Introducing #222 - Birdman Cult
Let us introduce you to Bristol-based post-punks Birdman Cult, who recently released their psychedelic new single ‘Ferryman’.
Hey Birdman Cult - how are you? So you've just released your latest single - how does it feel to have it out there in the world?
Im very good thanks, yeah it feels good to get FERRYMAN out there, we’re very proud of this track. When we started in 2019 it was sort of halted by the dreaded ‘Rona’, but it did allow us to incubate and develop our sound. I think we found our stride sonically speaking during that down time.
It is called ‘Ferryman’ - a name with some dark connotations. Can you tell us what it's about?
The track I suppose is born out of an existential meltdown brought on by becoming a father for the first time during a global pandemic and new ‘cold war’ of sorts. Its hard not to soak up the news when all you have for a few years is TV and your phone. I had family members pass during that time, not all directly because of Corona but some, others suicide and old age. It made me reflect and think about my new situation with new responsibilities and my children and ask myself ‘how will I go?” and “what do I want to leave behind?”. The ‘two pennies for the ferryman’ line refers to ‘Charon’ in Greek Mythology, he would take newly deceased soul across the river Styx to the underworld if they had been buried and paid their fee (two pennies on the eyes) for the songs purpose it just a metaphor for having your ducks in a row and making sure you’re controlling your narrative before the end.
You are based in Bristol - what are your favourite things to do there? Where do you go for adventures?
Bristol truly is my favourite city in the UK, im originally from South Shields, a coastal town near Newcastle and moved here in 2007. Bristols considered a smaller London to a lot of transplants like me, but it’s so much more than that. Aside from its genuine beauty and liberal attitudes it’s a very welcoming and inclusive place, things are always happening, any sub-cultures you can think of theres a place for you here and its thriving.
It's a city with a rich counter cultural history, how has that impacted on your music?
I don’t know if its the city or just that im getting older but its hard not to get swept up in the passion for inclusivity and current affairs in this melting pot of a city. Bristol as you said is steeped in history, musically and otherwise and not always but certainly at some point your music needs to look outwards and tell a story or relay a mood of the times we live in, so I think some of this has certainly found its way into the bones of our tunes.
What are the key influences in your music?
It’s a movable feast as we’re all from very different backgrounds and through the years we’ve moved around in our contemporary scene. But as a lyricist I started out in HipHop and although at a listening glance that may not be obvious to some, im aware it’s the foundations of my style and try to nurture that by staying in that world somewhat. Like hiphop, Punk deals in ‘Class‘ whether consciously or not direct or otherwise class division is always pecking away in my head as you see it everywhere down south and so much more pronounced.
Right now, at this point in time im fully engrossed with bands like Black Angels and Fat White Family since reading Ten Thousand Apologies by the fat whites singer Lias Saoudi. Never straying too far from older bands like QUOTSA, and brit pop stuff I grew up on in the 90s. Other members have a punk and skate-punk background or a straight up funk and soul history, we all played music in different bands and genres and now we feel this is the sound and line-up we can get behind and all get a chance to shine with. In a way this band, as it is now is over 20 years in the making.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never listened to your music before?
I struggle with this whenever asked as it’s hard not to sound contrived or pompous but at best I’d say its anthemic-doomy rock and roll. We’ve been called post-punk as a blanket genre a few times but that’s such a tedious and overused term these days that it doesn’t tell you anything about the bands. Apocalyptic romantics maybe? you let us know.
