Andrew Bird

Andrew Bird is an American singer, songwriter, violinist, guitarist and whistler from Lake Forest, Illinois. He is known as a US indie rock multi-instrumentalist whose work moves between folk, indie folk, indie pop, indie rock, baroque pop and folk rock. Trained in the Suzuki method from a young age and a graduate of Northwestern University in Illinois, he builds much of his music around violin, voice and layered arrangements.

Career

Bird first appears in recorded form with his solo album Music of Hair in 1996. That record is rooted in American and European folk traditions, with jazz and blues also present, and it highlights his violin playing. His early commercial profile grows through work with Squirrel Nut Zippers, after which he is associated with the 1990s swing revival. He then leads Andrew Bird’s Bowl of Fire from 1997, releasing Thrills, Oh! The Grandeur and The Swimming Hour. Those albums draw on traditional folk, pre-war jazz and swing, while The Swimming Hour also moves into zydeco and rock and is often described by Bird as his “jukebox album”. The group includes Chicago musicians such as Kevin O’Donnell, Nora O’Connor, Andy Hopkins, Jimmy Sutton, Colin Bunn and Ryan Hembrey, and it disbands unofficially around 2003.

Solo work

Bird’s later solo records continue towards an eclectic indie folk style. Weather Systems and The Mysterious Production of Eggs appear through Righteous Babe Records, the label run by Ani DiFranco. Armchair Apocrypha follows on Fat Possum, then the EP Soldier On appears after it, including “The Trees Were Mistaken” and a version of Bob Dylan’s “Oh Sister”. Noble Beast is released together with the instrumental companion album Useless Creatures. Break It Yourself follows on Mom+Pop in the US and Bella Union in the UK, and its origins lie in jam sessions in Bird’s western Illinois barn near the Mississippi River. My Finest Work Yet includes “Sisyphus” and other tracks with his whistling.

Performance style and collaborations

His solo performances use live looping and multi-track sampling, allowing him to layer violin and other parts into fuller arrangements. This creates a sound that can resemble a band even when he performs alone. Bird’s instrument roles expand over time: he is already a singer and violinist, and from 2004 he also plays guitar. His recorded and live work remains closely identified with whistling, violin-led melodies and genre mixing.

Associated acts

Bird’s named group and collaborative projects include Squirrel Nut Zippers, Andrew Bird’s Bowl of Fire, Kevin O’Donnell’s Quality Six, Pinetop Seven, Charlie Nobody and Andrew Bird Trio. He is based in the Los Angeles area.