FREE EBIRD!
Worldly Birds
Despite a rotating cast of band members, The Ragbirds are determined to deliver world music from the Great Lake State
by MAX PLENKE : MPLENKE@LVCITYLIFE.COM
For a band with only half a decade under its belt, Ann Arbor, Mich.-based The Ragbirds have a distinct sound fledgling bands get wet dreams about. The songs walk a line — and sometimes deliberately dance on either side — between modern folk and world-beat, taking obvious musical cues from most of the eastern hemisphere. Now in the middle of a U.S. tour and writing songs for a new album, The Ragbirds are giving listeners the pleasure of hearing word music from the hands and throats of Midwesterners, led by the jaw-dropping vocals of singer and ‘Bird co-founder Erin Zindle. (We could listen to Zindle sing about her grocery list and still be blown away.) We caught up with Zindle to hear that voice a cappella.
CityLife: You play in a five-piece band, which includes your brother and husband. Who fights with who?
Erin Zindle: (laughs) There’s always arguments, but we get along really well. We’re lucky.
CL: Ann Arbor, Mich., isn’t known for its rampant cultural growth. Do you ever run into skepticism as a rootsy afro-groove band full of white Midwesterners?
EZ: I’m sure that people think skeptically about it here and there. It hasn’t been expressed to me yet. Ann Arbor is a much more cultural place than the place I’m actually from, which is a suburb of Buffalo, N.Y. But I could understand that thought. I have a love for world music and the cultures where that music comes from, and I’ve listened to it for so many years now. It’s found its way naturally into my own music. It’s less my roots and more where my ears have been.
CL: Is your current sound what you pictured when you started The Ragbirds five years ago?
EZ: I’m not sure what I pictured five years ago. I don’t think it’s drastically different from what I imagined it would be, but I was just figuring it all out. I try not to project it too far forward, either. I’m inspired by these sounds from all over the world. I’m trying to let it happen naturally, and not force it, like, “Oh I really wanna try this style.” There’s a little bit of that, but when I write a song, the song kind of tells me where it wants to go. Like the lyrics for my tango are all about being brave and how love is a great dancer, so it led me to writing a tango. So I guess it’s hard to say what I imagined five years ago and how it’ll continue to develop.
CL: A lot of your tracks are influenced by different parts of the world. How do you mentally prepare to enter a different musical mindset?
EZ: Each piece is different, but I think the preparation is the same for me personally. When I’m getting ready to get on stage, it is sort of like putting on a dress. It’s some persona that I’m going to wear. I’m like the tour guide through this trip we’re about to go on. I try to explain to the audience that they’re coming along with me to these different places. But some songs require more emotional preparation than others. The tango is a great example again: It’s such a bold dance, and I find myself taking a deep breath. I wrote this very flamboyant, violent intro because that helps me prepare for the song. It requires me to dig into that place I need to go.
CL: You’ve had to replace almost every member of the band since the group’s inception. How do you bounce back from losing members?
EZ: That’s been our biggest obstacle, and it’s been a big frustration. But every time, it’s been an easy turnover. For everybody it’s been for different circumstances but basically the same story: [They] can’t continue [playing] this many dates on the road for the amount of money a touring musician makes at this level. It’s definitely been an obstacle, but we’re very hard-working. My husband and I are the two founding members, and we just kinda keep picking up the pieces and keep rolling forward.
CL: You released your most recent album, Finally Almost Ready, a year ago. Are you preparing for a new album soon? What’s coming up for The Ragbirds?
EZ: Yes, we’re writing songs right now. We’re hoping to get into the studio around winter time. We’re definitely going to have an album next year — we’re reluctant to say exactly when.
CL: You have two dates here in Las Vegas that are spread apart. Will you stay here during that time, and if so, what do you aim to do between those gigs?
EZ: We’re playing Friday in Las Vegas, going to San Diego for a gig, then coming back to Las Vegas. My brother TJ and I have another brother who lives in Las Vegas with three kids, and I haven’t seen him in five years. My parents are flying in from Buffalo, and we’re having Thanksgiving early in Las Vegas. It’s gonna be a fun time for us. Especially being on the road for so long, it’s gonna be nice to have some family time in the middle.
