Toronto alt-rock darlings, Birds of Bellwoods, excitedly share a new, self-produced EP, Album B (MNRK Music Group). Aptly titled, the album is, as the band puts it, “an album of b-sides.” While in the studio working on their upcoming full-length record, the group found that they had a number of songs which they loved, but didn’t quite fit stylistically with the new album. Wanting to find a home for these tracks they held dear, Album B was born! Listen here and watch the live performance video for the lead single, Factory, here.
“These were songs that we really loved and felt were strong, but they didn’t quite find their place on the full-length album. They also leaned more into the kind of sonic milleux of our past – they were folk songs! As we moved forward into the next album, we were definitely pushing for an active alternative direction.”
Sonically, Album B reflects more of the band’s earlier sound – similar to that of the folky Victoria and fan-favourite, The Fifth – but it also includes everything the band has learned along their musical journey. Listeners will hear a more clarified sense of songwriting and structure, as well as intricate loops and sounds underneath Birds of Bellwoods’ signature folky style.
The band shares, “There are really strong stories in each of these songs – which is one of the things that brings them together most clearly. As always, we’re talking about personal growth, life, love, and the passage of time – feelings and themes that everyone experiences.” Lead single, Factory, is a perfect example of this. “Factory is a really special song because though it speaks to a specific life and a specific story – that feeling of waiting for the right time to start a life and finally realizing that it may have passed you by, is really something that everyone can relate to.”
While these themes will carry forward on to the full-length record, listeners will soon hear an expansion of the band’s sound. Recorded at Dreamhouse studio in Toronto with GRAMMY award-winning engineer, Dave Schiffman (PUP, Vampire Weekend, Weezer), the new full-length album will see the band pushing into a heavier rock direction, while experimenting with new instrumentation and production elements.
With more on the horizon for Birds of Bellwoods, cozy up now with Album B!
ALBUM B TRACKLISTING:1. Show Me How To Love You
2. Factory
3. The Next In Line
4. Creep
5. Never To Land
ABOUT BIRDS OF BELLWOODS:
Birds of Bellwoods made waves in 2018 with the release of their critically-acclaimed debut LP, Victoria. Birds of Bellwoods have wasted little time making an indelible mark on Canada’s musical landscape, with much of the attention to come their way stemming from their highly energetic and engaging live performances. Their highly-anticipated debut album, Victoria, was released in 2018, with the lead single, Let You Go, spending over 30 weeks in the Top 40 at Alternative Radio in Canada, hit #1 on SiriusXM’s The Verge chart, and was featured as CBC’s Song Of The Week. Their album Victoria has amassed over four million streams on Spotify alone, and has been featured on numerous Spotify and Apple Music Playlists, including Viral Hits Canada, Indie All Stars, Best Of The Week, and Breaking Rock.
The band has crossed North America on numerous dates, including a slew of high-profile Canadian music festivals, from CMW and NXNE to country juggernaut Boots & Hearts to the tastemaking haven of Osheaga. That’s in addition to packed shows supporting the likes of Arkells, Wintersleep, Virginia to Vegas and Scott Helman to name a few. In 2019, the band hit the road with Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir’s Rock The Rink national arena tour as the production’s special live musical act.
