Barr Brothers to KGNU. Good morning, guys.
The Barr Brothers: Morning, Meredith.
Meredith Carson: Morning, Andrew and Brad. You haven’t come all the way from Quebec this morning, because you’ve been on tour, but that’s where you make your home.
The Barr Brothers: We were in Quebec. We had a nine-day break between our East Coast run and starting this West Coast run in Colorado, so we woke up in Quebec yesterday.
Meredith Carson: You did?
The Barr Brothers: Oh, we did. Yeah. It’s covered in ice right now. We had to crack the ice off our cars just to get to the airport.
Meredith Carson: We’re not doing winter here this year.
The Barr Brothers: We heard. We’re just doing spring, and then a little sprinkle of snow once a month.
Meredith Carson: So not sure how that’s going to work out for the water situation, but it feels pretty nice outside right now.
The Barr Brothers: We don’t love that for you, but it does feel nice right now.
Meredith Carson: We’re so glad to have you here. You’re normally a four-piece, but it’s just the two of you this morning, with maybe a little bit of drumming.
The Barr Brothers: Yep.
Meredith Carson: Your brand new CD, Let It Hiss, came out last year?
The Barr Brothers: October last year. We’re very proud of it. It was fun to make—lots of turns, twists, and personal discovery to get there. We’re happy with how it turned out.
Meredith Carson: It sounds great. I played a song from it this morning when I gave away tickets to your show in Denver tomorrow night. You’re at The Fox in Boulder tonight and the Bluebird in Denver tomorrow night. Where are you headed after?
The Barr Brothers: We head down to Phoenix. Two days to do that drive. Then Los Angeles.
Meredith Carson: Do you go through Death Valley? It’s having a once-in-a-century bloom.
The Barr Brothers: Oh right, we saw that.
Meredith Carson: Try to put it on your itinerary. It never happens.
The Barr Brothers: Okay, we can probably make that happen. Our tour manager is up for anything.
Meredith Carson: What’s the cause for a once-in-a-century bloom?
The Barr Brothers: I’m not a scientist, but there are photos everywhere. It’s apparently incredibly in bloom right now.
The Barr Brothers: “Death Valley bloom” sounds like a song already.
Meredith Carson: I know you can harvest that. What we’re going to do this morning is have you sing a couple songs, then we’ll talk more.
Performance: “Run Right into It”
Meredith Carson: Barr Brothers live on KGNU.
The Barr Brothers: We’re going to play another one. Our tour manager Ian Borack is a fantastic drummer and played percussion on that last song. Andrew Barr, our usual drummer, is playing guitar. Brad Barr is moving to piano.
Meredith Carson: Are you going to do the full sunrise salute?
The Barr Brothers: I will walk us through a morning meditation if listeners need it.
Performance: “Naturally”
Meredith Carson: I love that tune. Andrew, your piano playing reminds me of Randy Newman.
The Barr Brothers: That was actually Brad on piano. You’re not the first to mix us up.
Meredith Carson: Oh!
The Barr Brothers: Andrew loves Randy Newman and has been trying to convert me for years. I think it’s finally working. We also both agree on Harry Nilsson. There’s a shared influence—classic American songwriting like Newman, Nilsson, Lennon, Van Dyke Parks.
Meredith Carson: Very basic piano playing, but all the right notes.
Meredith Carson: You’ve lived in Quebec a long time. Do you get influenced by the dance music scene there?
The Barr Brothers: We’re almost 50. The music we’re talking about is more the folk tradition—fiddles, foot stomping, living-room dances. My wife is from the Gaspé Peninsula, which has a lot of that tradition. It’s party music—farmers playing guitars, fiddles, stomping, homemade music around the kitchen table.
Meredith Carson: That tradition also made its way down the Mississippi into Louisiana—Cajun music.
The Barr Brothers: Yes, exactly. There’s a romantic irreverence in Quebec—just grab an instrument and make it sing. Bands like Patrick Watson, Plants and Animals, Arcade Fire all come from that spirit. Montreal was a big influence—mixing classical, pop, folk, jazz.
Meredith Carson: Montreal is pretty urban.
The Barr Brothers: It is. It’s one of Canada’s major cultural centers—great for music, art, food.
Meredith Carson: And the food in Montreal…
The Barr Brothers: Our mom worked in the culinary world—she was Julia Child’s executive chef for about 20 years. We traveled with her on those trips and met Julia when we were young. That definitely shaped our palate. Touring later meant going from sophisticated food to van tours in the ’90s. Montreal was a revelation.
Performance: second set
Meredith Carson: That song is fabulous. I’m in the studio while you’re in the Kabaret studio—do you want to share the guitar technique?
The Barr Brothers: It’s not really a secret. It’s a piece of polyester sewing thread tied onto the D and G strings of the guitar. It comes from a Romanian violin technique by Nicoli Enescu of Taraf de Haidouks. You can see it in the film L’Atout d’Rome by Tony Gatlif.
Meredith Carson: You’ve got shows tonight at the Fox Theatre in Boulder and tomorrow at the Bluebird in Denver. Where can people find you online?
The Barr Brothers: We’re active on Instagram. My page is bradbarr216. I enjoy interacting with people there and have even found collaborators that way—like Benjamin Lazar Davis, who will be opening for us on this run.
Meredith Carson: You also play the Troubadour in Los Angeles and the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco.
The Barr Brothers: Two of our favorite venues.
Meredith Carson: Thanks for taking time out of a gig day to be here.
The Barr Brothers: It’s our pleasure. Thanks for supporting independent radio. Public radio is important—we discovered so much music that way.
Meredith Carson: Go see them tonight at the Fox and tomorrow at the Bluebird. Thanks, guys.
The Barr Brothers: Thanks, Meredith.
