Song Sparrow Research Make KEXP Debut with Eponymous Sophomore LP

Song Sparrow Research (http://songsparrowresearch.com), the Seattle-based band known for their distinctive folk-tinged, orchestral-rock sounds, announced today that they made their live radio debut on influential Seattle radio and global streaming powerhouse KEXP. The band's performance and interview, in support of their eponymous sophomore release (http://songsparrowresearch.bandcamp.com), was broadcast on September 25th with DJ Cheryl Waters on The Midday Show.

 

Audio of the performance, which included three songs from the new album ("As The Clouds Drift By," "Ever Feel So Down," and "Hear My") and one new composition, ("Free to Go Back Home") can be found at http://kexp.org/live/liveperformance.aspx?rId=34167 .

 

Pressed in a limited edition of 300, the new Song Sparrow Research vinyl 12" LP, has been garnering rave reviews, national radio and web play, and has attracting fans worldwide.

 

"This Seattle band's second album is an often-gorgeous set of folk-tinged chamber pop, with lush, beautifully crafted sound combining warm melodies, jangly guitars, cello, glockenspiel and more on songs ranging from propulsive pop-rockers to wistful, atmospheric ballads," said KEXP Music Director, Don Yates, an early supporter of the band.

 

The new album is currently in rotation across North America at more than 30 radio stations including KEXP in Seattle, WA, WMUA in Amherst, MA, KVRX in Austin, TX, KCSS in Sacramento, CA, WRKC in Wilkes-Barre, NC, KCSU in Fort Collins, CO, WKDU in Philadelphia, PA, WRUW in Cleveland, OH, WBNY in Buffalo, NY, WGLS in Glassboro, NJ, WLUR in Lexington, VA, and many others.

 

Glowing reviews for the new Song Sparrow Research record have appeared in publications and blogs including The Stranger, SSGMusic, Seattle Weekly, MVRemix, and more.

 

The singular sound the band has developed inspires reviewers to conjure up new musical genres to attempt to nail down and categorize Song Sparrow Research, including:

"hushed rock"

"evolutionary folk"

"hearts wrapped in folk/Americana"

"loose, dreamy pop and lush, sweeping melodies"

"folk-tinged chamber-pop"

 

The name Song Sparrow Research comes from a University of Washington project lead singer/guitarist Hamilton Boyce was involved in as an undergraduate researcher. He spent two and a half years recording and documenting the musical repertoires of Song Sparrows in their natural habitats for his degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Armed with an audio recorder, a radio tracking device and binoculars, Boyce followed young sparrows recording their interactions and sounds. Inspired by this research, the band produced a short film to accompany the album's first single, "As The Clouds Drift By." The film was shot on location in Discovery Park and at the University of Washington. It can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr61xJuu6fM

 

It's this attention to precise detail that carries over into the band's songwriting and recordings by Boyce for Song Sparrow Research. Both Song Sparrow Research albums have been recorded in unorthodox settings. For their first record Welcome to the Potato Famine they utilized the vast space of a giant, metal-working warehouse to capture a dynamic and expansive sound. In the new release they chose a rustic wood lined cafe and other small quirky spaces to create smooth warm tones that round out the sound of their complex arrangements. In both cases the bands approach has been organic and DIY all the way.

 

Upcoming live dates are:

10/18 @ at Barboza in Seattle, WA as part of City Arts Fest

11/03 @ at Sunset Tavern, in Seattle, WA for KEXP's Audioasis series

 

Tracks on the new self-titled release are: "As the Clouds Drift By", "Hear My", "Rain Storm", "Glad That You Asked", "Catapult", "Rooftop Days", "The Night Belongs to You", "Ever Feel So Down", "Sounds of Summer", "New Ragtime Revolution" and "Seattle Heatwave."

 

Song Sparrow Research's members include:

Hamilton Boyce: lead vocals, guitar

David Balatero: cello, electric bass, vocals

Kendall Becker: upright bass, vocals

Ryan Batie: glockenspiel, vocals, keys, percussion

Evan Woodie: drums