Our Story

Karin Danger, Alec Barnes and Matt Wilson are a band of New Orleans based musicians, brought together by a love of the deep folk, blues and rock vocal music that underpin the American experience. Drawing inspiration from Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Eagles, The Traveling Wilburys, and an endless parade of stars, they started this group to build a bridge between classic sounds and our modern world.

All three are instrumentalists and trained singers, approaching music with a focus on tonal beauty and soaring harmony. Their crystalline voices reinvigorate the material that inspired them to begin their own careers, and they are writing new work that authentically carries that voice forward.

Alec, Matt and Karin met while playing together on Bourbon Street in the heart of New Orleans, All three were drawn to the city by its unique impact on musical history and have become proud participants in its artistic culture. Danger, Barnes, & Wilson matches time-honoured musical tradition with a fresh, welcoming down-home style. We can’t wait to share our songs with you.

Alec was born in a bucket by the side of the road in Alabama. They named his town Slapout because after he was born that’s all they wanted to do to him. He was the only one to graduate middle school without his virginity and with the ability to shoot a man in the head from 100 yards. Also, he was the only one to graduate middle school. He moved to California to continue his education and went from being the best-looking person in Slapout to the beastliest in Hollywood. After they rode him out on a rail, he moved to Florabama to shuck oysters until someone heard him singing in the hull of a shrimp boat and they floated him down to New Orleans without his knowledge. Alec sings pretty good, but most of the time he hides online, pretending to be a monster to scare rich nerds.

Matt has been performing professionally since the age of 23. Originally from Lancaster, PA, he began playing piano and singing at a young age. Together with his brother, he formed a band and played regularly around the area, including an opening spot for Kansas. He worked at Jellyroll’s piano bar in Florida for nine years. After falling in love with the music of New Orleans, he soon moved there and now plays on Bourbon Street and around the city. Matt’s appreciation for the music of New Orleans shines through in his playing and composition, which lean into the musical traditions laid out by local luminaries like Dr John, Professor Longhair and James Booker. His debut EP Tipitina Patina came out earlier this year.

Karin was training as an opera singer and violinist when she accidentally bought Queen’s A Night At The Opera album, and immediately switched to contemporary music. She worked for ten years in professional Australian theatre and cabaret, touring nationally and internationally with her original music and earning notoriety, grants, and awards for her writing. A highlight of her career was losing a songwriting award to Tim Minchin. Her work has featured on radio, TV, and stage, including a command performance for the British Crown in 2012. She moved to the US in 2014 and fell into the piano bar routine of learning vast quantities of material very quickly, developing a new appreciation for the nuances of American music. Karin’s work focuses on strong vocal arrangements, storytelling and humour, and making sure every song contains something special that’s worth sharing with an audience.

Tribute Show

Danger, Barnes, & Wilson have a deep repertoire of classic vocal-forward songs; including music by Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, The Beach Boys, The Mamas and The Papas and of course Crosby, Stills, & Nash, among many others. They have curated a selection of well-known and great-sounding retro music that can be guided to the parameters of any event from a gentle listening room to an upbeat party. Enjoy some dreamy nostalgia with the most beautiful voices in the city.

Original Show

Karin, Alec and Matt are all experienced songwriters. Karin was a professional songwriter for theater and cabaret before moving to New Orleans, and Matt just released an EP with his original music earlier this year. Together they have created an original playlist of grassroots acoustic music highlighting their exceptional strength in vocal harmony. Telling stories of youth, truth, love, loss and longing, their songs feature modern themes while paying homage to the foundational artists that inspired them along their own journeys.