Culture
Gladden House Sessions 2018: Birds of Chicago
By: Jacob Morgan
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Hailing from the Windy City, wife-husband folk dio Birds of Chicago rocked the Gladden House on the second day of the 2018 Nelsonville Music Festival. Having just finished up a set at the nearby Low-Fi cabin, the group brought with them a crowd of people eager to hear more of their signature sound. Festival-goers gathered right up to the stage, or else found reprieve from the sun under some trees as the clouds parted just in time for a scenic performance.
Before the performance, the band discussed their newest release Love in Wartime (2018, Signature Sounds Recordings) with Gladden House host Josh Antonuccio. Following the release of their Signature Sounds Recordings EP American Flowers in November 2017, the group recorded their full-length album in Chicago in only four days. They told Antonuccio that the album was a pleasure to record, free of any grueling moments and with each session having its own flow. They talked about how they had the opportunity to work with one of The Decemberists’ background vocalists on the album, who performed at the Nelsonville Music Festival later that day.
The group had a mellow sound that was perfect for the Gladden House. They started out their set with two songs off of Love In Wartime: “Superlover,” which showcased lead singer Allison Russell’s amazing vocals; and “Baton Rouge,” which featured a clarinet solo by Russell that had the audience cheering. They finished up their set by playing “American Flowers,” the uplifting titular song of their 2017 EP. As the band noted to the audience, “We are all beautiful flowers.”