NYS Music 20​18

Tag: Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds

  • Arleigh Kincheloe of Sister Sparrow Discusses New Album and New York Tour Dates

    In the middle of her move out of Brooklyn, Arleigh Kincheloe of Sister Sparrow carved out some time to speak with us about her upcoming album and the end of her tour as she hits a few more spots in NY.

    Kincheloe and the Brooklyn-based Dirty Birds got their start in this borough in 2008 and have made quite the name for themselves, performing in almost all of the 50 states and over 10 separate festivals. Their latest work has evolved into something unique compared to their three studio albums. Kincheloe speaks about the reason for the change, the source of her inspiration, as well as a few words of reassurance about the albums development and sonic success.

    Sparrow and the Birds will fly through The Egg on November 10 and Irving Plaza on December 1 – two venues that Kincheloe has deep connections to.

    Dave Ostroff: There’s something different about this album. What would you say is setting this one apart from your previous work?

    Arleigh Kincheloe: This one is a different for me because this is more of a solo project. It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time and I never really had the time to do it. I had a baby and all of a sudden we had to stop touring for a while and I focused on this record and started writing some of the songs while I was pregnant … then when my son was two months old I started going into the studio and working on it. One of the reasons I wanted to do this was we made a lot of records as a band and most of those records were created in a live style – we’d go in and together and try to capture our live side. What I really wanted to do for the first time was let the production side (take control) and kind of explore things I’ve always wanted to try in the studio that I never had because we were trying to go for that live band sound. It was really fun for me. I was trying to be creative in a new way and I was writing with a lot of different people and was really just stretching my legs a little bit. And also I was trying to figure out how to be a new mom. It was a crazy time in my life and I think this record was made all out of love (along with) a lot of exciting stuff happening in my life.

    DO: There’s definitely tons of experimentation in there and it’s very successful experimentation. What kind of musical inspiration have you channeled into this album?

    AK: I always wanted to try too marry modern sounds, hip hops elements, soul and funk stuff that I love. I sometimes still listen to the track and say, ‘I can’t believe it came out like this!’ I have a whole Spotify playlist that was my soundscape for this. The Staples, Aretha Franklin, The Pointer Sisters, Bill Withers, Paul Simon, Joe Cocker – a very ’70s vibe. But I tried to add the modern techniques and drum sounds. The person I worked with in the studio, his name is Carter, we really got each other. I met him because of a song songwriting session where we created “Gold”. After working with him that one day, he got a exactly what I‘m going for. I verbalized exactly what I was picturing and I said, ‘ build me this world!’ and five minutes later he completely created that world. I wanted to make the rest of the album with him because I thought he just nailed it. So that’s where it’s all coming from. It was such a fun experience and it was just the two of us a lot of the time.

    DO: I’ve done some digging and found some initial reactions to the single “Ghost” and your fans loved it. But some are saying they think it’s too poppy and they don’t like the change in style. What would you like to say to some of those people to reassure them this album has a lot more to offer than this one track?

    AK: I want express as an artist that we have to evolve. If we stay the same, then we’re going backwards. We have to try new things and not everyone will like it all the time, but that’s why it’s art and music is subjective and that’s why we’re all entitled to our own opinions. I would definitely like to say wait and listen to the whole album to get a bigger picture because “Ghost” is definitely one of the more poppy songs on the album. I hope people stick around and check the rest of it out. It definitely has a little bit of everything on there. Some of the tracks lean closer to the Dirty Birds sounds and some lean farther away.

    DO: When is the release date?

    AK: It’s October 12th. It’s going to be everywhere that day. You preorder it on iTunes, you get two of the songs now. We’ll be pressing vinyl which is very exciting. The vinyl will have a couple different versions of the songs that we have – Ghost will be different on that vinyl.

    DO: Moving on to the tour and the shows – you’ve found a full time keys player, Nat Osborn. What’s his story? What does he bring to the table?

    AK: We brought him on to be the keyboard player when we did a cover show of Aretha Franklin’s Live at the at Fillmore West album. We did that at the Brooklyn Bowl and we obviously needed a piano player because that album has her playing the organ. We all got along so well – he’s actually an old friend of a couple of the guys in the band and I personally got along really well with him. It’s been adding a lot of freedom in other ways. Whereas my brother on harp, a lot of time he was holding down the organ sounds through his pedalboard and his harmonica, so he now has the freedom to mess around with a different things. My brother is also playing lap steel (guitar) now so we’re bringing a lot of dynamic sounds to the mix which is a lot of fun for us. That is helping bring in the new album songs to life. It’s been really fun and I’m really excited for the rest of the fall.

    DO: You have three NY shows coming up, out of those, do you have a favorite?

    AK: New York is a hometown. I was born in Albany and raised in the Catskill Mountains so Albany is a hometown show in that my dad will be there, my friends from high school will probably come up and see that one. Aand then here in Brooklyn, this is where the band started and where I’ve been for the past decade so those two are both going to be really special.

    DO: I wanted to close out with this – to those who haven’t seen a Sister Sparrow show, what would you say to that are on the fence about seeing you guys live?

    AK: If you’ve never seen us before, we’re all just having a good time. For me, the whole point of this is to have a good time, to spread that feeling of joy and dancing – that’s a very important part of it for me and I hope people also feel the same way. It’s just a good time. We’re a little bit loud, a little bit rock, a little bit emotional as hell. We’re trying to bring everything together, spread a little love, spread a little joy – I know it sounds so cheesy but it’s true! That’s my mission and if I could have a good time up there, hopefully it’s contagious. When the crowd is having a good time then we’re having a good time and visa versa.

