The Derby-based band For The Birds will issue its new EP on Saturday, Feb. 3. The band will also perform that day at Temple Live as a part of Monikahouse's Winterfest.
Vocalist and guitarist Tony Lee and bassist/keyboardist Steven Shields recently visited the KMUW studios to talk about the new release, the band's eclecticism and how it has stayed together for more than a decade.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
For The Birds has been a band for 12 years now. I'm curious how you've managed to stay together that long. A lot of bands might have a shelf life of five years or something like that, but, here, we're looking at more than a decade.
Tony Lee: We've always did what felt good to us and focused on music that felt good to us, doing things that felt good to us.
Steven Shields: And variety.
TL: A variety of music. Everything from some Rage Against The Machine [style] heavy stuff, R&B, even church-style music. There's a lot of range and experimentation. Even when fans or family would [say], "Hey, you guys should do this; it was really good when you did that," we've always been good at tuning that out and being true to ourselves. I think that's kept it fresh and exciting. We are always seeking new opportunities as well. Playing new shows.
We're all really good friends. We listen to each other, make sure that we all feel heard. I think those are the little nuances that really [matter]. Outside of having success or playing big shows, just making sure that we enjoy each other and that we enjoy what we're doing. [We also] make sure that we get together at least once a week. That's really been the ticket.
There's a lot of musical diversity within the band. It's not just about one sound yet it is cohesive. How do you account for those different styles coming into the mix?
SS: All of us are writers. I.C. [Collins, guitar and vocals] has a different flavor. Tony has a different flavor. I think I bring something to the table. Now having Thain, he's an MC, he's had his whole hip-hop career. Each one of us brings something. We round out each other's edges. Something that I bring to the table [is that whatever a song was going to be when I was writing it] completely changes when I bring it to For The Birds. [The band is rounded out by drummer Kyle James.]
TL: We try really hard not to say no to each other. I like playing really pretty, church-style music [and] the guys just roll with me. We just try not to say no to each other. It's become a really easy practice for us to sacrifice whatever ideas we might have in our head. When we realize, "If we play this bass line, it's going to make [Shields] happy." I'm going to be happy that he's happy. Then, all of a sudden, I start liking that style of music. That's this kind of trade that happens within the band. We all just really like to say yes to each other so that everybody can have what they want.
Tell me about the title of the record, "The Message."
TL: One of the lines that Thain is saying is, "We hope you get the message." As a band being here for 12 years, we've often felt a little overlooked, maybe a little underappreciated by the scene. We try to be that group that [when a door's opened for us] we keep it open for anybody else. I think that was the spirit. It's pretty angsty for the most part. I think we all kind of have, whether it is real or not, a chip on our shoulder. We feel like we have something to prove. Maybe that's something that just drives us forward a little bit. I know the guys that I work with. We work as hard as any group that I have seen.
We've been hitting at least one practice a week that entire time. Practice day is sacred to us. On top of that, the promotion, the writing, learning to engineer. We are dedicating so much time [as are our] wives. The families sacrifice as well. We just feel that we deserve a chance. And I think that was the message.
SS: I thought it just sounded cool. [Laughs.]
