The Old Soul Sound of Shawn Barnby

Shawn Barnby 02-02-2023

  It was a chilled first Friday of the month. After roaming old town Pocatello on their monthly “Art Walk” I was told of an artist performing at Portneuf Valley Brewing here in Pocatello. So why not go take a look, and boy was I surprised.

  Though I wasn’t really expecting much, I was completely taken aback with what I was hearing. I was genially surprised on what I was listening to. Here sat a musician that had this nice bluesy grit and rasp but with a deep voice that reminded me so much of the grunge artists of the 90s like Eddie Vedder, Stone Temple Pilots, and even Bush.

  After listening to his set I just new we had to get a interview from him and learn more of how he started and what this year looked like for him going forward. So last year we had the chance to set with him and learn a little more about him.

  Shawn is originally from southern Arizona and then lived in southern Utah in St. George around his early teens and then migrated to southern Idaho in McCammon. He really began to start pursuing music at 17 when he received his first Guitar. He then joined the army and moved south to Georgia. “My drill Sargent and everyone always sang you know, and so I think that’s the first time I ever sang in groups.” Sean explained “Playing the guitar in the latrine and places at night in the barracks and like people would like give me tips in different forms.” This was Shawn’s start, first with cadences and exploring blues clubs that just pushed him further into the love of music.

  Music is something Shawn is just drawn to, “I want to be there to when other people are playing cause I want to support it.” He says, as someone who has been to many of the places Shawn has, and the music communities he has witnessed he’s is really passionate about bringing it here to Southeastern Idaho. “It fills up some weird reservoir right in the spirit or the person, I think that especially when you get on stage and people give you appreciation for it, that’s huge and your given them something to so it this little relationship.”

  Shawn is now with a group called GrooveFX. Groove FX is combrised of Shawn Barnby (Vocals, Guitar), Joey Labato (Lead Guitar), Jair Ross (Bass), Shilo Murphy (Drums), and Allen Ross (Percussion)