Dave Barnes has been a Nashville fixture for more than 20 years now, and he’s still writing melodies that are new and creative. How does he keep doing it year after year? For Dave, it's pretty simple: respect the past and love the present.

In this week’s episode of The Slow Work, host Sandra McCracken sits down with singer-songwriter and producer, Dave Barnes to discuss what makes a tune stick in your head. Growing up in rural Mississippi, Dave played drums in the marching band and drew cartoons, exercising his creative gifts wherever he could. His work today may look different, but his earnest pursuit of creativity hasn’t changed at all. Listen in as Sandra and Dave talk about serving the music instead of trying to shape it, the value of our early creative work, and the thrill of developing new music -- even when folks only want to hear your old stuff.

Special Guest:

Dave Barnes is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter and producer. Dave has written songs for Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Reba McIntyre, Tim McGraw, Lady A, and many more. He’s also released eight of his own albums, won a Dove Award in 2018 for his song “Washed by the Water,” and has made audiences laugh all along the way. Dave hosts the popular podcast Dadville with Jon McLaughlin. He recently released Remembering Vol. 3, a new EP.

Resources Referenced:

The King of Tears

Take Me Back to Nashville

The Slow Work is a production of Christianity Today

Executive Producer: Mike Cosper

Host: Sandra McCracken

Producer: Azurae Phelps

Editor and Mix Engineer: Dan Phelps

Music: Tyler Chester

Graphic Design: Chris Bennett

Social Media: Kate Lucky

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