Folk-rock tunesmiths King Of Birds whose music while serving up sounds of the American heartlands, is uniquely Scottish in character, with occasional knowing winks to their musical heroes – the Fab Four, Dylan and Neil Young. Here they play an acoustic set full of mostly original songs from their debut album Eve Of Destruction, plus a few covers of classic songs which have inspired the brothers thrown in all for good measure.
King of Birds: ‘Eve of Destruction’
‘Heaven’s just a one horse town’
The King of Birds story reads like many previously lamented rock ‘n’ roll tales. Scottish brothers, Charlie and Stirling Gorman from a little village near Glasgow played in various bands as kids and dreamed of nailing a record deal that would be their passport out of 9-5 purgatory.
‘The rest is only dreaming’
Almost instantly that dream turned to reality when their fledgling band ‘Murmur’ were signed to Warner Bros (U.S.) imprint, Mesa Blue Moon Recordings and before they knew it they were stateside putting pen to paper, recording their debut album and touring extensively across America
‘How fragile is the flame’
Inevitably, as quickly as it began, it was over. Initial sales didn’t meet expectations, promotional commitments from the label fell through, the band were dropped and the Gormans found themselves back in Elderslie
‘Heaven help us, where do we go from here?’
Purgatory of course takes many shapes and forms and can eat up time. Charlie found himself selling used office furniture; though regrettably not out on San Fernando Road as Tom Waits would have it. His nights were spent playing alone in bars and restaurants around Glasgow. Stirling ended up working in Glasgow’s iconic Tower Records to stay ‘close to the music’ and in demand as a session player. The travel lust had taken hold though and eventually he found work as an international flight attendant. Continual movement refuelled the fire.
‘Too many lonely people, in too many lonely lives’
Throughout the intervening years the brothers love of roots music remained and in particular the soundscape of Americana which had gripped them so tightly during those early years. Both continued writing, though not together, a clutch of broken relationships and the sudden loss of some close childhood friends catalysing a number of re-evaluations that ultimately informed new output.
‘I believe in you and me’
Late in 2014, Stirling called Charlie and suggested they write some songs together. Much living had gone in to those intervening years and the songs flowed, lyrically taking them to places they’d never been. By the spring of 2017 the duo had stockpiled an arsenal of material and decided to start recording what would become their debut album as King of Birds, ‘Eve of Destruction’.
‘Rise up from the embers’
Self recorded and produced with a group of long standing friends in and around Glasgow, the record was completed in the summer of 2018. The lead single ‘I Hope We Don’t Fall In Love’, a song inspired by the resilience of a city and its people in the face of adversity, is out now ahead of the album’s release later in the year.
Of ‘I Hope We Don’t Fall In Love’, Charlie commented:
"A couple of years ago, I read a newspaper article about a woman who'd found someone else after losing her partner in a totally unforeseen and tragic accident that affected the whole city. You could sense her happiness but also her pain and guilt of finally moving on from someone she loved so much. It really brought home to me what Glasgow, as a city, has been through over the years and no matter what has befallen, the collective community spirit and love of its people have always ensured the city flourishes. It’s truly unique and it’s that spirit that inspired 'I Hope We Don't Fall In Love’"
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