Sheffield based narrative song writing duo Cathedral Birds release their third EP, 4 Songs About Love , Loss And Wild River Swimming on May 17 2021.
After a twenty-year friendship built around going to gigs and festivals Brandon Petty and Rick Baines finally made good on their promise to make some music of their own in late 2019. On March 13 2020 they played their first gig which, sadly, was a covid super spreader event at which dozens of people caught covid, one person dying shortly after.
The singer/ guitar player from the other band (Calico Fever) wound up in ICU for over six months. The keys player from Cathedral Birds contracted pneumonia and suffered a minor stroke. Several musician friends aired their conspiracy theory denials of the seriousness of covid in the months that followed (despite being told of the events of March 13.)
This resulted in the song The Other Side, featured on 4 Songs About Love, War and Pandemics, the bands second EP. Broken Love from the same EP received a lot of love from Spotify curators and indie radio stations. In 2020 the Cathedral Birds singer contributed a chapter to a new book about his early mentor Dave Godin, the man who coined the phrase Northern Soul, compiled the Kent Records Deep Soul series and introduced Mick Jagger to the blues!
4 Songs About Love, Loss And Wild River Swimming continues the duos quest to tell strong stories with melodic complexity.
Track Listing
Wild River Swimming
“We wanted to write an uplifting song about friendship. The verses centre around things we did as teenagers in our hometown. The choruses express our love of music and the need to live in the moment. Musically we were thinking Frank Sinatra meets Pink Floyd!”
Take You Out
“I remember a wild day out drinking when a friend got his dole cheque and blew the lot on taking us out. In light of Covid it seemed like a good time to put this into song. At some point we need to get dressed up and have a good blow out.” “we are unemployed, our credits void, but we will never be destroyed.”
Unexpected Places
A story of loss set in a Northern seaside town. When the narrator takes their first break away without their partner it’s the small details that bring home the heartbreak. “There’s love in unexpected places.”
Valentines Day
“As a fan of country music song-writing we have harboured an ambition to write a straight up narrative with a twist in the end. You will need to listen through to the last line to hear that twist. You will either find it comically sentimental or heart breaking depending on how cynical you are. Either response is cool with Cathedral Birds.”
Valentines Day may have begun as a country song but its spooky trip hop backing takes it a long way from its inception.
So we have to say Achtung: With Cathedral Birds you will start a journey into sound complexities respectively harmonies and perfect storytelling. Just close your eyes and let them be your guide.
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