The past five years have been a succession of pinch-me moments for The Stray Birds, beginning with their self-released, self-titled debut album, a Folk/Bluegrass/Pop hybrid that made National Public Radio’s Top 10 Folk/Americana list for 2012. The seeds for that event were sown years before, when Oliver Craven and Charlie Muench played together in River Wheel, a Bluegrass band in their Lancaster, Pa. hometown. As a side venture, Craven began playing open mics with Maya de Vitry, eventually recording an EP in 2010, with Muench guesting on bass; coincidentally, he and de Vitry had played together in their middle school orchestra.
After a year spent exploring individual options, the trio regrouped, dubbed themselves The Stray Birds and set about to stand the Bluegrass world on its ear. The band’s acclaimed debut album attracted invitations to numerous festivals, the prestigious Kerrville and Falcon Ridge events among them. After the Echo Sessions EP — a set covering some of their favorite artists — and touring for two solid years, the Birds served up 2014’s Bad Medicine, their debut for Yep Roc Records and a brilliant blend of their harmonic influences (The Beatles, The Band, Bill Monroe and The Carter Family among them) and innate ability to weave a compelling sonic tapestry from authentic threads on a contemporary loom.
The Stray Birds’ latest effort, last summer’s Magic Fire, represents a number of departures from the group’s standard operating procedures, most notably the addition of drummer Shane Leonard, who was asked to join the band after playing a single song with the trio. The other new wrinkle on Magic Fire is the presence of the Birds’ first outside producer, Grammy-winner Larry Campbell, who worked his special brand of musical voodoo for the band on both sides of the studio glass.
The Stray Birds’ most important element remains unchanged: their unwavering desire to make viable connections, between themselves as musicians, between disparate musical styles and between the diverse group of people who are drawn to their work. Mission beautifully accomplished.
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This article appears in Mar 29 – Apr 5, 2017.