Following the “Road Signs” alongside U.S. 421, singer-songwriter barrett can’t help but travel back to his “Appalachian Home” while touring.
Growing up in Boone, Christopher Barrett Conner, who uses the stage name barrett, has spent the past two years telling his story of the Blue Ridge Mountains through song.
“Appalachian Home,” a deluxe EP released on Oct. 10, strives to curate a space of comfort and nostalgia for the community of Boone and beyond. Through soul-filled storytelling, barrett explores lyrical motifs regarding mental health, social pressures, love and loss.
Primarily writing these songs by himself, there is a constant narrative of Appalachia at the core of barrett’s artistry, cementing his irrevocable love for his “Appalachian Home.”
“Growing up here has a huge influence,” barrett said. “I mean, everything that I’ve put out so far is stories from growing up here with relationships, mental health and Boone itself.”
His childhood was outlined with music from nightly jams with instruments found around the house. In middle school, he took his first few banjo lessons at the Jones House Cultural Center. Although he quickly put down the banjo, the early influence still shows in his recorded music and live performances.
Raised on bluegrass and country music, barrett took a liking to rock, pop and R&B music throughout his formative years to create a collective of inspiration. Reminiscent of The Lumineers and Bon Iver, barrett builds off of familiar Appalachian folk-roots sounds from banjo lines to the blues.
“I kind of just want everything that I write to be drawn back here in some way because it’s had such an influence on who I am,” barrett said. In 2023, barrett graduated with a degree in building science with a concentration in architecture from App State. As an App State alum, barrett credits his college years for laying the foundation of his career.
Following the path many students walk, barrett formed a band with his friends during their senior year. The band, LUSKA, would go on to perform songs primarily written by him, some of which translated to his solo career.
“I would go to my friend’s houses and just play songs that I wrote, and they were always super supportive,” barrett said. “I don’t think any of this would have happened without them and their support.”
The band members parted ways around the end of their time at App State.
“We were all graduating and going to different places, and I was like, OK, now is kind of the time for me to figure out what I want this stuff to really sound like,” barrett said.
This led barrett to release a version of the song “White Laced Gown” on YouTube in May 2023, which was filmed with the help of his roommate at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park. He attributes this video as the catalyst to his solo career, connecting him with industry professionals.
The video’s exposure sent barrett to New York City to record the studio version of the tracks “White Laced Gown,” “Adaline” and “Solid Ground.” Even after traveling to one of the nation’s hubs for the arts, barrett said nothing compares to performing back home.
“I love playing here because, again, it’s home, and it’s new people that have found my music somehow. And they come, but also people that I grew up knowing my whole life,” barrett said.
In May, barrett held an EP release show for his first project, titled “Appalachian.” This was followed by a performance at the Jones House in June for this year’s Boonerang festival. After releasing his second EP “Home” on Oct. 3, barrett combined his first two projects with recorded live versions of three of the tracks to compile his first full-length project.
Through song, barrett weaves a patchwork quilt of honest reflection and homage to Boone. The titular track, “Appalachian Home,” bookends the project with an extended live version as its closer, reiterating barrett’s central motif of home.
“The Home In Which You Grew” is toward the end of the album’s tracklist and reiterates his understanding of home through a conversation with his parents: “I pray you find all that you were / A place of love and being heard / I pray you find all that you’re worth / And every story that you gave word.”
While Boone helped barrett find the words for his story, “Appalachian Home” provides a story to every person who passes through Boone.
“I just hope in some way the music can be home for someone,” barrett said.