Humbird arrives at The Hotel Café in Hollywood, CA tonight, March 16th, as the Minneapolis-based indie-folk act’s first tour since 2020 continues in support of 2021’s critically acclaimed release, Still Life.
After moving through California, Oregon, Washington and Montana, Humbird’s tour will continue with dates in April in the Midwest. With the studio expertise of Still Life’s intricate but personal arrangements as the point of departure, the band will imbue the material with fresh energy in the live setting.
Led by singer and songwriter Siri Undlin, Humbird carved out a unique place in Americana music on the 2021 LP, exploring the cross-sections between folk, rock, jazzy grooves and electronic music. Still Life is Undlin’s vision rendered in full color, a vivid album that stands as a testament to the power of collective creation shared by her and her bandmates: Pat Keen, drummer Peter Quirsfeld and producer and multi-instrumentalist Adelyn “Addie” Strei. The album incorporates a huge range of sounds and moods—from quiet folk to synth-laden songs that are at once reflective and joyfully experimental—and the diverse talents of the band members are on display throughout.
As Undlin expalins, “My bandmates are both phenomenal jazz musicians who also know how to rock out and play folk or just rock ‘n’ roll. It’s fun to have a bunch of wheelhouses we can lean into, depending on the song. I don’t know if I really consider myself a bandleader. I write the songs; I write lyrics and the chords; and I have ideas of how I want to sound or be presented. But ultimately, my bandmates are the experts on their instruments.”
On the album, “Summer Storm for Charlotte” and “May” dive deeply into memory and pure sound with the density of Big Thief and the sleek sonics of Joni Mitchell, and the delicate touch of 1970s electronic pioneers like Robert Wyatt and Brian Eno.
“May” has already gotten the video treatment from acclaimed directors Erik and Sarah Elstran, premiering at Minneapolis’ Parkway Theatre in August 2021. As Siri Undlin says of “May”, “It reflects on love as it moves through our lives, transforms, and then returns. The lyrics use the metaphor of a river to explore these ideas, and Addie and I wanted the arrangement to sound and feel like a breathing forest, or organisms.”
Now, as the tour continues, Humbird has released a new music video for “Pink Moon For John Prine”. The track, a touching country lament, shows off Humbird’s poetic perspective and lyrical layers while paying tribute to the vast influence of the late Nashville songwriter. The video captures a live take on the song by Undlin and company, who gather around a single camera to give viewers the intimate feeling of witnessing the performance firsthand.
Watch the exclusive video premiere for “Pink Moon for John Prine” below. Humbird’s Still Life is now available on CD, LP and all digital music platforms. Scroll down for a complete list of upcoming Humbird tour dates and ticketing info.
Humbird – “Pink Moon for John Prine” (Official Video)
[Video: Humbird]