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1
ARTS AND FEATURES
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.18.13
Asheville venues
ds at The Social
Futurebirds entertain
crowd at Grey Eagle
Music Review
Marcv Pedzwater
mpedzwat@unca.edu - Staff Writer
Futurebirds, an up-and-coming band
from Athens, Georgia, played at the Grey
Eagle last Friday to play songs off of their
sophomore album. Baba Yaga. Mirroring
the band’s progression, Baba Yaga de
buted in April.
Banjoist, guitarist and vocalist Thomas
Johnson described their inspiration for
the new album.
“We’re just kind of figuring out how to
navigate the murky waters of the music
industry,” he said.
The band, an eclectic group of indi
viduals, has come together to make mu
sic. With three vocalists each voice had
a distinctive sound that could be heard at
Friday’s concert.
The band’s five members met in Athens
through mutual connections. Bass guitar
ist Brannen Miles said they formed by be
ing involved in the music community in
Athens.
Due to the band’s diverse set of mem
bers, they have a unique style. Johnson
emphasized their desire to be different
and said he likes to think they don’t emu
late anyone.
Each of the band members grew up
listening to different genres and styles
of music. Johnson points to a variety of
influences including Motown and even
some country.
The tracks from the new album reflect
the feelings of the band’s aging members,
who said they are noticing the effects
of their nontraditional path as they are
reaching their mid-twenties.
The lyrics show the band recognizing
their lives becoming increasingly differ
ent from their peers, who have started to
settle down into traditional jobs.
“Songwriting stems from being at a
point in life where our lifestyle is getting
further and further away from our peers,”
PhotoTby Harper Splr^- Contributing
Writer
White Violet guitarist Brad Morgan
performs at the Grey Eagle, White
Violet opened for band Futurebirds.
Johnson said.
The band’s songwriting process is done
mostly by individual members of the
band, who then bring an idea or a con
cept to the rest of the band. Johnson said
there is very little structure to the band’s
songwriting process. It happens in many
different ways and some songs are easy
to write.
“Sometimes I’ve sat down and written
a song, all the music and all the lyrics in
an hour.”
At other times, it is a messier process
for the band members. Johnson said some
songs took years to write.
“Sometimes I’ve written a guitar part or
a chord progression and didn’t finish the
song for two years,” he said.
However, he emphasized a certain free
spiritedness to making the music.
“You just have to take it as it comes. If
See FUTUREBIRDS page 11