The May Birds

The May Birds

The May Birds are a UK group that begins with Ella and Alice, who are the guitarist and singer. The group starts as a guitar-and-vocals project, then adds more depth and texture by bringing in Camilla on piano and Charlotte on cello. Their line-up gives the music a mix of influences: the guitarist draws on folk and country, the pianist and cellist have classical backgrounds, and the singer is influenced by folk, blues and soul.

The group spends around nine months writing and recording before beginning to play more live. One of their live appearances takes place at Blacks, a club in Soho, and they are invited back to perform there on a regular basis. The setting suits their approach because it is an old-house drawing room with a fire, where they play unamplified and close to the audience.

Their live performances are described by audiences as sublime, unique, distinctive and heartbreaking.