Birds of Chicago have been riding a swell of good mojo in the Americana scene since their inception in late 2012. With their new album, ‘Love in Wartime’ (released 4th May), they are set to both confirm that roots world buzz, and break on through to a much wider audience.
Recorded in Chicago against a backdrop of bewilderment, deep divide and dread, the album is a rock and roll suite with a cinematic sweep. Co-produced with Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars), it evokes epic efforts of the 60’s and 70’s, with love as the undeniable through-line.
Built around the chemistry and fire between Allison Russell and JT Nero, and their rock-steady band, BOC tours hard. Russell and Nero played with different bands in the mid-aughts (Po’ Girl and JT and the Clouds) before finding their way to each other. Nero, who writes the bulk of the songs, found himself a transcendent vocal muse in Russell (a powerful writer herself), and the band honed its chops on the road, playing 200 shows a year between 2013-17. All that shaping and sharpening, over so many miles, led them back to Chicago’s Electrical Audio in January of 2017, to begin recording Love in Wartime. “Any act of love is an act of bravery,” says Russell. “We want to give people some good news. And we want them to be able to dance when they hear it.”
Birds of Chicago · May 2018 Ireland & UK Tour
Featuring JT Nero & Allison Russell with Nick Chambers (drums, vocals), Chris Merrill (bass) & Andy Stack (lead guitar)
Sat 5 Kilkenny, Ireland Kilkenny Roots Festival, Cleere’s Bar & Theatre
Sun 6 Kilkenny, Ireland Kilkenny Roots Festival, Cleere’s Bar & Theatre
Mon 7 Kirton-In-Lindsey, Lincs. Town Hall
Tue 8 Sheffield The Greystones
Wed 9 Nottingham The Maze
Fri 11 Calstock, Cornwall Calstock Hall
Sat 12 Leeds Seven Arts
Sun 13 Saltaire, West Yorks. The Live Room, Caroline Social Club
Mon 14 London The Lexington
Tue 15 Milton Keynes The Stables, Stage 2
Wed 16 Baulking, Oxfordshire St Nicholas Church
Thu 17 Finchingfield, Essex St. John The Baptist Church
Fri 18 Canterbury Gulbenkian
Sun 20 Lerwick, Shetland Mareel
