Our Indie Watch Artist for January 2025 is “Barefoot Joe”. Barefoot Joe is coming into 2025 with his country music blazing. Opening up the new year with his song and music video “Soulmate” we are excited to see what he has in store for the rest of the year. 2024 proved to be a success for this rising artist in the country music genre with successful releases “Country Folk” and “Getting Serious”. Joe is not an artist who leaves anything on the floor, he is also touring with the Honky Tonk Party Band “Danjo”. We sat down to speak with the 2024 Josie Music Award Winner for “Songwriter of the Year” “Gods Got His Cowboy” along with his co-writer Danny Kensy.
Got Country: What originally drew you to the music industry?
Hey y’all, my name is Barefoot Joe! I am a songwriter and independent country music artist, based out of Virginia. I entered the music industry at an early age and at the height of my success, stepped away from music for several years to focus on career and family. It was painful to walk away from music, and I convinced myself that my music days were in the past. But, over time, I began picking up my guitar again and felt inspired and compelled to write again. Before I knew it, I had a catalog of great country songs, and God put conviction on my heart. You see, God doesn’t bless you with talent so that you waste it. So, here I am, sharing the gift of music with you. Thank you for taking the time to get to know me!
Got Country: Where are you from and how has it had an impact on your music?
I’ve lived most of my teenage to adult life in Virginia, which has played a major role exposing me to music at a young age. You see, my core group of friends from my neighborhood were all singers, songwriters, and musicians. In high school, you’d easily find us in the hallways singing to impress the ladies, or you’d catch me after school playing my guitar.
Got Country: What is the story behind your name ‘Barefoot Joe?’ Where did it come from?
Nothing is more grounding and freeing than taking off your shoes. In my childhood, I lived in Key Largo, Florida, where shoes were often optional, and I grew up with a Korean mother, so leaving my shoes at the door was culturally mandatory. As I began performing as an artist, I simply found it more comfortable and natural to kick off my shoes and get lost in the music. Several years ago, I remember sitting on a deck overlooking the ocean, writing my first country song; I snapped a first-person picture of my guitar and feet with the waves crashing in the background. That moment laid the seed that would ultimately bloom into the artist I am today.
Got Country: What are the biggest challenges you’ve overcome in your career, and how did you
overcome them?
With the saturation of music on social media and streaming services, the biggest challenge has been trying to elevate my brand and my music above the noise. I can’t say that I’ve overcome this challenge, yet; it’s a work in progress. But, I’m taking on this challenge on one step, one fan, and song at a time. I’m so excited to share my music, my passion, and my journey with you all. Come join the Barefoot Joe experience today by checking out my new single, ‘Soulmate’.
Got Country: Who are each of your biggest musical influences?
I can’t really pinpoint my biggest musical influences because I’ve been influenced by so many genres and artists over the years. Depending on the song I’m writing will drastically change the influences I pull from. But, as far as country goes, I’ve put a lot of miles in listening to Josh Turner, Blake Shelton, Toby Keith, Blackberry Smoke, Brooks & Dunn, Waylon Jennings, Zac Brown, and Luke Combs to name a few. The very first song I can remember from my childhood was ‘On the Road Again’ by Willie Nelson. My dad had it on cassette tape and we played and sang it every time we hit the road.
Got Country: What was the inspiration behind your latest single/music video release
‘Soulmate?’
There wasn’t a specific person I was thinking of that inspired me to write ‘Soulmate’; I was more driven by the helpless feeling of losing someone that you can never get back. I feel like we all can relate to that emotional experience.
Got Country: What was the writing and recording process of ‘Soulmate’ like? Easy? Difficult?
I wrote ‘Soulmate’ in the summer of 2023, driving at night by myself on a five-hour car ride to the beach. While driving in the rain, feeling lonely and isolated, the words, “You only get one chance when you’re dancing with your soulmate” came to my head. I had the song fully written by the time I arrived at the beach, and I quickly grabbed my guitar to work out the chord structure and record a working demo. I knew for sure that I would record it the next time I was in Nashville. ‘Soulmate’ was very easy for me to write and record because it truly embodies what I believe I am as an artist and songwriter.
Got Country: What inspired the music video for ‘Soulmate?’ What was the video production
process like?
As far as the music video, I always envisioned a beautiful and graceful ballet dancer to complement the emotional performance of the strings and pedal steel in the music arrangement. I reached out to several of the ballet studios in my area to see if I could find a lead for my music video, but to no avail. After telling my daughter about my vision, her face lit up because her roommate in college, Kate Scheerer, was not only an accomplished ballet dancer, but also an actress. With Kate on board, I quickly booked a studio at Charlottesville Ballet and put my video production skills to work; one of the many hats I wear as an independent artist.
Got Country: What is your dream gig (venue/festival) and why?I think almost every rising country artist dreams of stepping in the circle at the Grand Ole Opry to sing their breaking hit; it’s no different for me – that would be a dream come true. This past year, I did get to step into the circle for the first time to accept the Josie Music Award for Song of the Year for co-writing the Toby Keith tribute, ‘God’s Got His Cowboy’ with Danny Kensy.
Got Country: What do you consider to be more important, lyrics or sound, and why?This is an impossible question! For me, I experience the music and melody well before I hear and internalize the lyrics. I’ve never been one that could listen to a song and passively learn the lyrics. The music and melody have an immediate visceral effect on me as the listener, setting the tone – uplifting, despair, dancing, romance, etc. But poorly written lyrics can certainly pull me out of the experience, and conversely, well-written lyrics can be a catalyst that pushes an average song to be a great song. This is a hard one to answer. I’ll go with the sound and melody of a song. Final answer.
Keep your eyes and ears on this rising star in Country Music. Follow Barefoot Joe on all of his social media platforms found here: https://barefootjoemusic.com/
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