Nesting Behavior

Summerbirds in the Cellar Settles Into Its New Home

originally published April 25, 2007

Theme parks and hurricanes continue to threaten the fragile central Florida ecosystem. As can be expected, some species are adapting, while others are migrating. Brad Register (guitar, vocals) and Curtis Brown (guitar, piano) of Summerbirds in the Cellar left their native Florida nesting grounds for the streets of Athens to mingle with local songbirds. Fear not, loyal readers, and please keep bird feeders and baths inviting and full; there is no threat of avian-related illness. However, the band's unique blend of synth-driven soundscapes, textured by mostly fuzzy guitars and anchored by ridiculously precise drum programming, may be somewhat habit inducing.

The band’s impressive 2005 debut With the Hands of the Hunter it All Becomes Dead, is bitter, glamorous and spooky. The album delivers an ethereal new wave sway and a dash of Depeche Mode circa Songs of Faith and Devotion. Hypnotic and childlike instrumental opener “The Machines Won’t Fail” lulls listeners into believing the sun will explode in its effort to shine, but soon enough, the brooding and darkish theme of the album, best represented by songs like “Sunlight Sickness” and “Ghost Town,” prevails.

Summerbirds, rounded out by acoustic drummer Tyson Bodiford and electronic beat programmer Mike Yardley, has been shopping the tentatively titled follow-up Druids to several labels and hopes to release the record before 2007 expires. The new songs represent a bit of a departure from the haunting, ambient-rock vibe of With the Hands of the Hunter, but if demos like “The Wicked World” and “Night Thief,” available for your listening pleasure on the band’s MySpace page, are an indication of what’s to be expected, Summerbirds has also kept one foot in the status quo. And that’s not a bad thing at all for fans of emotive, lugubrious music.Flagpole recently brought a casserole to our new neighbors and then got a little nosy.

Flagpole

Our crack research team discovered that you’re from Orlando. Ever had a Disney job?

Brad Register

No. But I always liked Epcot.

Curtis Brown

I played with a guy who used to play drums for Beetlejuice’s Graveyard Show at Universal Studios. He wanted to get me a job playing bass there. I think that means I would have been Frankenstein or Wolfman. Anyway, no, but almost at a different theme park.

Flagpole

Favorite ride or attraction?

Curtis Brown

20,000 Leagues used to be fun. All of the old greats are being torn down lately, though.

Flagpole

You arrive in town with a few things many of your new neighbors covet: a publicist, a record label and a more than casual relationship with arguably the most accomplished recording engineer in town. Not bad, huh?

Brad Register

I didn’t even know all of this… but my roommates are pretty great, too.

Curtis Brown

Well, we have a publicist and a friendship, but we’ve never had a manager and were indirectly dropped from our label [Oregon-based Slow January Records].

Flagpole

What happened?

Curtis Brown

Well, basically, we both decided that with this next record to go our separate ways. We remain good friends, but essentially it wasn’t working as business partners.

Flagpole

Do you feel that having formed Summerbirds in the Cellar in any way waters down what Andy [LeMaster] is trying to accomplish with Now It’s Overhead? In the sense that, in essence, half the band is saying, “These are the songs we would be playing if Andy wasn’t calling the shots.”

Brad Register

Oooh, scandalous. Not at all… These are songs we’ve been playing. Coincidentally we are also big Now It’s Overhead fans and find playing those songs very musically fulfilling, too. Interesting question.

Curtis Brown

Divisive! The way we came to know Andy was by Summerbirds in the Cellar opening up for Now It’s Overhead in Orlando three years ago. I wasn’t even in Now It’s Overhead when we recorded the first Summerbirds record with Andy. We coexisted for a while now and I feel honored to be playing Now It’s Overhead songs.

Flagpole

Rumor has it the new record will have a 30-member children's choir. How did you arrange that?

Curtis Brown

My sister has been a children’s choir teacher for four years now and we’d been throwing around the idea of recording her kids ever since she started. Once we had demos of the new record, I convinced a friend of ours with a mobile studio to drive down with me one day.

We had to get release waivers signed by each child’s parent before we could track anything, but the kids were surprisingly enthusiastic about being recorded, so conducting was a breeze.

David Eduardo

WHO: Cinemechanica, Summerbirds in the Cellar, A.Armada
WHERE: 40 Watt Club
WHEN: Saturday, April 28
HOW MUCH:$5