SISTER SPARROW & THE DIRTY BIRDS
The Catskill Mountains hid rock 'n' roll's best
kept secret for almost 18 years.
Then
in 2008, singer and songwriter Arleigh Kincheloe said goodbye to her hometown
hideaway and moved to New York City to start Sister Sparrow & The Dirty
Birds. In the years since, the group has performed more than 600 shows,
released two full-length albums and an EP produced by Randy Jackson (American
Idol), and enchanted tastemakers ranging from The Wall Street Journal and LA
Times to Glamour, USA Today, and The New Yorker.They
have shared the stage with such heavyweights as Gov't Mule, Dr. John, Trombone
Shorty, The Avett Brothers, Counting Crows, and Galactic, and have turned
audiences into believers through appearances on the festival circuit at
Bonnaroo, Firefly, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Voodoo Music Experience and many
more.
On May 19th, the band will unleash their most
rambunctious, raucous, and righteous recording to date in the form of The Weather Below, which features the
band’s roster of her brother, Jackson Kincheloe (harmonica), Sasha Brown
(guitar), Josh Myers (bass), Phil Rodriguez (trumpet), and Brian Graham
(saxophones), and Dan Boyden (drums).
So, what is it about this "hard soul
collective," as Arleigh so eloquently puts it, that has engendered such
passion from both the press and the people?
"It's loud, fun, and it's supposed to make
you feel good," she declares. "That's the goal."
Sister
Sparrow & The Dirty Birds accomplish that goal tenfold with a saucy sonic
brew of rock, blues, gospel, and soul. In order to perfect that signature
amalgam, the band retreated to the iconic Bear Creek Studio (James Brown, Eric
Clapton), just outside Seattle, WA. Locked in the studio for three weeks, they
worked closely with producer Ryan Hadlock (The Lumineers, Vance Joy) and cooked
up ten irresistible anthems.
"In the past, we did every other record
while we were still on the road," says Arleigh. "This time, we
blocked out time to immerse ourselves in the recording process. We lived at the
studio and worked for 15 hours a day. Ryan was everything I’d hoped for. He saw
my vision and added his own flavor. Plus, the studio is so beautiful. We were
in a barn in the woods, which was very reminiscent of the Catskill Mountains
for me. I felt right at home."
The group takes flight on the first single
"Mama Knows." Bolstered by boisterous horns and bluesy grit, the
track serves as a soulfully sweet ode to moms everywhere. "The idea for
the chorus popped into my head when I was hanging out with my sister,"
Arleigh recalls. "We were thinking about our mom. She's a huge influence
on why I sing. She was my role model. She sang too, and I'd attend her gigs as
a little kid. She was so powerful and beautiful—just a queen in my eyes. On the
flip side, she raised us to be really humble. I wanted to do something to show
my appreciation to her and mothers like her everywhere."
Then there's "Prison Cells," which
swings from a bright verse into a wild chant that encourages living it up in
the moment with the people who matter the most. "It's about getting in
trouble with your best friends and letting the fun take over," she goes
on. "We're definitely prone to do that in my family. We'll get into
trouble, but we'll be singing and dancing all the way."
Elsewhere on The
Weather Below, "Disappear" flaunts a South American-style
cinematic shine, while "Don't Be Jealous" points the spotlight on
Arleigh's passionate pipes in between a harmonica swell.
"That's The Dirty Birds anthem," she
states. "It's the story of us on the road with me and a bunch of dudes and
all of our trials and tribulations along the way. We're a crew, and we all have
each other's backs. This is a family. That theme runs throughout
everything."
Ultimately, Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds
stand poised to shake up rock 'n' roll all around the world. "This all
stems back to why I loved performing and singing to begin with," Arleigh
leaves off. "I want to make crowds happy and see them smile and dance.
Singing brings me so much joy. I hope our music does the same for
everyone."