By Cecelia Otis

  Skip the long drives – Scranton has its own celebration of music, art, and community right here at the historic Iron Furnaces. Good Things Are Happening Fest brings together bands you love (and new ones you’ll discover), fantastic vendors, and plenty of food and drink in a setting that feels unmistakably homegrown.  I had the opportunity to connect with the organizer and musician of the festival, James Barrett, and learn more about this amazing event. In the interview with James, I asked him more about his music journey and how the idea for the festival occurred. This is my “7 Questions with James” interview, and I hope you learn something interesting about his music and experience organizing the Good Things Are Happening Festival.

1.) You have been steadily creating and releasing music for the past five years. How did you get started in music? What drew you to it in the first place?

• When I was a kid, I was always surrounded by music. My dad would come home after work and play guitar in my basement every day. My older brother started drumming when he was really young, and my sisters were just very into music and also responsible for my music taste growing up. All of that made me get my first bass guitar in third grade. Soon after, I began teaching myself guitar and writing my own music. Once I started, I never stopped. 

2.) Your first LP was titled The Price of Comfort, released in 2019. What were the inspirations for this album? Any favorite songs or memories from the album?

• It is crazy to think of how much time has passed since then. I wrote a lot of that record in my late teens and early 20s. A lot of it is just about growing up and experiencing real-life things for the first time. That album was me coming into myself as a songwriter and writing the music I always wanted to. I remember I was heavily inspired by Gang of Youths and The War on Drugs during that time. I think my favorite memory of that album was driving to Philly every weekend to work on it and driving home on the turnpike listening to the progress we made. The world felt very open then. 

3.) A good chunk of the years that you’ve released music were tied down with COVID. Were there any struggles that you faced at that time? How did you overcome them to produce the music you did?

• I released The Price of Comfort in October 2019 during a very confusing time of my life. It felt like once I started to feel like myself again, the world shut down, and I had no idea what to do. I had driven to Massachusetts to record my song “Oh My God” a month before the shutdown, and now I had a whole record I wanted to make, but didn’t know where to go. A few months into the pandemic, I started working in a tiny house (literally)  in Old Forge, PA, and there I recorded my second record with Jake Checkoway. It was just the two of us working together and somehow made a very special record in the smallest of places. Those were some of the most beautiful and rewarding days of my life. 

4.) Your most recent album was released in 2021, titled A Series of… Mostly Nothing. It is mentioned that this album is more dramatic and emotional. Any specific inspiration for A Series of… Mostly Nothing? 

• The way I always describe the theme of that album is overcoming heartbreak at what felt like the end of times. Trying to navigate heavy feelings in isolation while the outside world was closed off. When I think of the pandemic, I think of writing that record. 

5.) Aside from your music, you are the founder and organizer of the Good Things Are Happening Music Festival. What brought about the idea for the festival?

• I came up with the festival on a whim, really. It is the power of social media that brought it to life. I posted on Facebook and Twitter about how a hypothetical music festival in Scranton could be amazing, and the response was just incredible. People from all over messaged me about it. Some offering help, some asking how they can get involved, and a whole lot of bands asking if they could play. It was pretty clear from the start just how much the community wanted this, so I decided to see how I could make it happen. Within three months, we had our first festival, and I realized this couldn’t be a one-time thing. Now we are in year four, about to have our biggest festival yet. It feels surreal. 

6.) The festival is said to have a great impact on the Scranton community and the arts. What can you say about that impact? Do you plan on furthering that impact in the future?

• The most beautiful part about our festival is the way that it benefits so many in our community. I truly believe it helps everyone involved, especially our vendors and local businesses. The whole point of the festival is connection and supporting one another. It makes me very proud to hear from vendors, bands, and patrons just how much they enjoyed the day and met so many new people. 

7.) For anyone who has never heard of or attended the Good Things Are Happening Festival, what can you tell them about the event? What can they expect to see or do at the festival?

• Good Things Are Happening Fest is exactly how it sounds: a day full of good things. We are an all-day outdoor music and arts festival that prides itself on inclusion and community. We offer re-entry, free water, dozens of vendors, 11 bands, craft beer, and a whole lot more. We are also located in the heart of downtown Scranton at The Iron Furnaces. It is a beautiful day for everyone involved.

The Good Things Are Happening Music Festival is happening on Saturday, September 6th, 2025, at 12 pm. Scranton Fringe is proud to be one of its many proud sponsors!

Tickets are on sale now on the festival’s website – just click here – so head on over and grab some tickets to experience a day of music, community, and fun!