Dirtbird is the ethereal, mysterious musical project of Australian singer-songwriter David M. Lewis. Close harmonies, atmospheric drums, sparsely pulsing resonator guitar, a down-home banjo and slow, sad songs about mystical journeys and the end of the world are some of the elements which Lewis and fellow Dirtbirders Kya Moore and Glendon Blazely weave in and out of the organic quietness which has become the Dirtbird sound.
With each of Dirtbird’s five albums, High Water Dover (2004), White Horse Road (2007), Cathedral (2008), The Traveller (2011), and the latest offering Farewell The Fabled Horses (2013), Lewis has refined these elements more and more, adding new dimensions of space and mystery into his dark, visionary songs.
Farewell The Fabled Horses was recorded by Richard Pleasance in Central Victoria, and is a continuation of the lush production and layered, spooky atmosphere which featured on The Traveller. The album also features the beautiful cello playing of Kristin Rule, and the understated vocal perfection of Victoria Moss.
The songs themselves are written using a “cut-up” technique (using old National Geographics, Encyclopedias and a pair of scissors), which has the effect of making them sound as if they’ve been imperfectly translated from some ancient language, inviting comparisons to artists like Neil Young, Low, M. Ward and Gillian Welch. Dirtbird’s pure sound, however, and the world which they seem to inhabit, is entirely their own.
Listen back to The Mix Tape with Fuchia for a live set from Dirt Birds.