Last updated on Thursday, November 4, 2010 at 12:10 am
The Pacific Northwest Inlander
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Patchwork Harmony
Playing a hodgepodge of genres and instruments, the Ragbirds manage to tie everything together
Their name evokes a mental image of a magpie, a bird with a reputation for lining its nest with objects discarded or lost. Strands of tinsel, shreds of cloth, wisps of fluff — anything that catches its eye.
The Ragbirds adopt this patchwork approach when it comes to their music. Their genre is essentially anything that can be played or sung. Their audience is equally — appropriately — diverse.
“We’ve found that our music appeals to a very wide fanbase across all ages and most walks of life,” says frontwoman and multi-instrumentalist Erin Zindle. “I’m not exactly sure why. I think we weave a familiar element into everything we do. We’re known to throw a Charlie Daniels riff into a Romanian gypsy fiddle tune, or to sing an old gospel spiritual over a traditional African rhythm.”
“At the heart of it, it’s folk rock with a fiddle. It’s very accessible,” she says.
The global consciousness that informs the music of this Michigan-based quintet pervades more than just their three self-released studio albums. It’s in the way they tour, too — they call it “eco-touring.”
“Touring in a gas van with six people, getting all your food to go … it can have a large negative impact on the earth, and it was an important step for us to lessen that impact,” Zindle says. “Through the conversion of our diesel van to run on waste vegetable oil, we’ve reduced our carbon emissions by a significant amount.”
Fueled by the dregs of fry cookers, the vegetable-oil-powered combustion engine nets them a modest 14 miles per gallon — “only slightly less than diesel.”
Whatever minor drawbacks it entails (Zindle is hard-pressed to name one beyond basic upkeep), the modified van has the fourfold advantage of being a conversation piece, a concert draw, a money-saver and an inspiration to others.
“Sometimes people will come out to the show just to see the van and talk to us about traveling on used grease,” he says.
As a band, Zindle says the Ragbirds’ patched-together existence — the eco-touring, the music, the band itself — is driven by one unifying idea: Hope.
“It’s woven into many of the songs’ stories,” he says. “This is a hard-earned hope we’re singing about, and you can’t get to that without singing about the sadness too.”
The Ragbirds play with Flying Mammals • Sun, Oct. 24, 7 pm • $5 • The Seaside • All-ages • 413-4676
“Breakast and a banjo lesson” - Ragbirds Tour Diary - 10/17/10
Ragbirds Come to Callaghan’s
By Steve Centanni
Lagniappe, Issue #201
April 06, 2010
Band: The Ragbirds, Date: Sun., April 11 at 7 p.m., Venue: Callaghan’s Irish Social, Club, 916 Charleston St., 433-9374, Tickets: $6 at the door
Before a summer filled with festival performances, The Ragbirds will descend upon the OGD for an evening of music from a band whose sound and touring practices can only be defined as earthy. However, they are earthy in a way that tends to steer away from the usual connotations of the term. The Ragbirds tend to plunge their audiences into their hybridized world sound, while leaving them dumbfounded as to their musical affiliations. One tune may skillfully mix Afro-beat and Celtic sounds, and the next may reflect hints of reggae and bluegrass. This may sound like an unorganized mish-mash of eclecticism, but The Ragbirds are guaranteed to aurally spellbind new listeners.
With their latest album “Finally Almost Ready,” this five-piece (featuring a stock-pile of musical instruments) is slowly seeping its way into the ears of new listeners in the U.S. and dominating the charts in Japan. When this group of young musicians hit the Port City, they will be looking for new fans and maybe a few gallons of old vegetable oil to get them to the next town.
Multi-instrumental vocalist Erin Zindle and percussionist Randall Moore (who are also married) could be considered the mother and father of the group. Zindle had her first taste of musical creation in high school in Buffalo, NY, when she and her brother T.J. formed a band. Her brother took care of the instrumental aspects of their songs, and Zindle developed the group’s lyrics and melodies. During this time, Zindle began to embrace the sounds of musical acts such as Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon and Rusted Root. Their ability to mix world music into their mainstream sound appealed to Zindle in her “white suburban world.” This exposure also shaped her songwriting.
