The Morning Birds

The Morning Birds could be appropriately called the “Busy Bee’s”; music, fashion and film, they do it all! Currently on a two week trip driving across the country from their home base of California to Michigan for a makeup convention where Jennifer (Vocalist) will be giving a speech. She will be speaking on the topics of following your heart, inspiration and stepping outside the boundaries of classical make up application in regards to fashion. Oh and Sam (Vocalist and guitar) is filming the whole event, editing the promo and I shouldn’t fail to mention they scoring the promo as well?! While Eric (drummer ) will be helping with everything along the way. Could there be a tighter knit group with more passion for all types of art? If The Morning Birds were Bee’s they would defiantly be workers, because they are doing over time to build their brand. Unlike your typical music group; they are artist, designers and film makers. The Morning Birds are the one stop shop for anything you could ever ask for from a group in the music world. I wouldn’t be surprised if next season you see them on Americas Next Best Dance Crew, I’m sure they have some great moves up their sleeves! Currently working on their twenty five…wait I mean thirty, yes I said THIRTY, song CD.  This is and an animated short to go with one of their songs and three music videos; these guys and gal are unstoppable. If you have yet to hear their raw delivery, innovative harmony and dynamic range do your self a favor when you leave here go to their website and take a listen. The Morning Birds are working to “take us back to a time when music wasn’t over-produced and streamlined but real, raw, and rocking

DC- So let’s get to know The Morning Birds, who are you guys? Where are you from?

MB-The nucleus of the band is Jen and Sam and we are a couple who are helping one another transcend the limitations we pick up through our lives.  Sam is from Montreal, Jenn and our drummer Eric are from Los Angeles.  We are now based out of the west coast in a little town called Idyllwild – about 2 hours outside of LA.  We are just 3 folks doing what we love and communicating our understandings through music, film, and art.

DC- Where did the name Morning Birds come from?

MB-We chose the name to represent something that heralds in the new dawn -like we feel we are doing through music, film, and art.

DC- How did you all meet?

MB- Eric and Jenn grew up on the same street and have known each other for about 20 years.  After Jenn moved to LA, she really started to get the itch to create music and pulled Sam into her life; Sam had been writing music for 5 years prior. Jenn met him at a show and a year later again at a birthday soirée.  At that point the connection was made and together they began to write music.  In need of a drummer, Jenn introduced Sam and Eric and the rest is as they say history.

DC- I hear you guys are the “truth tellers who articulate the hope buried beneath the despair of the human condition”. What does that mean?

MB- We have found that a lot of music plays on people’s sadness, separation, and despair so we write our music to speak to the hope that each of us has within us, though sometimes buried deep with the intention of inspiring our listeners to connect with that hope and find a bit of happiness.

DC- If you had to define your group in five words what would they be?

MB- Soulful, innovative, eclectic, dynamic, emotive

DC- Where does the band find its inspiration?

MB- The reason we chose to move was to surround ourselves by nature and the natural rhythms of the earth to find more inspiration.  Jenn: The majority of my inspiration comes from within myself.  Through meditation, I have been able to quite my mind and find a peace that allows the flow of creativity to come through uninhibited and without any judgment.  That peace and connection is most of my inspiration.  Though I have to admit it is sparked by my surroundings. Sam is very much a filmmaker so a lot of his music is inspired by what he experiences in life as well as imagery, poetry and art.

DC- What makes Morning Birds different?

MB- As a band, we do not compare ourselves to other musicians.  We are who we are and express our hearts and minds without judgment, comparison, or competitive nature. There are no bests, so we just aim to be the best we can be, and that in itself is expressed in a very clear and unique way in our music. Jenn doesn’t seek to listen to other people’s music so her musical expression is as free of influence as possible.

DC- When I read about Morning Birds there was a lot of mention of poetry, why do you feel poetry and music connect so well?

MB- Poetry is an expression of emotion.  Music is an expression of emotion. Oijala!

DC- Do you feel there could be music without poetry?

MB- Music is poetry, there doesn’t need to be words to make it so.  We have a few instrumentals on our new album, the QUICKENING.  We were going to write words to them, but felt the music itself was poetic enough and didn’t need anything to drive it home.

DC- Tell me about your 25 song album, what made you guys decide to do that?

