Bird Language answer the call on ‘Apoplectic’

On February 25, the Massachusetts ambient pop-rock quintet releases the first single from this spring’s debut album ‘625 Days’

Feb 11, 2022

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Photo Credit: Pat Piasecki
Bird Language performs live at The Rockwell in Somerville on March 20

BOSTON, MA [February 25, 2022] -- It’s a long-held belief that understanding the language of birds – their communication, their movements, their behavior patterns – gives a person a deeper understanding of the landscape around them, allowing for a greater sense of awareness and a heightened, multi-dimensional vision not restricted by human limitation. So it’s a bit fitting that Bird Language, the Boston ambient pop-rock quintet that releases new single “Apoplectic” on February 25, has chosen this as their moniker.

Upon forming a few years ago, Bird Language set out to create a soundscape and environment where melody and rhythm could flourish over and above song structure and lyrics, an experimentation in creating emotion through a certain musical language. Bird Language’s initial batch of demos was rooted in this type of experimentalism, jam sessions that expounded upon loose ideas, hooks, or riffs, and an ethos that eventually crystallized into where the band is today. Over the past few years, that experimentalism has made room for storytelling, and the two pieces complement each other throughout what would become their debut album, this spring’s 625 Days, and this forthcoming single.

“‘Apoplectic’ covers a dichotomy of space and proximity, combining ethereal emotion and real-life storytelling,” says guitarist Andrew Doherty, furthering the notion that the project’s initial goal was “to write music that created a sense of proximity within the expanse of space, while connecting with the heart.”

The first of a string of singles before the album drop, “Apoplectic” is the first sign of Bird Language’s forward progress and expansive sonic reach, representing its members both as individual musicians and songwriters, as well as a dive forward collectively as a cohesive unit, made all the more impressive by the pandemic landscape they’ve navigated over the past two years.

“‘Apoplectic’ is about high expectations for a night out and things quickly going off the rails, and then trying to figure out what went wrong,” says vocalist and keyboardist Jeff “Chip” Nicolai. “This was really the first new song we wrote with the addition of keys. Adding piano was a big part of this song coming together and has helped shape our sound moving forward. We released a couple of demos about five years ago. Listening back to those you can tell how much our sound has progressed. ‘Apoplectic’ is a good example of where we are right now musically and hints on where we are headed.”

Where they are headed includes the forthcoming release of 625 Days, which lifts its title from the length of time it took to create it. Like most bands, the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the best-laid plans, and after starting to build a reputation around live stages across the Boston area – including appearances at Jamaica Plain Music Fest, Outlaw Roadshow, and Boston Local Music Fest at City Hall Plaza – Bird Language were forced to test their collaborative cohesion by piecing the album together separately at New Alliance in Somerville.

“Bird Language went into the studio a few days before the initial COVID lock-down in March 2020,” says Doherty. “This had a pivotal impact on how the band tracked and crafted the songs. Each musician spent hours in isolation with our engineer, Ethan Dussault, away from the rest of the band. This resulted in a number of challenges, as most bands thrive on camaraderie. For us, it forced the individual performer to discover or refine their place in the band and contribution to the album.”

That meant taking past experiences in former bands – a lengthy list amongst its five members that includes New England luminaries There Were Wires, Mellow Bravo, Planetoid, Goddamn Draculas, The Living Sea, and others – and sharing a collective vision in a suddenly unorthodox way. A new way to communicate, if you will.

“I am not sure we ever had specific goals aside from crafting songs that we believed in and having fun with each other,” admits Doherty. “At this stage, we have put in a lot of work to develop our sound, songs, and live performance. It’s time to share Bird Language with the world and see where it goes.”

Media Contact: Please direct all press inquiries to Bird Language at birdlanguageband@gmail.com or Michael Marotta at michael@publisist.co.

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