Barnaby Courtney, better known as Barns Courtney, was born in England but moved to Seattle with his family when he was four. He then moved back to England when he was 15. He always wanted to be a musician and was in two different bands during his early career. First SleeperCell, then Dive Bella Dive. He worked odd jobs and slept on couches as he struggled to make a living.

After his bands disbanded, he went solo, releasing “Glitter & Gold” in 2015. The song blew up, appearing on Spotify and iTunes Alternative charts. “Fire” was released a little later and performed well. The songs were on his first EP, The Dull Drums. The songs would be re-released in 2017 in his first studio album, The Attractions of Youth. The two previous singles are highlights. So are “Hellfire” and “Golden Dandelions.” It was a very successful first album, and the days of couch surfing were over.

In 2019, 404 was released. It’s on par with the first album, maybe even better. There are more songs that stood out to me on this one. I like “The Kids Are Alright,” “Boy Like Me,” “Castaway,” “Babylon,” and “99.” In particular, “99” was a huge hit that saw plenty of radio time.

He released a four-song EP in 2020 during the pandemic called Hard to Be Alone. My favorite song off this one is “Dopamine.” He’s currently gearing up to release his third album, with two singles released so far: “Supernatural” and “Golden.” Both are good songs that have left me wanting the album to hear what else is up his sleeve.

While his music has been very successful, perhaps the most impressive aspect of his run is how often his songs have been used in soundtracks.

“Glitter & Gold” was used in a few documentaries. “Hellfire” was used as the theme song for WWE Extreme Rules 2017, and in Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger. “Champion” was used as the theme song for WWE Backlash 2018, and in Apex Legends. “Fun Never Ends” was used. “Sinners” was used. “99” was used in WWE 2K20. “Hands” was used in MLB The Show 17. “Kicks” was used in Need for Speed: Payback. “Fun Never Ends” was used in NHL 20.

That’s an incredible list in just a few short years! Barns Courtney burst onto the scene after years of grinding. His hard work has finally paid off, and now he’s risen to heights.

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