“The world music sound kind of found its way into my songwriting out of a desire to stretch my songs and let them go where they wanted to go,” Zindle explained. “So, it wasn’t necessarily an agenda. When I started the band, I didn’t even start the band for the purpose of recording songs. So, the songs developed organically through my own eclectic taste in music.”
Zindle and her brother parted ways (musically speaking) with T.J. opting to spend his time focusing on rock. Zindle relocated to Michigan and joined creative forces with Moore. After gathering a collection of musicians, The Ragbirds began to tour heavily throughout the Midwest. They went through their share of line-up changes and released albums such as “Yes Nearby” and “Catching Fire” along the way. Throughout their travels, their goal was to spread their sound, and the group realized how well this philosophy was working with release of 2007’s “Wanderlove.”
The Ragbirds began to receive mysterious communications from record labels in Japan after “Wanderlove” began to make its way into the country. After consideration, they signed a distribution deal with Buffalo Records, and their album was made available in record stores across the island. To this day, Zindle maintains that she has no idea how their music made its way into Japan.
Fate brought Zindle and her brother back together in 2009. His band had dissolved at the same time The Ragbirds was losing a guitarist. T.J. brought his guitar skills as well as a new musical aspect into the group. After spending years playing rock, this guitarist brought a lot of those sensibilities into an already diverse sounding group.
Last year also brought the release of their latest effort “Finally Almost Ready” (produced by Tim Carbone from Railroad Earth) in both the U.S. and Japan. Stateside, the album was nominated for Homegrown Music Network’s “Album of the Year.” And, the track “Book of Matches” spent weeks at the number one spot on the Top 40 charts in Osaka, Japan. The Ragbirds journeyed to Japan last May and were met with an impressive fan base. While there, they had the honor of playing the main stage at the Green Room Festival in Yokohama.
“It was a great time but a short trip,” Zindle said. “It was such a warm welcome and great crowds to play to.” So far, The Ragbirds have proven to be quite earthy in their sound and popularity, but their alternative fuel source also adds a little to the group’s earthiness as well.
“In a lot of ways in our lives, we try to be conscious about what we do to impact the environment,” Zindle explained. “We travelled 50,000 miles last year. Number one, it was the cost of gas and all the war going on over the oil and all the politics behind the oil industry in addition to what it does to the environment.”
Currently, The Ragbirds are touring in one of the most impressive and earth-friendly vehicles on the road. Many are familiar with biodiesel created from used vegetable oil, but the complicated, traditional conversion process would not be plausible concerning constant, nationwide traveling. Therefore, The Ragbirds travel in a van that uses straight waste vegetable oil. The band scavenges oil dumpsters for good quality oil. The used oil is pumped straight into their van. Through a chemical process occurring within the vehicle, the vegetable oil waste is converted into a clean burning fuel. Zindle finds using trash for fuel “very liberating.”
Those venturing out to experience The Ragbirds should be prepared for an evening of “very positive, very high-energy and very danceable” music. After hitting the crowd with everything from Gypsy to Americana, they might be inclined to each take up an African drum and plunge the crowd into a percussive ecstasy.
With Callaghan’s finest used oil (though I don’t think they have a fryer) in the tank of their van, The Ragbirds will leave the Port City with a seemingly endless list of venue and festival dates ahead of them. They have also been penning new songs when time permits, so fans can look forward to a new release from The Ragbirds in 2010.
“We have a lot of fun doing what we’re doing,” Zindle said. “If there’s comment I hear from our fans most often, then it’s that they notice that we’re enjoying ourselves. I think that helps everybody to really have a great time.”
An unusual band brings a new sound to Greenville
By Lynsey Horn
Staff Writer
|
Published: Monday, April 5, 2010
Updated: Tuesday, April 6, 2010
The Ragbirds are set to preform at the Tipsy Teapot starting at 10 p.m.
Their music has been described as world fusion, ethnic rock and many other ways, but to them it is “infectious global groove,” and according to lead singer Erin Zindle, it is ultimately the only thing The Ragbirds feel built to do.
