Futurebirds Share New Video via Rolling Stone
By: Abigail Charpentier Jan. 28, 2020
Athens, GA psychedelic country mainstays Futurebirds are excited to share the new video for "Waiting On A Call," a highlight from their recent LP Teamwork. The video, which stars Ozark's Marc Menchaca, debuted via Rolling Stone Country, who said that "Onstage and in the studio, the tone shifts wildly within the 'Birds- from sheer sorrow to manic happiness, upbeat power ballads to tear-in-your-beer heartbreakers. The selections are undeniably catchy and poignant, each varying greatly from one tune to the next, something immediately comparable to the melodic swagger and genius of the Band some 50 years earlier... One of the most fascinating and captivating rock acts touring today."
The band has also announced a new run of tour dates, which will join an already robust touring schedule that includes performances at Sweetwater 420 Fest in Atlanta, GA and Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville, TN. The new dates are presented by extreme sports media company Teton Gravity Research. See below for the current 2020 tour itinerary.
Teamwork received a great deal of praise upon its release -- No Depression said "Futurebirds is one of the most consistently excellent bands of the past decade, and their latest release, Teamwork, reminds us why," and American Songwriter praised their ability to "capture the smaller, more intimate moments of life with artful perfection." Paste Magazine named Futurebirds one of "13 Artists Making Great Southern Rock Right Now," noting that "This record could take Futurebirds to the next level... but for those of us who've been around with this band since the beginning, Teamwork is just another chapter in this century's great southern rock story."
FUTUREBIRDS
LIVE 2020
Jan 24 - Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre
Jan 25 - Wilmington, NC - Bourgie Nights
Feb 28 - Greensboro, NC - Blind Tiger
Feb 29 - Greenville, SC - Radio Room
March 12 - Telluride, CO - The Moon
March 13 - Telluride, CO - The Moon
March 14 - Grand Junction, CO - Mesa Theatre
March 18 - Salt Lake City, UT - State Room
March 19 - Boise, ID - The Olympic
March 20 - Hailey, ID - The Mint
March 21 - Jackson, WY - Pink Garter Theatre
March 25 - Ft. Collins, CO - Surfside7
March 26 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theatre
March 27 - Buena Vista, CO - The Lariat
March 28 - Avon, CO - Agave
April 11 - Nashville, TN - Brooklyn Bowl
April 24 - 26 - Atlanta, GA - Sweetwater 420 Fest
Sept 5-6 - Pisgah Forest, NC - Teamwork Retreat @ Pilot Cove
Teamwork track list:
1. Teamwork Runs The Game
2. Crazy Boys
3. Trippin'
4. Wandering Minds
5. My Broken Arm
6. Dream, Fam!
7. Killing Ground
8. Picking Up Strangers
9. All Damn Night
10. Wear It Out
11. I'm Killing You
12. Waiting On A Call
Recorded at several studios (Portico, Chase Park, Rialto Row, Dialback Sound), the LP is a snarling devil-may-care batch of 12 tunes. It encompasses a seamless blend of hard rock, psychedelic alt-country and folk stylings - something signature to the unique sound, tone and attitude of the Futurebirds.
"We recorded this album all over the place," says guitarist/singer Thomas Johnson. "In a lot of ways it kept us from bogging down, at times it was probably inefficient, but ultimately everyone of the songs captures the vibe(s) of the spaces and cities we occupied while we made it.
'I'm Killin You' really captures the vibe of the whole record for me. The main theme I had in my head while writing it though, was getting past the negative s that can live on the periphery (or in the forefront) of life. Killing the bad side of human nature. Being self-aware, and being honest with yourself and trying to find peace with the person you've become or are becoming (or always were)."
"We've been putting one foot in front of the other for a decade now. Every tour, we get smarter about how we operate, how we craft a live show, how we utilize everyone's individual talents," guitarist/singer Carter King adds. "Every day, we become better songwriters, more comfortable as artists and producers, better business people - it's all about teamwork."
Now on the backside of a decade of road warrior hard-knocks and well-earned accolades, the Athens, GA rock sextet has been hitting its full stride as of late. It's a sense of time and place where what's most important remains at the forefront of the group's philosophy and deeply-held personal mission - a group of friends making sonically innovative music.
"We have one of the oddest and most talented mix of people to make up a band that I've ever seen. Everyone is extremely talented in an assortment of different ways, hilarious, tough, creative, scrappy," King says. "Stylistically, everyone brings something different to the band, and we're getting better at simultaneously nurturing those differences, melding them together into one unified thing."
With a touring schedule resembling some haphazard spider web spun across America, the Futurebirds are unrelenting in their quest to bring the melodic party to your hometown, no matter how far away the destination or how small the stage may be.
"And we've learned a lot about life along the way," guitarist/singer Daniel Womack reflects. "Watching other bands rise and fall, watching the sunrise and the sunset, cried because it hurt, cried because it felt good, watching strangers turn into friends and some into family."
"In a lot of ways the live show is the last frontier, the last thing left in the music industry that can't be digitized and given away for free," Johnson adds. "It's the thing that keeps us coming back. The act of making something awesome and unique with six individuals, creating a sound-weave, connecting to the core of human existence, that's the teamwork."
Ultimately, the underlying message of the Futurebirds is making sure everybody feels included in the grand scheme of things - this absurd reality that is life itself - where compassion from both sides of the microphone and drinks held high, and in unison, is the name of the game.
"There's a reciprocated energy between us and the crowd, where everyone is riding on that same wave together," Womack says. "And when you're in that moment, everything about this band life makes sense. The feeling that exists in that moment between the crowd and us - that's why we do what we do. That's Teamwork."
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