"There Is Another Way": The National Spotlights Sean Barcoe's Vision for Abu Dhabi Music

Abu Dhabi, UAE — When The National set out to profile the people reshaping the UAE's cultural landscape, it landed in a Khalifa City villa with plush couches, a garden, and a producer who thinks studios should be about more than billable hours. BarCoe Studios is delighted to look back on that feature — "How US music producer Sean Barcoe wants to evolve Abu Dhabi's live music scene" — and the conversation it started.

Written during the launch of the studio's Follow Your Dreams UAE campaign, the article captured founder Sean Barcoe's belief that a music scene grows through people, not transactions — an idea he carried from twelve years in Nashville's songwriter community to the heart of Abu Dhabi. It's a philosophy artists themselves echoed in the piece, describing a studio built on conversation and craft rather than a pay-and-go booth.

"I want to give something back to this community, and music is my way to do it," Barcoe said.

Years on, that commitment continues to shape everything BarCoe Studios builds — from mentorship and original songwriting to the long-held ambition of a dedicated home for live, original music in the city.

BarCoe Studios thanks The National for telling that story, and for championing the artists writing Abu Dhabi's next chapter.