By Will McGuirk
Birds of Bellwoods have been through Oshawa many times, so many we at Slowcity.ca consider them part of the Shwa-clan. So here's the beef. They are heading to Hillside on Sunday, last week they played a very successful gig at Mariposa. They are one of the hardest working bands out there and its paying off for them. But the lads still had time to check in with us about their upcoming shows.
In an email the Birds say they will be bringing new songs, new shirts and an energetic set. In return the audience can bring their dancing shoes.
Slowcity.ca: I have enjoyed seeing the evolution of your music and shows - tell me, what drives you to keep pushing the envelope?
Birds of Bellwoods: It's less of a conscious choice with us so much as an inevitability. The music we enjoy, the shows that get us excited, week by week our influences are changing. So it follows that our own work matches this. We hold ourselves to a high standard and we still feel there is a long way to go - but we try to keep things fun and fresh. It's also a process of discovering and liberating ourselves - the more we let ourselves be seen the more truth works its way into the show."
SC: There is also the question of influences - being on the road so much you see many different acts I’m sure - How do you stay true to your roots while still exploring musical options?
BOB: "Similar to what we said above, our roots have always wandered. Our base in the folk scene keeps us focused on the songwriting and storytelling, but from that focus we let songs take us in any direction they need, rather than imposing a perceived 'style'. You're right that the road is an incredible place to learn and grow. We are lucky to play music in a country with such a wide range of immensely talented acts and we believe that the feedback loop of this community keeps us all honest and striving for something better."