Me and my guitar: Charlie Barnes
Pop-prog prodigy and Bastille touring member on trials and tribulations of his Gibson SG
In between playing monster venues with UK pop heavyweights Bastille, Leeds songwriter Charlie Barnes finds stolen moments to put together striking compositions of his own with an altogether more prog leaning, as showcased on new album Oceanography - which makes heavy use of the Gibson SG you can see in the video above.
In the clip, Charlie details the Pelham Blue-finished guitar’s first outing at a very-nearly-tragic Atlanta gig with Bastille and how the electric ended up existing in two separate continents at once.
It’s a fittingly bracing tale to accompany an album full of twists and turns, which includes sonic nods to influences ranging from Oceansize and Amplifier to Queen and Muse.
Oceanography is out on 9 March via Superball Music.
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Mike has been Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com since 2019, and an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict for far longer. He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and 15 years' experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Radiohead's Ed O'Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. His writing also appears in the The Cambridge Companion to the Electric Guitar. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock as Maebe.
