As the self described founder and CEO of Barefoot Truth, Will Evans began what is fast becoming his musical legacy in 2004 when he teamed up with his good friend Jay Driscoll to form an acoustic duo.

Believe it or not, it all began in the church choir, where Will discovered his love of music and singing and it hasn’t stopped since. Will’s musical curiosity led him to explore the piano and then the trumpet, at an early age. When he discovered drums and percussion however, he knew he was home.In addition to playing drums and providing lead vocals, as the leader of Barefoot Truth, Will also plays the guitar, mandolin and the didgeridoo, an Australian wind instrument whose origin dates back some 1,500 years.

Asked about his start in music, Will explains ” After freshmen year of high school my dad taught me a few chords on an old 1973 martin D 28 acoustic guitar. (sort of like the red Ryder BB guns of acoustic guitars) I was hooked. I taught myself the rest, and I’ve held that guitar hostage ever since.”

As Barefoot Truth evolved from an acoustic duo on the Connecticut shoreline to what is now commonly referred to as a “musical force of nature” touring throughout the United States, Will focused more on writing and recording. A prolific songwriter, he prides himself on writing songs based on his many life experiences, both in the United States and overseas. As the primary songwriter for the band, Will’s creative work has culminated in his finest effort to date, the recently released “Carry Us On”.

Asked about his proudest accomplishments with the band, Will lists, “Learning to write music to include everyone’s unique styles; seeing our
music used in outdoor films; going to play music in Europe with The Sweet Remains; playing some of the most amazing venues in New England and playing with the likes of Crosby and Nash, Bruce Hornsby, State Radio, Howie Day, Eric Hutchinson and Grace Potter.” He continues, ” But mostly hearing from fans, friends and family what the music means to them and how it has found its way into their lives.”

When not on stage, or on the road, you can track Will down either surfing, paddle boarding, slacklining, skiing, hiking or playing hockey, soccer or tennis. But when you find him, you better be prepared to keep up!

The product of an entertainment family, Wayno represents the fourth generation of musicians and performers in his lineage, and a distinguished lineage it is!

As Barefoot Truth’s keyboardist, Wayno adds a special dimension to the band’s music and limitless energy to their live performances. He grew accustomed to touring, at least on a local level, spending his youth playing trumpet and piano in his father’s Dixieland band and big band.

Although he was a good student, he would often get in trouble for taking bathroom breaks and sneaking into the auditorium to play the grand piano during his early school years.

Until joining Barefoot Truth in 2007, Wayno’s primary musical interests were jazz and show tunes. He has appeared in no less than 50 musical theater productions presented by the Ja’ Duke Performing Arts Center and training facility, owned and operated by his family in Turners Falls, Massachusetts.

Commenting on his musical upbringing, Wayno said, ” I never would have thought I would ever play in a rock band. I know very little about music, post 1940-1950. I have never really spent much time listening to rock music. I admire all types of music, whether it’s cheesy, bad, great, genuine, amazing or complex. I try to find a way to love it all, but I couldn’t name you a Pink Floyd song, or sing you a Bob Dylan song. And, I don’t know anything about the Rolling Stones, or Willie Nelson.”

Wayno pursued his love of jazz during his college years at Westfield State College, where he continued to develop his skills. He knew he would never get rich as a jazz musician because of its limited commercial appeal, but he had no idea what was in store when he first met classmate, Andy Wrba who played the bass as a member of the band Barefoot Truth. He recalls their first meeting noting, ” I met Andy Wrba my freshman year of college and he was very intimidating. I grew to respect him as musician incredibly.”

At the band’s invitation, Wayno was offered an opportunity to record on their release “Walk Softly” as a guest artist. That experience proved fateful for him and the band. It was clear to all that Wayno was the missing piece to their complex musical puzzle and he joined the band full time.

Commenting on his musical journey, Wayno said, “This band has given me the chance to put to use everything I have learned on the stage and in the classroom. I’m so proud to say that I love what I do and am very thankful to be given the chance to get up on stage and entertain our fans, as part of this musical force of nature known as Barefoot Truth.”

One last thing you should know about Wayno – he does a very convincing Chinese-American accent and has used it to entertain his band mates and keep them awake during late night drives on the road. He proudly admits, “I’ve prank called most of the bands friends and family with said accent.”

A prankster at heart, Barefoot Truth co-founder Jay Driscoll provides a solid presence in the band, playing both traditional acoustic and electric guitar, as well as the unique lap style Weissenborn slide guitar, an instrument first manufactured in the 1920s and 1930s.

Despite being advised at the age of 14 against a career in music by his father who assured him that “we don’t have a musical bone in our family”, Jay taught himself how to play the guitar using his computer to learn musical tabs, ultimately developing compelling guitar licks of his own.