  • Autumn is the new Summer at first Borderland Festival

    On the equinox, the border between summer and autumn, just outside Buffalo at the border between the US and Canada, emerged a brand new festival showcasing music, arts, and crafts bordering in and around roots and Americana. The first Borderland Festival was, by all measures, a huge success in its inaugural year, establishing itself as a viable extension to the Western New York festival season and an event worthy of a summer’s long anticipation.

    The festival was gorgeously situated at Knox Farm State Park. Parking was on polo grounds, craft vendors were set up inside horse stables (a few of which actually housed horses), and craftsmen were scattered about, demonstrating their expertise in sheep shearing, cigar rolling, beer brewing, horseshoeing and more. Tasty local food and beverages were available via tent and truck, and a consciousness for the environment was on display with many people drinking from available reusable metal cups and volunteers assisting in proper disposal of all garbage, recyclables and compostables.

    Though with non-stop quality music filling the air, there really was time for little else. Two main stages, the Grasslands Stage and the Split Rail Stage, sat mere yards apart and featured alternating sets for a continuum of music across the entire day. A short walk past the horse stables sat the Homespun stage where local talent held court, filling time as viable alternatives to the main acts. Buffalo roots bands like Folkfaces, The Observers and 10 Cent Howl kept the party rambling with down home jams and singalongs. All of the stages were within a few minutes walk and fans could easily catch some of everything with little sacrifice.

    And O, the music! Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds gave a little preview of their forthcoming album, busting out the upbeat and catchy “Ghost” and showcasing singer Arleigh Kincheloe’s incredible vocal range on the soulful “Gold.” Montreal’s Barr Brothers made a rare appearance in the area, opening with “Come in the Water” and closing with “You Would Have to Lose Your Mind” in a set chock full of their warm and eclectic folk rock. With harps, pedal steels and 12-string guitars, it was a rich tapestry built of many strings, and even one thread which Brad Barr pulled through his guitar for a spacey sonic vibration that reverberated across the farm.

    Veteran indie-rockers Dr. Dog are no strangers to Western New York and they were treated like old friends by the crowd which was dancing and singing along from note one. Decked out in matching festival sweatshirts, they treated the audience to an energetic career-spanning set, featuring classics like “The Breeze” and “That Old Black Hole” while also working in a solid chunk of their 2018 release Critical Equation. The slinky groove of “Listening In” turned heavy and dark while “Go Out Fighting” built an deep energy that reached a My Morning Jacket-style intensity level.

    The Sam Bush Band showcased their unique take on traditional music, delving into Bush’s newgrass roots on the instrumental “Greenbriar” and getting funky on a fine cover of Alan Toussaint’s “Sneakin Sally Through the Alley.” There was still room for some classic bluegrass stomps with “Howling at the Moon” and “Big Rabbit” and even some social action with “Stop the Violence.” Another Canadian crossing the border for the Borderland Festival, Sam Roberts thanked the area fans for being his first American audience to take him in. Roberts and his band, with stylish guitar-heavy grooving rock, delighted the audience with fan favorites like “Brother Down” and “Mind Flood.”

    The clouds persisted for most of what was a perfectly brisk first day of fall. But just as the sun was setting, the clouds parted enough for a beautiful sky filled with reds, oranges, yellows and purples to flow over the festival. It was against this backdrop that New Orleans octet The Revivalists took the stage for the final set of the evening. The crowd kept plenty in the tank and were ready to rage along as the band brought an infectious energy to the stage. Blasting horns, tight rhythms, shredding guitars and a soaring pedal steel formed a crunchy American rock sound that jammed and grooved its way through the darkening night. Autumn was officially here, but for one small corner of the world, a few thousand people were still holding on tight to the spirit of summer.

  • Sister Sparrow releases “Ghost” off upcoming album ‘Gold’

    Sister Sparrow has released the first single, “Ghost,” a poppy, energetic club number with hints of Blondie throughout, off Gold, due out on October 12th.

    Sister Sparrow has released the new single, “Ghost,” ahead of the release of their latest album Gold, a single that Arleigh Kincheloe explains was inspired by “That feeling when someone has rejected you but now suddenly wants you back… that drunken late-night text from an ex out of the blue. Ain’t got time for that. Ghosting someone who really deserves it is what it’s about. Getting even but also ridding your life of the BS that keeps holding you back.” In an unconventional move, Sister Sparrow premiered the unique “lyric” video, which features the lyrics displayed in emojis instead of words, on Snapchat, after leading fans through a social media scavenger hunt to allow them to see the video and hear the single 24 hours before it was officially released.

    Gold takes the classic soul-rock sound created by Sister Sparrow and her brass-fueled combo, The Dirty Birds, and turns it into something altogether new, a soul-blasted contemporary pop approach supremely suited for Kincheloe’s immense voice and even greater vision. Produced and co-written in collaboration with Carter Matschullat (Chef’Special, Secret Weapons) at Brooklyn’s DØØM Studio, the new album sees Sister Sparrow expressing herself like never before.

    Sister Sparrow will celebrate their new LP with a major U.S. tour, kicking off on Aug. 30 in Athens, New York, and running through December. Check out tourdates here and New york dates below.

    Aug 30 Athens Summer concert series, Athens, NY
    Sept 21 Westcott Theater, Syracuse, NY
    Sept 22 Borderland Music Festival, East Aurora, NY
    Nov 10 The Egg, Albany, NY
    Dec 1 Irving Plaza, NYC

    For a taste of Sister Sparrow’s live sound, check out their NPR Tiny Desk Concert.

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