Bird “The Havana Garden”
Americana Highways brings you this premiere of BIRD’s song co=written with Jane Ellen Bryant, “The Havana Garden” from Bird’s new EP Strange As Folk, which is set for release on May 1st. Strange As Folk was produced by Pete Davis (Dido, PJ Harvey) and Bird, mixed by Pete Davis, and mastered by Adam Ayaz.
Musicians on “The Havana Garden” are Bird on all vocals, background vocals, strings and drums; Jane Ellen Bryant on vocals; Ilya Toshinsky, Kris Donegan, Gabriel Rhodes on background vocals; Jay DeMarcus, Matt Slagle, and Phil Donnelly on guitars, Rick Richards and Steve Sinatra on bass; Ally Herbert and Ian Burdge on strings; Mikey Rowe and Jay D Marcus on Hammond organ; and Pete Davis on French Horn.
This video was directed by Bird, and edited by Simon Ellis at Astro Studios.
As Bird shares about the EP: “This second EP is really just the next step on my sonic journey exploring where I can stroll about musically in the landscapes of the Indie Folk/Americana/Singer songwriter genres. I have also continued collaborating and have become more deeply attached to the idea of making songs that incorporate modern story telling encased in traditional songwriting and instrumentation with a twist… I’m setting the scene for what will eventually become an album and a continued focused direction away from contemporary pop and to somewhere more meaningful that still feels fresh and intriguing. I’m excited to be sonically travelling like this and look forward to taking my listeners on this journey with me.”
This song chronicles the Cuban mythological tale of a cemetary where miracles take place, which has become a beloved site of spiritual quests: “Glass roses and marble carved / Like they never aged / In this Havana garden / Lay lovers and friends.” There’a a hushed acoustic vibe with gentle cinematic strings and an overall ethereal vibe which is utterly compelling.
You can find more details here on her website: https://www.birdofficial.com/ and find the music here: https://awal.uk/strangeasfolk
