The boys of the James Barker Band have done it again! In their latest single, Wastin’ Whiskey, they perfectly capture that oh-so-relatable feeling of desperation that comes with the end of a relationship – the inability to move on, no matter how deeply you try to drown your sorrows.
Barker sings: Every picture, every old pair of jeans/Pile them up in the back/Take a pull, strike a match/And pour that bottom shelf out like gasoline/It’d do more than it’s doing for me, highlighting just how ineffectual drinking to forget can sometimes be; it’s just a waste of whiskey.
In need of a laugh? Check out the JBB Instagram for their Wastin’ Whiskey Roulette video – the guys end up shooting some pretty unpalatable stuff with some priceless reactions (unless you’re a sympathy puker, then maybe not).
Watch The Wastin’ Whiskey Roulette Instagram Reel
If you’re on TikTok and use this track in your video, you might even end up getting a duet from JBB!
With the melancholy guitar and Barker’s smooth vocals, this tune hits true. If you’re going through a recent soul-crushing breakup, throw this one on repeat at full volume while you’re wastin’ whiskey (or whatever your poison may be).
While the guys grew up in rural Ontario and have been in the spotlight at many big Canadian country music festivals, they’ve made the move down to Nashville and are getting international traction, having signed on with Sony Music Nashville and Villa 40, and releasing the track New Old Trucks with Dierks Bentley in 2021.
RELATED: Check out “New Old Trucks”, they’re single with Dierks Bentley …
Four of their tracks have made it to number one on Canadian Country charts, which isn’t at all surprising with their knack for tunes that make you want to cruise your favourite country roads with the windows down. Can’t wait to hear what these four get up to next!
JBB will be bringing the heat this spring with Dallas Smith’s Some Things Never Change Tour, so be sure to check them out if they roll through your town!
Stream “Wastin’ Whiskey” By James Barker Band
Lyrics To “Wastin’ Whiskey”
That first sip might as well be water
From the second that it hits my lips
Same old burn anew, why the hell bother
If it’s always going down like this?
I could take this bottom half of this fifth of Jack
And pour it right down the drain
Or just stay right here ’til the glass is clear
You ain’t coming back either way
I’ve been keeping the boys real busy
Down in Lynchburg, Tennessee
Got this front porch tab wide open
Could kill the bottle but you’ll still be killing me
This black label band aid
Ain’t working like it supposed to, it ain’t no use
‘Til they start making something missing you proof
It don’t matter how much when I’m drinking ’bout us
Maybe I’m just wasting whiskey
(Maybe I’m just wasting)
Out to grab all your things out the closet
Every picture, every old pair of jeans
Pile them up in the back
Take a pull, strike a match
And pour that bottom shelf out like gasoline
It’d do more than it’s doing for me
I’ve been keeping the boys real busy
Down in Lynchburg, Tennessee
Got this front porch tab wide open
Could kill the bottle but you’ll still be killing me
This black label band aid
Ain’t working like it supposed to, it ain’t no use
‘Til they start making something, missing you proof
It don’t matter how much when I’m drinking ’bout us
Baby, I’m just wasting whiskey
(I’m just wasting whiskey)
I could take this bottom half of this fifth of Jack
And pour it right down the drain
Or just stay right here ’til the glass is clear
You ain’t coming back either way
I’ve been keeping the boys real busy
Down in Lynchburg, Tennessee
Got this front porch tab wide open
I killed the bottle, girl, but you’re still killing me
This black label band-aid
Ain’t working like it supposed to, it ain’t no use
‘Til they start making something missing you proof
It don’t matter how much when I’m drinking ’bout us
Baby, I’m just wasting whiskey
(I’m just wasting whiskey)
Yeah, baby I’m just wasting whiskey (I’m just wasting whiskey)
(I’m just wasting whiskey)
Lauren Lee
Growing up, I was an avid country music hater. Dean Brody won me over in my 20s and my enjoyment of the genre has steadily increased since then, especially after moving to Alberta. I'm a lover of music, explorer of new places, asker of questions, admirer of nature, and socializer extraordinaire.
