Exploring Birdsong: Making Up For Lost Time
Talented trio EXPLORING BIRDSONG stunned the prog metal faithful with debut EP, The Thing With Feathers back in 2019, sparking a rousing excitement to see what was next on the agenda.
“It was a pleasant surprise,” admits vocalist/pianist Lynsey Ward. “We started this band in university and we’ve always maintained the same attitude towards our writing which is we like to make what we like and it’s been a massive bonus that other people like it too. We had such a warm reception for the first release and we were only teenagers at the time so it was really nice. That open-mindedness and willingness to come with us on this journey was quite refreshing.”
Unfortunately, just as EXPLORING BIRDSONG were beginning to pick up some momentum they ran into a brick wall known as the pandemic which put all their plans for touring on the back burner for the foreseeable. With an abundance of time on their hands they began working away on their follow-up release, what we now know as Dancing In The Face Of Danger. “It was a bit of a shame,” confesses Lynsey. “We didn’t get the opportunity to do what we thought we were going to be able to do. The songs for Dancing In The Face Of Danger have been written for a long time. They’ve existed in some form since before the first album was released so it gave us the chance to really dig down into those songs and take them right back to the brick and build them up again. They’ve gone through quite a bit of transformation. We’re really pleased with the results!”
The second release builds on the captivating melodies and bundles of emotion which were packed into its predecessor whilst at the same time venturing to pastures new, pushing their creativity to the next level. “It’s different this time round as the first was a concept and we were sticking to particular parameters,” admits Lynsey. “Whilst there is no continual narrative they are still conceptual in their own right and have their own stories to tell. We wanted to see how experimental we could get without getting too carried away and I think we managed to strike a good balance. We don’t have an established writing process but we find we’re at our most effective when we get into a room and play together. It almost sounds like I’ve made this up but when we’re on to something good we all look at each other and get that feeling. It’s quite surreal. We don’t live locally to each other so we go our separate ways and work on our own things and see what sticks. What I’m really pleased about is that we always seem to be on the same page.”
Every track on this release exudes quality and proficiency but one track in particular, Ever The Optimist had a very talented set of hands providing assistance. Lynsey and drummer Matt Harrison were offered the chance of a lifetime, taking part in a writing session with the one and only Sir Paul McCartney!
“I sometimes go and do talks on behalf of the university and they will ask me what my number one experience was and it will always be that,” says Lynsey. “It can’t be anything else. I can’t actually believe it happened. I’ve had weird dreams that feel more real! I’m a massive BEATLES fan so it was amazing. One of the things they say to draw people in and get them interested in attending university is that they might get the opportunity for a writing session and no one ever really thinks it’s going to be them, I certainly didn’t. Matt was very matter of fact about it all, I was very much up in the clouds. He was the opposite, went right up and shook his hand and I was just stood there quivering. The best thing about the experience we that he let you put across what you were trying to achieve, he was ready to give you feedback if you wanted it. He was very respectful and good at reading the situation.”
Despite this momentous occasion, EXPLORING BIRDSONG remain incredibly humble and are always paying attention to feedback from fans and peers alike. “We try and read as much as we can just to sort of gauge what’s happening out there,” discusses Lynsey. “We’re really proud of our material and in my opinion once you release something it no longer belongs to you so it’s important that people become attached to it and enjoy it. We’re fundamentally fans of this kind of music too and have our own conversations about bands that have released music so it’s really fun to be part of the conversation. So much music has came out since we wrote the previous material that we’ve listened to and soaked up and we’re already working on new material. We don’t know where it will lead just yet but we know it’s going to be a lot of fun!”
Dancing In The Face Of Danger is out now via Long Branch Records.
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