MB- Actually, it’s 30.  We write, a LOT and feel no need to limit ourselves to the standard album size or put our track listing under a microscope.  All the music is extremely expressive and different – but the lyrical content ties together, so it made sense to put them all on a double album.  This album, the QUICKENING, has a very potent message, which is relevant to the times at hand.  To eliminate any piece of the puzzle would have been to diminish what we are expressing.

DC-What’s the release date for the Quickening?

MB- LOL, any suggestions?  I’d say within the next few months.  We are about 1/2 done, but you can definitely check out some samples at www.reverbnation.com/themorningbirds . 

DC- What do you hope comes from this album?

MB- We hope that our music touches a lot of people on a deep level and inspires them to search within themselves to find their own creative vision.  We also feel the music is very cinematic and belongs in films, so we hope to see a lot of placements in the coming year.

DC- You guys are also releasing an animated short with one of your songs, where did that idea come from?

MB- It was inspired by the song, My Own Little World – as it relates to the whole of the album.  We are planning to use it as the promotional tool. The QUICKENING is representative of the positive changes occurring in ourselves and our world, and the short is very much a visual expression of this change.

DC- Where will we be able to see that animation and you’re up coming music videos?

MB- Youtube – www.youtube.com/themorningbirdsvideo but it will also be on our website, www.themorningbirds.com , as well as all our social networking site. www.myspace.com/themorningbirdsmusic, www.reverbnation.com/themorningbirds , ect

DC- Tell me how was it playing at the House of Blues!? When did you guys do that?

MB- We played about a year ago; it was packed, an amazing crowd, amazing show, and short!  People were shouting for us to keep playing – we got a few extra encores before they pulled the plug!

DC- How was touring in Canada? Did you sing a song in French? Lol

MB- LOL, does Say La Vie count?  Canada was fun.  It was Jenn’s first time there.  They stopped us on the way in and out, but the shows were great.

DC- Did Morning Birds get into film making!?

MB- Sam has been making films since he was 10 and went to a prestigious art school from age 15-18.  Afterwards, he studied film at SVA in NYC.  He always loved the way music enhanced and effected film and wanted to create his own masterpieces.  He is passionate about the movement of sound with imagery and loves shooting music videos as well.  Jenn has been in the film biz for the past 12 years as a makeup artist and has also helped produce a few projects, before she decided she wanted to write her own film and TV shows.  After meeting, both Sam and Jenn realized they shared the same visions and have been writing and filming together ever since.

DC- I also hear someone in the group is an artist, who’s that? What type of art do you do?

MB- All three of us are artists!  Sam and Jenn paint and draw, as well as do animation and design work.  Jenn also makes custom jewelry and is writing a novel, some children’s books, and short stories.  Eric also draws, has done silk screening, writes screenplays, and gardens – he’s really got a green thumb!

DC- With all the talent inside the group outside of musical it seems as though Morning Birds are Jack’s of all trades is there honestly one thing you guys focus on or are you trying to brand yourselves and possibly start a larger company?

MB- How did you know?  We are branding ourselves as well as starting an umbrella company; to be announced soon.  The focus is to create uplifting media to inspire the world.

DC- Ah blame it on the marketing degree….lol I could see it coming, it’s a great idea for you guys!! Have you done any work for other artist? Such as videos or art work for posters ect?

MB- Sam has written a lot of songs with Trevor Hall as well as with his old band, The Rosewood Thieves.  Jenn has done makeup for many music artists’ videos, The Black Eyed Peas, The Pussycat Dolls, Sergio Mendes, Tyrese, Aaron Carter and has worked with Prince and others on different makeup projects.

DC- Whats the next move for Morning Birds?

MB- We take it one day at a time and keep our end goal in sight.  Hopefully the next move is a joyful surprise!

DC- I saw a quote that stated all your work is “done with the intention of uplifting and inspiring others as well as using and cross-pollinating media formats to raise awareness around the globe”. I love the “cross-pollinating aspect of merging media’s but I wonder is there any social matter that Morning Birds want to raise awareness about?

MB- Glad that resonates with you!  LOL, you will have to wait to read Jenn’s book. But all kidding aside, we want to help people find their own truth, inspire them to create freely,  release the need for judgment and comparison, tear down the walls of separation with the acceptance of our differences, and to share love with every single sentient being we come in contact with.  When everyone finds their own happiness, then the turmoil will end.

DC- If tomorrow you could wake up anywhere, where would it be?

MB- Anywhere, in a joyful state of mind and Free of all limitations.

DC- If it was your last day on earth what would you be eating?

MB- Chocolate, of course.