“Has the world at his feet” – Clash
“Shows no signs of stopping his meteoric rise” – Line of Best Fit
“This small-town boy is heading straight for greatness, causing mischief along the way” – Notion
Today, soul-stirring London-based artist Barny Fletcher shares his upbeat new anthem ‘Scotch of St. James’. Marking a new era for Fletcher, it showcases his unrivalled passion for celebrating life’s candid moments through his most mature songwriting to date.
Taking its name from the famous London club with rich music heritage, ‘Scotch of St. James’ carries an infectiously feel-good energy. Its lyrics follow a night under the club lights, with all worries left outside the door. Catchy, relatable and a little bit flirty, the smile-inducing single is a huge slice of sunshine.
Speaking about the release, Barny Fletcher says: “I blagged my way into The Scotch of Saint James on a Saturday night. Before long, I was two feet from Virgil Abloh DJ-ing alongside Peggy Gou. I think it must have been Fashion Week because a lot of those type of characters were floating around town. I remember seeing Hailey Bieber, Winnie Harlow and Jourdan Dunn all huddled around the decks; all these supermodels shoulder to shoulder in a tiny low-lit club. It was cool.
“I later discovered a young Jimi Hendrix played his first London show there. Paul McCartney met Stevie Wonder there. The Scotch is an institution with real music history. I was happy to have had my own experience there. And here we are. The right song came along and it felt good to write about it.”
The track’s accompanying music video offers a further nod to London’s musical heritage. Directed by Nick Denisov (Stormzy, Raye), its vintage look is inspired by The Beatles’ iconic rooftop performance, as passers-by enjoy Fletcher and his bandmates performing slickly amidst the old and new buildings of the city.
Since releasing his debut single back in 2019, Barny Fletcher’s evolution as an artist has been swift. From hip-hop to R&B, underground pop to billowing electronics, the young artist has already been picked by everyone from DJ Shadow to Michaela Coel for his sharp-edged style and undeniable charisma.
Fletcher first debuted in 2019 with singles ‘Christ Flow’ and ‘Blu Skyes’, which set the stage for his hotly-tipped debut project CANVAS2033 and its follow-up BOZO. These initial releases gained solid support from BBC Radio 1, which led on to them handpicking Fletcher for a performance slot at their Big Weekend Festival.
Since then, he’s released his JETPACK mixtape as well as his debut album Lonestar in 2023. He has also played sold-out London headline shows, toured the length of the UK in an old Mercedes-Benz covered in artwork from his fans and appeared at festivals such as Lollapalooza Paris, Reading & Leeds, and The Great Escape.
Fletcher’s sound has evolved into a kaleidoscopic mix of pop, R&B, hip-hop and disco. Now, with his latest music, Fletcher’s new era is set to be his best yet.
FOLLOW BARNY FLETCHER:
