Take a relentless, poet-at-heart songwriter with a ‘siren’s’ voice, add a diligent side-man with a taste for alt-country and killer harmonies, and you’ve got Little Birdie and a rapidly growing fan-base. Originally formed in Montreal in 2004 by singer/songwriter Orit Shimoni with guitarist Andre Kirchhoff, Little Birdie has built a reputation and following locally and beyond. Their debut album, 2006’s Cinematic Way, was produced by Mark Goodwin, frontman of Montreal band Lazarus Moan, and showcased an eclectic blend of acoustic and electric styles, spanning alt-country, bluegrass, folk, rock and pop. It earned the group local and international praise and radio play, including a GAMIQ nomination for best country album and, alongside Feist and Arcade Fire, a nod from CBC’s Mark Rheaume as one of the top 3 acts of 2007. The band, often joined by additional musicians, enjoyed high profile performances at the Mariposa Folk Festival, and Canadian Music Week.
I Left the City Burning is Little Birdie’s second album, recorded earlier this year at Montreal’s Fast Forward Studios with Goodwin once again occupying the producer’s chair. The title is apt considering that, upon its recording, Orit upped and left for Berlin to pursue music and writing full time. After seven months away, Orit returns to Canada this fall to release I Left the City Burning and tour, before heading back to Europe. Still richly narrative with a haunting sound, I Left the City Burning was conceived to capture the stripped-down sound of Andre and Orit as a duo and, with the minimal additions of fiddle and mandolin, should delight fans of their sparse and evocative live performances. With ten songs penned by Orit and one by Andre, this album draws the listener in and showcases what Little Birdie does best – sing from the heart, mind and soul.
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