Barry Stagg implores the music gods to Shine A Little Light into his life and art in his illuminating new single — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
There are legends, and then there are those whose stories deserve to be told louder. Stagg falls into the latter category — he’s a hidden gem of Canada’s singer-songwriter legacy, a songwriter whose work has spanned decades, continents and artistic disciplines. And now, he’s ready to Shine A Little Light on the journey that got him here.
With this gospel-tinged single, Stagg is opening a time capsule. The song offers a look back at a young musician dreaming big, carving his name into the walls of clubs and honkytonks, hoping that someone would take notice. The track, taken from his forthcoming album The Pilgrim, is part nostalgia, part confession, and wholly a tribute to the never-ending pursuit of music.
The Montreal-born troubadour has lived a career that reads like a lost chapter of Canadian music history. From the instant success of To Love Means To Be Free in 1970 to his years composing operas, film scores, and full-length musicals, Stagg has been a quiet force of creativity. He has recorded for Gamma, RCA and London Records, and spent nearly three decades as a playwright-in-residence at NOSCO Academy of Theatre Arts, writing over 90 musicals. But through it all, songwriting has remained his heartbeat.
“I draw from my own journey,” Stagg says. “Looking back at a time when I was just starting, trying to navigate this crazy world as a musician. Shine A Little Light is a reflection of that — of the dreams, the doubts, and the unwavering belief in the music itself.” Indeed, the song resonates like a conversation between past and present:
“Every day he’d pray, show this child the way
Give him some direction, please
Am I doing right? Because the songs that I write
I’m laying bare my soul for all to see.”
The vulnerability of a songwriter is all over this track, the push and pull of youthful ambition and hard-earned wisdom. It’s about those nights spent writing lyrics on hotel walls, about the unseen genius of the dreamer, about the resilience it takes to stay in the game long after the first hit fades.
Now living in North Carolina, where he co-owns The Dispensary music club and continues to perform, Stagg remains as vibrant and prolific as ever. He has played MIDEM (France), Live at Heart (Sweden), and Indie Week (Canada), proving that while his name may not always be in the headlines, his music continues to travel the world. Shine A Little Light is a reminder that the fire never goes out, that every artist’s journey is worth telling, and that sometimes, all you need is a little light to guide the way.
Listen to Shine A Little Light above, hear more from Barry Stagg below, and follow him on Facebook and Instagram.
