 "Photo: FOLLOW THAT BIRD! photographed by JESS WILLIAMSON/ The Daily Texan")
Follow that bird! has steadily been acquiring a following since their self-titled EP release in 2008, and with the impending release of their 10” vinyl this weekend, fans can be sure that a new slew of songs will do nothing less than satiate their post-rock cravings. Lauren Greene, guitarist and vocalist, and Tiffanie Lanmon, drummer, hail from Belton, Texas, a small city “with a church on every corner where Wal-Mart is the hangout spot,” according to a previous Texan interview.
DT Weekend had an unusually quirky interview with Follow That Bird! in anticipation of the trio’s upcoming vinyl release, which promises to be a rollicking affair — Literature, Pillow Queens and Dikes of Holland will also play — ensuring a night filled with good company and choice tunes.
DT Weekend: I’ve seen you guys play live a few times and really liked what I heard. I haven’t had a chance to listen to the latest tracks you’ve put out, so could you tell me about this 10” vinyl release?
Lauren Greene: The tracks are definitely going in a different direction than our previously recorded EP. I feel our music is becoming more mature — especially since a lot of the EP’s songs were from high school. I think it’s a little softer, and a little more rock ‘n’ roll. As for the recording style, the guys from Monofonus Press recorded all three songs in one day to get a kind of raw, live sound. We smoothed over a few parts and added a few effects here and there when mixing, but generally the record is going to bring out our live sound.
Tiffanie Lanmon: I agree. The goal of the EP was to officially document the songs we’d been playing over the past few years. We thought it was important to make record of our past in order to continue toward the future of our sound. I think we’re all pleased with the direction our sound has taken and, in the same way, this 10” is just the beginning of who we are becoming.
DTW: A colleague interviewed you [Lauren] about a year ago and you cited Reba McEntire as an influence — I know she put out her 25th studio album a few months ago. Did you listen to it by any chance?
LG: No! I feel like a horrible fan. I am, however, holding Reba’s Whoever’s In New England record hostage at the moment. A friend found it in a free bin at Trailer Space Records, left it in my car and I have since “forgotten to return it.”
DTW: What album have you listened to the most in the last month?
TL: Rumors by Fleetwood Mac.
LG: Crystal Antlers’ Tentacles and Jimi’s live record.
DTW: I’m curious — do you prefer vinyl over other mediums? It seems like there’s been a huge push for going vinyl lately.
LG: As far as listening, yes, but for Follow That Bird!, since this is our first vinyl release, we’ll see! There’s something about the warm sound of a record and having to work for what you’re listening to. Tapes are pretty cool, too.
TL: ... Plus you look really cool in front of girls when you throw on a record.
WHAT: Follow That Bird! 10” vinyl release
WHEN: Saturday, 9 p.m.
WHERE: United States Art Authority, 2906 Fruth Street
TICKETS: $7 at door; free 10” with admission