Asked how he first became interested in the Weissenborn guitar, Jay explained, ” During college I would often visit my Uncle Dixie, a Vermont farmer, who used to play the Dobro to the horses. He taught me how to play lap style guitar, which eventually led me to the instrument I play today.”

Jay didn’t stray far from his hometown roots in South Hadley, Massachusetts to attend the University of Massachusetts where he continued to refine his musical skills playing guitar in the stairwell of his dorm and occasionally tossing water balloons out of the 21st floor window of his dorm room.

Migrating to the Connecticut shore during summer break however, turned out to be one of the best things Jay has ever done. It was there that he first met Will Evans. The two became fast friends and worked together blending their acoustic music styles.

During the summer of 2004, Jay and Will put together a set of covers and original songs and began performing live as Barefoot Truth, for the first time. For the next three years, they remained an acoustic duo, performing and recording two albums and crafting their own style, while earning their college degrees.

Commenting on Barefoot Truth today, Jay explains, “I can’t overstate how proud and fortunate I feel to be a member of this amazing group of people. Barefoot Truth seems to really bring something special and uniquely positive to the lives of its fans, its friends, to our families and to ourselves as individuals.”

For a guy who didn’t know his real full name until the age of 16, Jay has come a long way. Ask him about it sometime, but be on the lookout for water balloons!

Garrett Duffy began his Barefoot Truth experience when he joined the band in 2006 on the harmonica.

Having grown up in both Alaska and Florida, Garrett is well acquainted with the flow of change and the creative push of contrasts. He has lived in seven different states over the course of his 26 years.

Living in a log cabin built by his father, the wild Alaskan setting instilled in Garrett an appreciation of nature, as well as for the value of a healthy mind and body. At an early age, he also inherited a respect for and love of the ocean, from his father who was a commercial fisherman, by profession. His interest in adventure and the outdoors was spurred by his father’s other pursuits of mountain climbing, diving, and competitive racing with the US Luge Team.

The full impact of music came knocking on Garrett’s door when he first met Barefoot Truth founder and front man, Will Evans, during his college sophomore year. Garrett explains, “All of my close friends in college, including Will, were musically talented. I picked up harmonica because I wanted to be included in the fun.” He continues, “I learned a lot from Will by jamming in his dorm room.”

As their friendship grew, so did their common interest in the outdoors and their commitment to environmental awareness. “We quickly discovered our similar passion for the outdoors when we surfed in Maine, Rhode Island, and New Zealand and also through many days of skiing in Vermont.”

Garrett quickly became a force to be reckoned with on the harmonica and was asked to play on a couple of tracks on Barefoot Truth’s “Club House Sessions.” From there, he jumped in fully as a band member and soon his signature harmonica bends became an integral part of the Barefoot Truth sound.

Recently Garrett has begun to compose and sing his own songs, one of which “Rope” appears on the band’s new release, “Carry Us On.”

An avid practitioner of Yoga, Garrett sums up his experience as a member of the band this way, “Barefoot Truth is a group of “brothers” who are constantly expanding the boundaries of positivity through music. Barefoot Truth has been a grassroots project with four of my best friends. I am proud to say that the soul of this project is pure.”

Garrett lives a life that puts the emphasis on gathering experiences rather than things and he is guided daily by his favorite quote, “The more you know, the less you need.” (Yvon Chouinard)

Andy Wrba was destined for a career in music.  His parents brought the best of New York City and the beautiful Berkshires of western Massachusetts to Andy, weaving an early appreciation for music into his young life.  Starting at age 13 on his mom’s acoustic guitar, Andy soon joined his dad jamming to the blues on the family piano.  Acknowledging the special place that music had found in his life, he soon bought his first electric guitar and electric bass.  Since that time, there’s been no looking back.

Andy went on to play it all; jazz, rock, funk, and soul – nothing was off limits.  By the time college rolled around, there was no doubt that Andy would pursue advanced studies in music.  He received his degree in Jazz Studies from Westfield State College in 2011, where he also met Wayno, Barefoot Truth’s keyboardist, for the first time.

In his spare time, Andy can generally be found in one of the four places he counts among his favorites in the world; his grandparent’s apple orchard, Tanglewood (the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra), a soccer field or New York City.

Asked for thoughts on his Barefoot Truth experience, Andy said, “I met Will, Jay, and Garrett at the Iron Horse Music Hall in January 2006 and soon after I joined the Truth full time.  Since then, they have all become like brothers to me.  My favorite part about Barefoot Truth is the family quality that we all share with each other, our friends, families, and fans. It’s been amazing how the five of us have grown together and have met some truly wonderful people along the way.”