Taking a short breath after their winter tour (with a rare appearance in Toronto), Brown Bird are gearing up for the release of their 4th studio offering, Fits of Reason (Apr-2) and wasting no time getting back out on the road. While things aren’t slowing down for the foot-stomping folk duo, lead singer Dave Lamb graciously found time to discuss his influences and what makes the new album stand apart from their earlier work. He opens up about his religious upbringing and how living in Rhode Island has affected their music. Read the full interview and check full tour listings below.
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AO: While Fits of Reason isn’t a major departure from your earlier work (beside going electric), there are some definite nuances present. What were the major differences this time around in terms of writing and recording?
DL: One major difference in the writing is that the lyrical themes tend to regard the internal life rather than some of the more external themes on “Salt for Salt” such as work, environment, relationships. Another difference is that a wider variety of our influences are coming out in the music on “Fits of Reason” than had been apparent on previous releases. You’ll hear hints of Middle Eastern, Central Asian and Greek Rebetika music as well as some moments where the metal and psych-rock come through and of course there’s a nod to the Andrews Sisters for good measure.
AO: Was the evolution to electric guitar/bass a natural one, or was it something you made a conscious point of doing for Fits of Reason?
DL: Maybe a combination of the two. We’ve been writing more intricate parts as we explore how full of a sound we can create as a duo and the electric instruments have a sustain that acoustic instruments can often lack. So it seemed natural to switch to electric where that sustaining quality would lend itself well to the songs.
AO: There is a slight Middle Eastern flare to parts of the new record – how did you get introduced to those styles of music? What is it about that music that hits a chord with you? Why do you think it melds so well with your own style?
DL: It’s hard to say when we started listening to the types of music that would have led to the more “Middle Eastern flare.” I do know that in the past few years we’ve developed a pretty strong appetite for discovering more and more music from cultures around the world that move us. We’ve been listening to a lot of Omar Khorshid, Rabih Abou-Khalil, Gabor Szabo, Cumbia and Rebetika music as well as some of the more current American groups with broad international influences like Secret Chiefs 3, A Hawk and A Hacksaw and Sir Richard Bishop. I’m not sure I could describe exactly what it is that speaks to us about this music but (for lack of a better description) there does seem to be some combination of a very raw spiritual element with a keen sense of musicianship. You can also find this combination in some forms of American music but it sadly seems so absent from the majority of music that surrounds us. Hopefully our attempt to attain this combination with our music is what makes these other styles meld well with our own.
AO: Your lyrics are philosophical and there are some pretty heavy ‘thinkers’ cited on your website as influences on the new album. How did they affect your writing? Did you specifically turn to their work for inspiration?
DL: I was raised in a household where reading the Bible was a daily requirement and I think that that constant exposure to a spiritual reference ingrained in me the desire to seek spiritual/philosophical stimulation on a regular basis as an adult. I think there have always been elements of this in my lyrics but there are perhaps some more specific authors/philosophers that influenced my writing in the process of putting lyrics together for “Fits of Reason.” Thomas Paine’s “The Age of Reason” had a pretty direct impact on not only the title of the album but the overall mood of many of the lyrics as well.
AO: Is the song “Hitchens” named after Christopher Hitchens?
DL: Yes, being raised in a Christian household, atheism was obviously a very forbidden and foreign concept to me. A friend introduced me to Christopher Hitchens by bringing along the audio book version of “God Is Not Great” on one of our cross country tours last year. The audio book version is read by the author so you get a pretty good idea of the personality that’s tied to all of this thought. He makes a lot of convincing arguments that I think the majority of people who subscribe to any religion would do very well to consider. In the end I don’t align myself with all of his thinking but it’s certainly a good exercise for the mind to challenge your own beliefs and thought systems with a different perspective.
AO: You’re based in a part of the country that has a long musical tradition – how does living in Rhode Island affect your music? Is it something that is always present in your songwriting?
DL: When I really think about it, I guess that living in Rhode Island and all around New England for the past decade or so has had an affect on our music. Bands like The Modern Lovers, Morphine, Mary Timony and Victory at Sea all played very important roles in my musical growth at one point or another. These are groups that I’m not sure I would’ve had the same exposure to if I wasn’t living in Boston when I did. I know MorganEve would probably have a whole different list of her own when it comes to influences from this area (she’s lived in RI longer than I have). More recently though there are a lot of bands in the Providence area that I’m really inspired by and a lot of it isn’t necessarily a direct musical inspiration but more of an appreciation for their art and approach. Some of our favorites are Alec K. Redfearn & The Eyesores, Joe Fletcher & The Wrong Reasons, Death Vessel and Last Good Tooth. I’d say the biggest inspiration that we get from groups like this is their dedication to their craft and musicianship.
AO: What was playing the main stage at NFF like? Are you expecting/hoping to get back there again this year?
DL: Playing the main stage at NFF was amazing! It was an incredible view, a beautiful day and there was an enormous crowd of very enthusiastic music fans sprawled out on the lawn between us and the harbor. It’s definitely up there on our list of favorite shows. Unfortunately we won’t be back this year. They do a great job at rotating the acts out so that it’s a different experience each year. We had 2 years in a row there, so we’re lucky that we even had those experiences and maybe we’ll be back sometime down the road.
AO: Brown Bird has gone through a few lineup changes over the years – do you see longevity with the group as a duo? What are the major differences with the duo vs. a larger lineup in terms of writing and performing?
DL: We’re very happy with the duo lineup. It’s a very efficient little machine that we’ve got going and I think that we’re pretty set on keeping it that way. That being said, we have talked a lot about working with guest musicians in the future. We’ll keep the writing to the two of us but as we seek to improve and evolve our music, our ideas might outgrow what a duo can do.
AO: What are your plans for the summer? More touring? Writing? Taking a (much deserved) break?
DL: We’ll be on the road a lot starting with the release of “Fits of Reason” on April 2nd. Our friends Last Good Tooth will be joining us for most of April and May all the way out to the west coast. After that we’ve got a few west coast festivals, a possible short tour in Alaska and more festivals in the summer. We’ll get a little bit of rest in September (sort of).
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Fits of Reason drops Apr-2, you can pre order the album here.
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Brown Bird Tour Schedule
Apr 03 The Parlor Room Northampton, MA
Apr 04 Higher Ground South Burlington, VT
Apr 05 The Met Pawtucket, RI
Apr 09 Lilly’s Pad @ Toad’s Place New Haven, CT
Apr 10 FED LIVE Harrisburg, PA
Apr 11 Club Cafe Pittsburgh, PA
Apr 12 The Ark Ann Arbor, MI
Apr 13 The Bishop Bloomington, IN
Apr 16 The Southern Charlottesville, VA
Apr 17 Strange Matter Richmond, VA
Apr 18 The Saint Asbury Park, NJ
Apr 19 Brighton Music Hall Boston, MA
Apr 20 One Longfellow Square (TWO SHOWS!) Portland, ME
Apr 28 Stagecoach Festival Bermuda Dunes, CA
May 24 Strawberry Music Festival El Portal, CA
May 27 Sasquatch Festival George, WA
Jun 02 Nelsonville Festival Nelsonville, OH
Jul 19 Wildwood Music Festival Willamina, OR