Being funny, charming and talented is not an easy task to accomplish—unless you’re Dave Barnes.

A Grammy nominated singer-songwriter with eight critically acclaimed albums to his name, Barnes employs an unmatchable wit when speaking to The Daily Beacon about life, love and his new album, “Golden Days.”

Barnes will visit Knoxville July 24 to play an acoustic show at The Square Room in Market Square.

Daily Beacon: What is your background with the Knoxville area?

Dave Barnes: Well, I moved here my junior year of high school and I graduated from Farragut High School. I also spent summers here while I was in college. My family still lives in the area.

DB: Would you consider yourself a UT fan?

Barns: From where we moved around so much when I was a kid, I actually follow all of the SEC teams. But my brother and sister both went to UT and my parents go to all the games.

DB: Your new album, “Golden Days,” was released earlier this year. How does it compare to past albums and how is it different?

Barnes: With every record I make I’m learning new things and hopefully getting better at songwriting. I’m learning, most importantly how to consolidate and simplify. Every record I’ve made as I’ve gotten older has become a little more distilled in my writing and lyricism. There’s a fun, funky Bonnie Raitt type duet that I’m really excited about on this album. This record has got some of those great moments. Also, there is a lot of maturity. For example with the album’s single, I couldn’t have written that before having kids and getting married. It’s fun having a different perspective where my life is right now.

DB: So what can fans expect from your show at The Square Room on July 24?

Barnes: The show at The Square Room is part of a songwriter series they are doing. It’s acoustic—just me and a guy that plays piano with me. I love shows that end up being more spontaneous and fun. I don’t have to do everything by the book.

DB: Are you excited about coming back to Knoxville to play?

Barnes: Oh, yeah. Most definitely. Knoxville is one of my top three favorite places to play. It’s great to come home and see the family too.

DB: Who would you consider your greatest musical influences?

Barnes: The moods I’m in always affect what I listen to. I love Mark Cohn and Bruce Hornsby. John Mayer is always super inspiring, Stevie Wonder, Bonnie Raitt. Those are the main ones.

DB: Your music tends to be very popular among the college-aged crowd. Did you originally plan to target that demographic?

Barnes: Actually, I think because I started writing in college that it was just natural for people at that age to say, “Hey, I feel that way too!” It’s so funny, I went to speak at Belmont recently about writing music. I’m standing up on stage and here I am in my mid-thirties and college kids and even high school kids are still listening to my music and I think it is just the coolest thing in the world. I feel so fortunate that people still listen to my songs and they are relevant to them.

DB: Aside from your music, on Facebook and Twitter, you are a very funny guy. Have you ever considered doing a stand-up routine?

Barnes: I actually did some stand-up shows (Laughs). I’ve done probably four or five shows like that in Nashville and it was so much fun. It’s something I would definitely like to do again and I’m gathering material for that. It’s exercising a different part of your brain. It’s the difference between long distance running and sprinting. It’s a similar thing but using different muscles.

DB: So how do you go from cracking jokes to writing such serious, romantic songs?

Barnes: I think all of it’s gotta get out somehow and I’m really fortunate to have songwriting. I act like an idiot sometimes, especially with my kids. I love goofing off and it kind of gives me an outlet for all these thoughts that are more contemplative or serious or thought provoking.

DB: You recently amicably split from your record label, Razor & Tie. So what is next on your agenda?

Barnes: This season there is a lot of change career wise. I’m back on my own. It’s really exciting to be back at the steering wheel. It’s nice because I’m calling all the shots again. I get to decide how busy I want to be with touring, etc. Next year I plan to release a couple of EPs which I’m really excited about.

Another huge thing is that I’m writing songs for other people here in Nashville which has taken up a lot of my time. Even before I wanted to be an artist, I wanted to write songs for people. I like sitting in a room with folks and helping them figure out what they want to say. All these new chapters are happening for me that couldn’t happen when I was touring all the time. The biggest chunk is getting to be a dad and a husband. It’s a lot of fun, exciting stuff, I’m just a little more firmly rooted than I was before.

DB: What ran through your head when you found out that you had been nominated for a Grammy for your song, “God Gave Me You?”

Barnes: In my whole life, it is one of the top five moments. I actually didn’t even know it had happened. Charles from Lady Antebellum is a good friend of ours and his wife texted me congratulations in all caps and I was like, “Congratulations for what?” So I called her and she said, “Dave, you just got nominated for a Grammy.” I just freaked out. What really blows my mind is that out of all the songs that were released that year in the country world, that was one of the five that were nominated. Hopefully it isn’t once in a lifetime, but if it is, it’s still one of the coolest things ever.