I first mentioned Liverpool based five piece Bird in July when I was pulled in by their atmospheric doom-folk, weaving together an enchanting, otherworldy sound of sweeping violins, subdued percussion and songwriter/singer Adele Emmas' celestial vocals, they've now readied their debut EP for the worlds attention, more on that later.
First up though is an interview with the band, kindly answered by Adele:
What inspired you to start making music?
I just think it's been in my blood, running through my veins since I was a child. Music has always been such a massive part of my life, I always remember Joni Mitchell or Nick Drake echoing through the walls of my house when I was younger. I just knew I was going to make music one day, there is was nothing else I ever wanted to do.
Of your own songs, which are you proudest of and what track is the most fun to play live?
Out of all of them I'm mostly proud of Phantoms, it seems to be the track that has got us out there. It's very powerful and eerie and the whole band have helped bring the song alive in a big way. Although, we do have a new track called My Love Sleeps With Lions and I think that's a close competitor, it's definitely the most fun to play live, we can rock out in that one which is a bit unlike us!
Which artists do you feel have influenced your work and continue to do so?
I'm into music that makes you feel emotion and inspires the human heart. Those musicians for me are the likes of Leonard Cohen, Pink Floyd, Roy Harper and Kate Bush. Classical music can also be incredibly moving, for example the likes of Henryk Gorecki or Phillip Glass.
Which song do you wish you had written?
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - Into My Arms. This song was being played on the radio the day my Nan passed away so it's a very special track to me and my family, it's incredibly sad yet uplifting at the same time, it's just beautiful.
What's the best gig you've attended in recent memory?
I haven't been to many gigs of late, although, the best gig I ever went to was Arcade Fire at the M.E.N. There were seas of people all singing 'Wake Up' it and 'No Cars Go' it was so powerful I cried! Everyone just felt so united, brought together by the love of music
What is your favourite record of the year so far?
I really like Liars - Sisterworld. I love so many different genres of music but I have real grunge roots after listening to Nirvana and Fugazi as I was a teenager. So this album is brilliant if that's what your into. It's dark and grungy and something different compared to your standard rock bands.
If you were to curate an ATP event, who would you want to invite along?
It'd have to be ... Bat for Lashes, Warpaint, Chelsea Wolfe, Zola Jesus, The Beta Band, Radiohead and The Brian Jonsetown Masscare. Now doesn't that sound good? I think I should be curator!
Recommend an artist that isn’t getting the attention they deserve.
Joanna Newsom, I think the reason why a lot of people don't like her or can't listen to her is because people think she has a irritating voice. But she has written some of the most amazing songs, especially the Ys album. Her lyrics are just mind blowing.
*****
Many thanks to Adele for answering my questions, certainly my favourite ATP curator to date (even if I'd probably choose sleep over Radiohead!), the EP I mentioned above is digitally released somewhat perfectly given the haunting, eerie nature of Bird's song-craft on Halloween, October 31st.
Led by the title track "Phantoms", of which the world has already decided is their signature track to date, distinctive instrumentation create an ethereal atmosphere through a repetitive, stomping drum beat, melodic guitar and gorgeous harmonies, it's certainly not a bad track to have as your 'signature'. The other three tracks maintain the spiritual ambiance too, my favourites are the beautiful "Hey Hey Moonshine" and "The Witch Hunter", one of the eeriest tracks I've heard for sometimes, just wait until Tim Burton hears Bird...
The EP is launched with a special show in Liverpool on December 3rd, full details can be found on this facebook event page.
Listen to a couple of track below and watch the video for "Phantoms", shot in black and white it perfectly matches the ambience of the track:
No comments:
Post a Comment