|
|
Text: Maytina
|
Photos: The Birdy Four
|
|
|
|
The Birdy Four is a four piece (surprise, surprise) from Minneapolis, with Elizabeth as guitar/vox, Greg as guirat/vox, Noel as bass and Timm behind the kit. Noel did an email interview with me in June/06 about the new disc and what's going on in Minnesota.
How did your recording experiences differ between the EP and your new disc, Tortoise?
Noel: The recording process for the EP was more streamlined than it was for Tortoise. For the EP, we knew exactly what we wanted to do going into the studio, and we rehearsed the material really well beforehand. We recorded all the basic tracks as a band in the first few takes for each song. Then we overdubbed the vocals and leads. I think we recorded the majority of it in a weekend, then came back the following weekend for some cleanup and the final mix.
For Tortoise, we recorded in layers. We'd record, do a rough mix, listen, sit on it for a while, then go back to the studio to add or subtract or change parts. The songs were generally newer, less rehearsed and more complicated. Overall, we recorded it in about a half dozen shorter sessions over the span of a year or so.
|
|
Basically, the EP is cleaner-sounding, and Tortoise is more textured and varied.
The common thread between the two discs was Rich Mattson and Flowerpot studio. Rich provided a comfortable recording environment and was easy for us to work with. Plus, he's got some nice analogue equipment.
What are your promo plans for this disc?
Noel: Sending it to zines like Virus! That, and podcasts, and other online resources for promoting independent music. And playing live shows.
We also made videos for a couple of the songs. Not so much as a conscious decision for promoting the disc, but mainly because it seemed like a fun thing to do. (We filmed "Snowdog" with the help of director Brian Jonas over a zero-degree weekend, and it was shown at the Free Range Film Festival.) The video has probably garnered as much attention for the disc as anything else we've done.
|
Are you looking for label support? What are you looking for in a label?
Noel: We haven't really discussed it. We're working on our own music, and we're getting enough shows satisfy the desire to play out. That's the main thing. But I suppose if we were presented with some sort of good opportunity to help promote the record, we'd be up for that.
How important is it to you to be hands on about the non-musical aspects of the band? (artwork, merch design, website coding and the like)
Noel: I'm not sure how important it is for us to be involved, but we do a lot of it out of necessity because somebody has to do it. We book our own shows, do our own promotion, maintain our own website, etc. We generally make our own flyers, but have enlisted the help of friends for album artwork. Tess Zimmer designed the prototype for the package for our EP, involving sort of a paperboard box and a fake-fur enclosed package. It was sort of a pain to assemble all of them, but they turned out pretty cool. Beth's husband Nick did the illustrations for Tortoise, and his sister Lorien handled the layout. Daniel Corrigan, who has photographed a lot of the better-known Minneapolis bands, kindly did a photo session with us way back when as a favor to a friend of ours. So, we're thankful for any help we can get with the non-musical aspects of being in a band.
|
|
|
What is the independent scene like in Minneapolis?
Noel: It's good. There are quite a few clubs which feature local original bands in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and we've been fortunate enough to have played at a number of them. The Turf Club, The Triple Rock, and the 7th Street Entry have probably been our favorite places to play because they have great sound systems and are good places to hang out and listen to the other bands.
A few stations play a fair amount of local music: KFAI, "The Current", Radio K.
|
|
Noel on label support
|
'We haven't really discussed it. We're working on our own music, and we're getting enough shows satisfy the desire to play out. That's the main thing.'
|
|
Where/how do you feel you fit within that scene (if at all)?
Noel: People who do the booking for the local clubs generally put us together with roots-rock or folk-rock or 60's-style pop bands. I guess our sound fits somewhere in there.
Although, lately we've been working on some acoustic material for upcoming shows. A number of the newer clubs (The Acadia Cafe, the 331 Club) that have been popping up around town feature acoustic music or small groups.
What do you hope to achieve with The Birdy Four?
Noel: Just to keep on doing what we're doing: Playing live, writing, and recording.
|
|
|
|
The Playlist
|
Noel's Playlist
1. Queen - She Makes Me
2. Trip Shakespeare - Patricia
3. The Replacements - Alex Chilton
4. Veruca Salt - For Days
5. The Posies - Ontario
|
|
|
|
