Brad and Andrew Barr cut their musical teeth on drums and guitars in their Providence, Rhode Island family home basement. The teen brothers were keen on emulating their favorite musicians, from Michael Jackson to AC/DC to Chuck Berry. Their formative years led to the creation of experimental rock trio The Slip in the 1990s. In 2004, the siblings decided to settle in Montreal. With the help of Brad's one-time neighbour, harpist Sarah Pagé, and their multi-instrumentalist friend Andres Vial, they formed The Barr Brothers. Mixing blues and folk, the quartet released their first eponymous album in 2011. An invitation to perform on The Late Show with David Letterman came in January 2012.