Listening to Guy Barnes strumming out an original song on his acoustic guitar, watching the lights flicker on his mixing desk and detecting the distant buzz of speakers, it is hard to believe that a multi-talented musician can create such mesmerising melodies from a single room in his Storrington home. The room is in fact a kitted-out studio with electric guitars (including an acoustic Charvel presented to Guy by the brand 20 years ago), a keyboard and microphones guarded with pop shields - all illuminated by laptop screens where the tracks are layered and perfected. “I moved back to Storrington about ten years ago from London where I was working for Universal. I decided to come back to this neck of the woods because it’s where all my friends are and my family,” says the 42-year-old. Composing tunes for Coca Cola, recording young artists and creating his own sound, Guy is clearly immersed in the music world that hooked him at the impressionable age of three-years-old after catching Elvis Presley on TV. “I knew I had to be like that guy. My uncle had a bunch of old Elvis songs and I used to try and wriggle my hips.” Picking up the guitar soon after, Guy honed a talent for writing and performing, but he admits he was still uncertain about what career path to take. “I think every artist is incredibly unsure of who they are and what direction they want to be in when they’re at a certain age, and I was no different.” In his 20s Guy was mentored by John Oram who is globally known as the ‘Father of British EQ’, developing mixers and studio outboards for the big names in British audio. “He took me under his wing and taught me how to engineer and he set up a little studio for me.” Launching his own company for recording and producing bands, Guy has worked with familiar faces from Lil’ Chris of ‘Rock School’ to Ronan Parke of ‘Britain’s Got Talent’, alongside undiscovered performers in the Sussex midst. Guy’s work is available to buy on iTunes. Have a listen on his website www.guybarnes.co.uk. To watch Guy play ‘Where You Belong’ on acoustic for the County Times go to www.wscountytimes.co.uk. Guy is represented by FAB MANAGEMENT: www.fab-management.co.uk, 07725 333 507, info@fab-management.co.uk. To read the FULL story in our WOW supplement, pick up this week’s County Times out now!