Interview : Thrushes (and awesome giveaway!)

Occasionally, here at lip, we find our mailbox overflowing with tasty treats from all over the world. Not long ago, we were lucky enough to receive a copy of the second album from Baltimore band, Thrushes – Night Falls.

Full of sweeping vocals and soaring melodies, Night Falls is an addictive album that combines emotive lyrics with crisp, clear pop music.
I was lucky enough to chat with Anna, lead singer and guitarist of the band. Despite having a career as an art teacher, Anna has been interested in music from a pretty young age, having played guitar since she was fourteen.
‘Music is a big part of becoming the person I am. My dad played the guitar and banjo, and my aunts and uncles play and sing. So its really part of my family.’

Thrushes is the result of four friends rediscovering their love of music after a hiatus in their musical careers. ‘We had all played music through our teens and early twenties, and stopped for a while when we got jobs. But something was lacking in those lives, so we started Thrushes,’ Anna explains.

Influenced by the sound of grunge and shoegaze bands of the late 80’s and 90’s, Thrushes have a particularly wistful sound. ‘Our music is made up of layered melodies and dreamy lyrics. It’s very emotional!’ Anna describes.

Following the success of their debut album, Sun Come Undone, Thrushes have been steadily playing live shows in America, and hope to one day be able to come over to Australia. Currently unsigned, the band relies on grassroots promotion in order to get their music out there. Similarly, their song-writing process is very organic and unplanned.

‘Most of our songs start off as jam sessions during practice. If we like something, we write it down on a whiteboard and add to it,’ Anna says. ‘Sometimes I work on lyrics at home, but the best ones usually come organically during the jam session.’

Night Falls is full of songs that deal with themes of love, loss and emotional clarity. Songs such as ‘Trees’ showcase Anna’s vocals, which express the emotion of the song perfectly. It’s impossible to pick a favourite track off the album, but when forced, Anna can identify the songs that have come to mean the most to her.

‘I have two favourites. My favourite to play is “Love Song”. It’s got a great driving rhythm and it’s just one of those songs that seems like it gets better and better every time we play it,’ she says. ‘My favourite song to listen to is “Used to You”. That song was written literally two weeks before recording. It’s very raw, and very emotional, and seems to hit a nerve every time I hear it.’

Finally, I asked Anna if, like most lip readers, she considered herself a feminist. ‘I think most women would consider themselves feminists. For me its about preserving women’s rights in my country and expanding them in others.’

Excellent words, from an excellent musician.

Guess what? We have two copies of Thrushes’ Night Falls, and a limited edition vinyl copy of Sun Come Undone to give away! Send us an email at [email protected] with ‘Thrushes’ in the subject line to go into the draw to win one of these amazing albums!