With over 15 years together honing their musical partnership, Barricades Rise AKA Jonathan Coates and Michael McEntee have mastered the art of sounding like a 9-piece band encased in 2 acoustic guitars and vocals, taking the over-ripe Acoustic folk scene and turning it on it’s head.

They infuse each song, each performance with that life-affirming partnership they have, effortlessly gliding from glorious harmonies to stomping, head-banging riffs. Forever involving the audience in their gigs they feel it’s the most vital part of being in a band.

Michael – “It’s great going to a gig and hearing new music, but if the person on stage doesn’t want to have a chat and interact with the audience, they’re missing a trick.”

After going through several different musical incarnations, Jonathan, lead vocals and Michael, lead guitar fell on the acoustic scene by accident.

Jonathan – “Previously we played in a 5-piece indie band but it was so much easier just the two of us playing together. We played a few open mics and instantly fell in love with it”

The rock-driven energy of their previous band was carried through to the acoustic stage, and this is what the audience absorbed. At most gigs the pair leave the stage covered in sweat and minus a few guitar strings. Since hitting the acoustic scene they have supported Roddy Woomble (Idlewild), Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly, Gabriella Cilmi and more.

In 2012 Barricades Rise signed to one of the biggest Independent record labels in the USA, Spectra Records and their new album ‘All I Have Is Here’ is to be released in Spring 2013.