Dutch Americana folk duo Barn & Belle release 'Start Again' on 2 Sept

Dutch Americana folk duo Barn & Belle return with the release of the next single of their upcoming debut album. 'Start Again' is due for release on the 2nd of September with the album to follow on the 28th of September.

When you close your eyes, you see yourself driving your Ford Model T to escape the everyday struggles life throws at you. With a strong ‘chopped’ backbeat and its almost mysterious main riff over swing-jazz chords, 'Start Again' is a travel through time towards the heyday of Western Swing. The rhythm section keeps pushing the song forwards, which enhances the feeling of ‘having no other option, but leaving’. The built-up at the end of each verse is deliberately longer to underline the urgency to escape. What lays ahead is unclear, but a needed change is certain.

The start of Barn & Belle

Lea Lomans and Jesse Deledda first crossed paths at the Maastricht Academy of Music, where a shared passion for Americana, ragtime, and swing sparked an instant musical partnership. Just a year after their first live show, they released their 2019 EP ‘Dancing Shoes’. By 2022, they had won the Dutch Blues Challenge, earning the honour of representing the Netherlands at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, USA, in January 2023. Shortly after returning home, they dropped their EP ‘The Dead Don't Dance’. Following a standout appearance on national television in the fall of 2025 on Holland’s Got Talent, the duo hit the studio, both in the Netherlands and in Nashville, to record ‘Safe Travels’.

Lomans and Deledda, who are also a couple in daily life, have spent the last few years constantly on the move, traveling to gigs, exploring new places, and growing together. For them, ‘Safe Travels’ isn't just about the physical journey; it's about movement in every sense of the word. “Safe travel” is a phrase they have frequently heard and wished upon others over the years, a heartfelt send-off for journeys both physical and mental.

About 'Safe Travels'

The songs on ‘Safe Travels’ are deeply inspired by the people they met, the conversations they had on the road, and their own personal growth. ‘If You Ever Get Lost’ captures the literal story of their travels through the American Deep South following the International Blues Challenge. In contrast, ‘Thank You’ is a vulnerable expression of gratitude for each other's support while both were navigating burnout.

Stylistically, the tracks on ‘Safe Travels’ take listeners on a journey of their own. The duo seamlessly blends elements of blues, roots, country, swing, and Americana. ‘Swing Me Out’ feels like a classic track spinning on a 1930s radio, while ‘We Run The Game’ delivers a modern country-pop-rock energy. ‘Start Again’ channels western swing and ragtime, ‘Lost My Heart’ leans into bluegrass, and the album's standout track, ‘The Ballad Of Panchito’, draws rich inspiration from Mexican mariachi music.

About Barn & Belle

Authenticity is at the heart of everything Barn & Belle does. Both on the album and on stage, they completely reject artificial intelligence and digital pitch-correction. They firmly believe that glossy perfection isn't necessary to tell a compelling story, in fact, they feel it strips away the raw, tangible emotion of the music. Live, the duo relies entirely on acoustic guitar, dobro, washboard, their signature "traveller’s drum kit" (an old suitcase repurposed as a bass drum), and their powerful vocals to deliver their message. To bring even more energy to their sound, Barn & Belle now also performs with a full band, featuring the very same musicians who backed them in the studio for ‘Safe Travels’.