David Barbe

Athens, GA, artist David Barbe (pronounced like the doll) had already had a long and varied career before releasing his debut solo effort, Comet of the Season, in November of 2001. Most notably, he had been a member of <a href="spotify:artist:0fWvSXbvztkeHEnEuYvU2A">Bob Mould</a>'s <a href="spotify:artist:4DD6xBZ1INIT3yGJRQLzej">Sugar</a> throughout the mid-'90s. Prior to that, he had led the influential Athens punk rock band <a href="spotify:artist:7o1LI5wSD1CXY3WIcLckpT">Mercyland</a>. He also fronted Buzz Hungry. In 1997, however, Barbe began making a name for himself on the other side of the console. He would go on to produce and engineer for such acts as <a href="spotify:artist:7AhDVqsNA5q46WKsRPXvoe">Son Volt</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2GkbVJYd1bZbQvVYS7ORZ2">Kelly Hogan</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0U06WlIl1leJMEHBf7WAwR">Harvey Milk</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:4wM29TDTr3HI0qFY3KoSFG">Indigo Girl</a> <a href="spotify:artist:6FTNWiXksh4ADVB5QdJqCF">Amy Ray</a> at his own Chase Park Transduction studios.

Barbe grew up in Atlanta, drawing early musical influence from his parents, who were big band musicians and session players. As a teen, he moved to Athens to attend the University of Georgia. He first started playing in <a href="spotify:artist:7o1LI5wSD1CXY3WIcLckpT">Mercyland</a> in 1985. In 1991, when that group broke up, Barbe found himself driving a delivery truck and trying to support his wife and baby. Shortly thereafter, he received two propositions that would determine the course of his career; local producer/engineer John Keane offered to tutor Barbe in the craft of engineering, and <a href="spotify:artist:0fWvSXbvztkeHEnEuYvU2A">Bob Mould</a> asked Barbe to join <a href="spotify:artist:4DD6xBZ1INIT3yGJRQLzej">Sugar</a>. Barbe left <a href="spotify:artist:4DD6xBZ1INIT3yGJRQLzej">Sugar</a> in 1995 to spend more time with his family and turned his attentions primarily to engineering. His 2001 debut, Comet of the Season, was recorded in spurts over a three-year period with a variety of Athens musicians. The eclectic album swings from psychedelia to indie pop to twang to bluesy explorations. ~ Erik Hage, Rovi