Born in Goldsboro, North Carolina, Barfield's music is often classified as a mix of pop, rock, folk, and soul. His compositions are largely inspired by the Christian writers, Brennan Manning and Philip Yancey. He was part of the "In the Name of Love Tour" in 2005 with Todd Agnew and BarlowGirl. In 2004, he toured with Toby McKeehan and Third Day.