Contributing Writer
South Central vocalist and songwriter Barney Bones steps out from songwriting in the shadows to a brilliant solo debut: the ESCAPISM EP. Out now via Payday Records, the project is a stylistically versatile blend of dance and hip-hop as he pulls from the rich musical heritage of his South Central roots. While the music has widespread appeal, it’s also undeniably regional as Bones teams up with local friends Duckwrth and Channel Tres, the former of which appears in a music video directed by Jack Dalton (Young Thug, Nav, Future) for their catchy collaboration “Westside Story.” With singles like the subtly smooth “Lifeline,” funk-house “Fashion Week,” and hypnotic track “Praise,” the rest of the tracklist delivers with cuts like the guitar-inflected “Broadcast” and inspiring “Shining Through My Woes.”
ESCAPISM came in a domino effect from a pivotal conversation with Terrace Martin as Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly collaborator urged Bones to go solo. While Bones is a GRAMMY-nominated songwriter with credits for the likes of Channel Tres, Terrace Martin, Giveon, Gus Dapperton, and many more, he’s soon to be a household name of his own.
Barney Bones explains, “I wrote this album after taking a trip to Cabo with some friends from high school. We all thought we changed so much, but liquor paired with trauma has a funny way of bringing out your universal truths. The outpouring of tragic memories aligned with the sounds of electronic music felt poetic. Which led me into ESCAPISM. This album has pushed me deep into myself to answer the question, ‘What are you running from?’”
Raised in the same neighborhoods that catalyzed the careers of artists like Ice Cube and Nipsey Hussle, Barney Bones headed a few miles west to Loyola Marymount University for a degree in film before dropping out to pursue music. He would subsequently connect with 88rising in 2018 and tour as Rich Brian’s DJ while simultaneously songwriting alongside label standout August 08. Barney Bones continued to enrich his artistic palate, penning songs for Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings and writing on Terrace Martin’s GRAMMY-nominated LP Drones, before deciding in 2021 to prioritize his solo work. That newfound sense of self-sustained creativity led to an appearance on the House Party soundtrack with August 08 alongside the ESCAPISM EP in its entirety.