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Barefoot Truth (Submitted by Seth Cohen PR)

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Canopy Club »
Address: 708 S. Goodwin Ave. Urbana, IL 61801
Phone: (217) 367-3140
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Hip-hop and folk don’t reflect an ideal companionship, but Barefoot Truth doesn’t rely on ideal to make a living.

They started off as a folk band, but their new album says it best; Threads represents the best of many fine materials twisting together to form a unique woven fabric.

That fabric is the integrative sound of Barefoot Truth, comprised of folk, jazz, reggae, classic rock and hip-hop sounds. Their dynamic musicianship can be heard this Thursday at a release show for Threads at Canopy Club.

Through their live performances, Barefoot Truth’s fascination for every school of music becomes apparent. Lead singer Will Evans loves the thrill of indulging the musically unexpected.

“We just want to keep it dynamic and keep people on their toes,” Evans said. “The inspiration comes from the people at the show and trying to get a reaction out of them.”

A Barefoot Truth audience will never see the blinking lights of a turn signal; surprising the fans is too much fun for the band. One moment fans will be easing into the jazzy melody provided by “Walk Softly,” and then suddenly hundreds of nodding heads will be moving in unison to the old school hip-hop beat of “No Diggity” by Blackstreet.

It wasn’t surprising to hear that Evans’ favorite artists include Rage Against the Machine, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Jurassic 5 and A Tribe Called Quest. All of these artists help pay tribute to a distinct fiber in the thread of Barefoot Truth’s new album. Hip-hop isn’t only a respected favorite, but also within the blueprint of Barefoot’s future plans.

“I love hip-hop — old school hip-hop,” Evans said. “I’d like to incorporate more of that in the future.”

Barefoot Truth has strategically developed their sound over the past five years, beginning in acoustic roots and now incorporating congas, didgeridoos and a saxophone to encourage diverse sound.