The Ragbirds are a high-energy folk rock group from Michigan that travels the country and the world playing their music for anyone who will listen. The band started five years ago with singer/songwriter Erin Zindle. She is an energetic performer who sings and plays violin, mandolin, banjo, accordion and piano. She is married to the band’s drummer, Randall Moore, who plays congas, djembe, timbales, table and percussion.
Her brother, TJ Zindle, has been a member of the band for two years. He also sings and plays electric and acoustic guitar. The band has changed some over the years, but currently Travis Harrett and Max Lockwood play percussion. Lockwood also provides vocals.
The band is constantly traveling around the country performing in different states and looking for new fans and new faces. They have been performing around 140 shows a year for the past few years and do not plan on stopping anytime soon. And not surprisingly, all their hard work is starting to pay off, especially in Japan. There, they have a record label as well as performed at a Japanese music festival for at least 5,000 people. For Erin Zindle, it was an overwhelming experience that left enough of an impact to inspire her to take Japanese lessons.
The Ragbirds are passionate about their music, but they are also concerned with doing their part for the green movement. Their newest CD, “Finally Almost Ready,” released this year, is being made from recycled plastic trays. The biggest impact the band has on the environment is from their travel. To reduce their carbon footprint by 90 percent, The Ragbirds had a Ford E-350 diesel van converted to run on waste vegetable oil. To power this van, the band will literally drive up to fast food restaurants and ask for their used oil that otherwise would have been thrown away. To The Ragbirds, this is not a gimmick. This up-and-coming band is very conscious of how everything they do affects the earth. Not only is helping the earth personally important to the band, but it is also an entertaining experience to speak to shocked restaurant managers at each new stop.
Reveal Arts magazine described The Ragbirds as “Astounding International Eclecticism!” Others say they are a mixture of gypsy, middle-eastern, Americana, rock and Latin influences, all stirred with a Celtic fiddler’s bow or a blend of world beat, folk, gypsy and rock roots, all tied together with strong pop sensibilities. No matter what musical terms are used to describe them, The Ragbirds are eclectic. They have a different sound that listeners will not find on most radio stations. They are an original combination of any and all music styles. According to Erin Zindle, their music is hard to describe, but it is music in which listeners can experience a connection.
This out-of-the-ordinary band of birds is coming to Greenville to share their infectious global groove with the Pirates. They will be playing downtown at the Tipsy Teapot tonight at 10 p.m. To learn more about The Ragbirds, visit their Web site www.theragbirds.com, find them on Facebook or simply come see them tonight!
This writer can be contacted at features@theeastcarolinian.com.
Tomorrow night is the WYCE Jammie Awards Show in Grand Rapids. The Ragbirds are up for a number of awards including “Best Song” (Book of Matches) and “Best Contemporary Group. The main stage set times are below, but for more information check out the WYCE blog HERE
5:45 Grand Rapids & District Pipe Band - Bagpipe Processional
6:00 1 BOWERY
Awards: Listener’s Choice / Listener’s New Artist
6:20 2 THE FAINTING GENERALS
Awards: Compilation / Record Label
6:40 3 LAZY GENIUS
Award: Jazz
7:00 4 GROOVE MERCHANT
Award: Blues
7:20 5 NATHAN KALISH & THE WILDFIRE
Award: Jam or Funk
7:40 6 RITSU KATSUMATA
Award: Alternative or Electronic
8:00 7 FRONTIER RUCKUS
Award: Instrumental Album
8:20 8 GREG NAGY
Awards: New Solo Artist
8:40 9 PAUCITY
Award: New Duo or Group
9:00 10 SETH BERNARD & MAY ERLEWINE
Award: Traditional Artist
9:20 11 DREW NELSON
Award: Song of the Year
9:40 12 THE RAGBIRDS
Awards: Male Solo / Female Solo
10:00 13 FUNKTION
Award: Contemporary Artist
10:20 14 CHANCE JONES
Award: Local Album of the Year
10:40 Winner - Local Album of the Year performs
Download The Ragbirds show from the Majestic Cafe on January 9, 2010 HERE
