Welcome to the home of Americana Barcelona. Founded by singer-songwriter Bradley Lauretti, this community is dedicated to connecting the timeless traditions of folk, roots, and Americana music with the vibrant cultural landscape of Barcelona, Catalonia, and Spain. Far more than a touring project, it serves as an anchor for authentic live music. Over the years, we have had the privilege of producing and hosting unforgettable, intimate showcase events featuring an incredible lineage of world-class storytelling talent—including legendary guitarist Charlie Sexton, Violinist Scarlet Rivera (Bob Dylan), Sarah Lee Guthrie, Ian Dunlop of the International Submarine Band and the Flying Burrito Brothers, the duo of Alice Howe & Freebo, and acclaimed troubadours like Tim Easton, Johnny Irion and Reed Foehl. From neighborhood hubs in Gràcia to legendary local stages like Sala Or, GLOP Club, the Velvet Room, BlackLab, Jamboree, and El Barn in Rubí, our mission remains unchanged: fostering genuine creative community, one song and one stage at a time. You won't believe what we are up to! If you want to play one of our showcases someday send your artist info below or follow on https://www.instagram.com/americanabarcelona/
Ian Dunlop of the International Submarine Band tour Spain w/Bradley Lauretti of This Frontier Needs Heroes
March 20 Casa Irla MORE INFO
March 21 El Corazon Verde TICKET LINK
March 22 Studio 23 Tarragona
March 23 Blacklab Brew Barcelona TICKET LINK
Godfather of Alternative Country and Americana-Ian Dunlop of International Submarine Band
Country music has taken many twists and turns over the years, branching into countless subgenres, hybrids, and reinventions—Country Rock, Outlaw, Alternative Country, Alt-Country, New Country, and more. At one point, Gram Parsons coined the term "Cosmic American Music" to describe his own sound and songwriting. But in the end, these are just labels—temporary markers for different phases of the genre’s evolution.
I've drifted in and out of the music business for decades. Over the past fifteen years or so, I’ve been immersed in songwriting, recording, and various music projects in South Georgia. Waycross, Georgia—Gram Parsons’ childhood hometown—hosts an annual festival that draws Parsons fans and Alternative Country musicians from all over the U.S. It was there that I met Bradley Lauretti when he performed at the GP Guitar-Pull festival.
Waycross is a world of its own. Too far from Nashville to fall within its gravitational pull, it remains untouched by the industry's financial machine. Instead, it sits deep in the South, where the music stays close to its roots. As for my own sound, I call it Southern-Gothic Folk.
“I met Gram Parsons in '65, worked and wandered with him for several years. During our time together in the 'International Submarine Band' we strayed like mavericks, away from the rest of the herd, and ignored the warnings and advice from those who suggested that we should stop singing that awful country & western music and get in-line with the psychedelic '60s. We didn't listen and kept-on going wrong.”
In 1965 Ian Dunlop founded 'The International Submarine Band' and, along with his friend and bandmate Gram Parsons, changed the face of American popular music. Acclaimed as the first alternative-country band. Ian and Gram led the vanguard of Americana music that was to influence many of their contemporaries and future generations of musicians. Following the split of the ISB and Gram's collaboration with the Byrds, on the seminal Sweetheart of the Rodeo, they went on to work together in an early version of the ground-breaking ‘Flying Burrito Brothers.’ and remained friends until Gram's tragic and untimely death in 1973. The ISB and the Burrito Bros. both failed to reach a substantial audience, but in the last twenty years their recordings have been re-released and achieved cult status.
Ian Dunlop formed his first band ‘the Refugees’ in the late 1950s. By the early ‘60s the Refugees graduated from being a garage band to playing the college circuit in the Boston area and opened-up for some of the classic acts of the time; Roy Orbison, the Shirelles, the Crystals.etc. In England, in 1980, Ian created Ian & Muscletones who performed in the UK between 1981-’83. As well as receiving rave reviews from the music press, both John Peel and Alexis Korner championed the album - 'Human Sacrifice'.
Between 1984-’91 Ian worked in London with Russell Murch and his eccentric band ‘the Avant Gardenerz’ ( 2 x Albums): And put together ‘the Babble-on Babies’ performing and recording a mix Country/Cajun/Comedy music. In 1991 Ian returned to the US to write and record in Nashville with Jon Corneal (ex ISB, Pocco, Flying Burrito Bros.). Their CD ‘Back at Home’ was released in 1992 and re-released in 2011.
In 2008, Ian began writing, recording and performing again, making solo appearances in the UK, working on film sound tracks and embarking on his first US tour for years. Since then Ian has regularly toured in the US twice a year. Ian is a masterful storyteller and his performances are notable for his ad lib links, wickedly sharp wit and wry observations of life. He also regularly performs readings from his book Breakfast in Nudie Suits - the story of a bunch of musical desperados fighting the business, audience indifference and musical prejudice as they played a new kind of country. The book has been critically acclaimed and reviewed by BBC Radio 6 - Mark Radcliffe, Uncut magazine, The Independent and Time Out - New York. An accomplished artist, Ian also often exhibits his music-themed, lurid, artwork at galleries and festivals where he performs.
https://www.iandunlopmusic.com/
Bradley Lauretti of This Frontier Needs Heroes is originally from the indie music scene of Brooklyn, NY with musical roots that stretch from Nashville to Jacksonville to Miami and now Barcelona. Known for his DIY spirit and captivating, intimate live shows, Bradley creates an unforgettable experience whether he’s performing in a house concert, a listening room. His performances take audiences on a journey through the full spectrum of human emotion—blending humor, hedonism, activism, and heartbreaking honesty.
His song “South Dakota” was a finalist in the prestigious 2020 Chris Austin Songwriting Contest (MerleFest), further solidifying his reputation as a songwriter. Bradley has graced the stages of renowned festivals such as Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, Folk Alliance International, Nordic Folk Alliance, Live at Heart, Magnolia Festival, Hickey Fest, Gamble Rogers Folk Festival, Gram Parsons Guitar Pull, End of the Road (UK), Reeperbahn, Incubate, Athfest, Sing Out Loud, and Savannah Stopover. He has supported Scarlet Rivera, Sarah Lee Guthrie, Kath Bloom, Tallest Man on Earth, Handsome Family, Gruff Rhys, Daniel Romano, Cate Le Bon, David Dondero, Dar Williams, Chatham County Line, Scott H. Biram.
Over the past few years, Bradley has toured extensively across North America and Europe, making stops in Canada, Scandinavia, Colombia, and even Tunisia. His music defies boundaries, weaving together folk-rock anthems, indie folk, Cosmic Americana, psychedelic alt-country, and masterful storytelling—sometimes all within a single song. Drawing inspiration from legendary songwriters like JJ Cale, John Prine, Billy Bragg, Kris Kristofferson, and Townes Van Zandt, his songs seamlessly fuse love, wit, and protest to offer solace in turbulent times. He is also the founder of Americana Barcelona.
Beyond performing, Bradley is also the founder of the Stetson Kennedy Songwriter Residency in Fruit Cove, FL, dedicated to supporting and nurturing songwriting talent. With his distinctive voice, poetic lyricism, and unwavering passion for music, Bradley continues to inspire audiences around the world.
https://thisfrontierneedsheroes.org/
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