- - Avery Anna Calls Sam Barber 'One of the Closest People in My Life' as They Drop New Duet (Exclusive)

Tricia DespresFebruary 14, 2026 at 1:25 AM

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Avery Anna is ready to write a whole new chapter

The rising country star is about to headline her Girl of Constant Sorrow Tour

But first, she's releasing a new duet with Sam Barber

Avery Anna has built a career on turning her fans’ heartbreak into songs. But now, on the cusp of a headlining tour and a new duet with frequent collaborator Sam Barber, the country breakout star is ready to write a whole new chapter.

And this time, she’s telling her own story.

"I'm ready to show everybody who I actually am," Anna, 21, tells PEOPLE ahead of the release of her and Barber’s new duet, "Fear in God." She adds, laughing, "This new tour is going to be both emotional and catastrophic. That's my new descriptive word of the year."

Certainly, "catastrophic" is a bold word for a singer whose soft voice has long carried the heavy stories of others. In fact, it was those fans who helped form the backbone of her 2025 album Let Go Letters. However, the music she’s working on now might sound a whole lot different.

"The music that I'm doing this year is very Arizona inspired," says Anna, whose recent cover of the classic western song "My Rifle, My Pony and Me" points to the country roots she grew up on. "It's rooted in my family history. There's lots of different sounds and it's definitely more rocking than usual, which is super fun."

Avery Anna

Emma Jones

Indeed, Anna's cover of the Ozzy Osbourne classic "No More Tears" back in December 2025 raised eyebrows, with many having no clue that the talented artist could go and crush some of the driving song's highest notes.

"Everyone was surprised," admits Anna with a laugh. "This five foot four blonde girl was ripping some Ozzy Osbourne! I am my father's son sometimes. What can I say?"

It’s a cover the young vocal powerhouse plans to rock out on during her upcoming Girl of Constant Sorrow Tour — named after Anna’s emotional spin last year on the song "Girl of Constant Sorrow."

"Doing that cover lit a fire under me," says Anna, who is set to kick off the much-anticipated headlining tour in Cincinnati on March 12. "It showed me that I can really do whatever I want."

Avery Anna

Ryan Young

It also showed Anna that she had reached a point in her career — one that began with her viral hit "Narcissist" — where that she could take a chance and name her tour after a song that has played a "big part" in her life.

"It was a really good way to describe what I've been going through in the past couple of years," says Anna. "Everyone feels sad at some point. Sorrow does not discriminate."

But Anna seems to be happier than ever these days — something that's apparent when she talks about her work with music collaborator Sam Barber.

"Me and Sam are so close," says Anna, who reached the Top 10 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart with her "best friend" Barber with their 2025 platinum-certified viral duet "Indigo." "He's one of the closest people in my life. He knows everything about my life, and we've been super good friends for a long time."

Chances are high Barber, 22, will join her for a few special tour dates as well.

"I don't really have to convince him," Anna tells PEOPLE of the "Straight and Narrow" hitmaker. "He's pretty supportive, so he'll be there."

Sam Barber and Avery Anna

Courtesy Warner Records Nashville

In fact, Anna admits that the two have even had some conversations about becoming a country music duo somewhere down the line.

"We definitely have (talked about that)," Anna says. "It works so well and it's so natural for me and him to write together and just to connect and click. We've written so many songs — I lose track of them. Hopefully in the future there'll be more to come."

And if she needs him, he will be there.

"He cares deeply for people," says Anna of Barber. "He definitely is always there for me."

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”