James Barrett Drops New Single "NEW YORK STATE" Ahead of Album Release

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The Scranton artist explores grief and yearning on a high-energy track from his long-anticipated debut.

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Scranton songwriter James Barrett has released 'New York State,' a new track from his upcoming debut album Now That I've Seen the Light, out everywhere October 16.

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For the better part of the last decade, Barrett has been making an album about a long, drawn out end to one of the first and most meaningful relationships of his young adult life.

Now That I've Seen the Light combines the Northeast PA indie-punk scene––cemented by bands like The Menzingers, Tigers Jaw, and Captain We're Sinking––with early 2000s adult-contemporary alt-rock in equal measure. Throughout, Barrett examines what happens when heartache becomes something bigger: grief for old friends, the last apartment you shared together, lost time, and the versions of yourselves you assumed you'd become together.

'New York State' is described as a high-energy new song that captures the momentum of someone chasing after something they'll likely never catch. On the track, Barrett imagines a future where a lost love could somehow be recovered, described as nailing its hopeless romanticism with the kind of soaring, stadium-ready rock that makes you believe right alongside him.

Barrett grew up in the Northeast PA DIY scene as a new generation of emo-tinged alternative rock was born. At the same time, he was just as enamored with the widescreen, stadium-ready sounds of bands like The Killers and Angels & Airwaves.

Today, he splits his time between bar gigs, being a dog dad, hosting a weekly open mic in Scranton, and putting together the annual Good Things Are Happening Fest. Somewhere along the way, between that gig economy existence, Barrett also wrote the album described as the most ambitious collection of songs of his career.

A Journey Through Time

Fragile Assertion

Clear

Winter Birds (Featuring Brian Swindle)

Sigh

There's Gotta Be A Better Way

Universal Properties

I Dream

All I Need (Something Good)

A Little More Divine

New York State

The Light

Photo Credit: Joel Todero

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/James-Barrett-Releases-NEW-YORK-STATE-From-Upcoming-Album-20260915)._