Bridgetown is Western Australia’s spiritual home of blues and roots, so it is no surprise that resident singer-songwriter Tracey Barnett has that music in her soul. Fusing traditional blues and country elements with modern rock rhythms, Tracey’s music has taken her across Australia, earning her a WAM Award, chart success, and airtime on Triple J, ABC and community radio.

Produced by James Newhouse, Tracey’s latest album, ‘Eyes Forward’, shows off her ever-evolving songwriting, singing and guitar playing… not to mention the staggering arsenal she wields as a player. It also reflects her ongoing journey with mental health with many of the songs spawned from the darker times, or as Tracey likes to say, her more challenging periods. One of these songs is WAM Blues/Roots Song of the Year nominated single ‘Gotta Get Out’.  “I wrote ‘Gotta Get Out’ during a pretty debilitating decline in my mental health. I had been suffering more panic attacks than usual and I felt like the anxiety and depression were separate entities from myself that had swooped in to take control of my mind and body. I no longer knew how I would react to any situation in life, even the minor normal day to day. So, like I often do in these situations, I used songwriting to help get me through.” Tracey explains.

A multi-instrumentalist with a powerful stage presence, Tracey is best witnessed in concert. Throughout her career, she has made the conscious decision to remain solo, and as a result, has created closeness between her and her audience. This connection, along with her sheer instinct for songwriting, is what makes Tracey Barnett one of the most exciting modern blues artists in Australia.