We featured this awesome bunch as a Band of the Day way back in 2018, but a lot changes in five years so it’s lovely have an update! In addition, they’ve donated to our collection for Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation. Thank you!
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We are a mixture of places – England, Scotland, Belgium and New Zealand!
How did you meet?
Garry and Mishkin started the band when they met at University in Brighton. After several violinists came and went, Hana Piranha became a permanent fixture in 2015 and we’ve been very close ever since. Anna joined us in 2019, we did one tour and then the pandemic hit! She’s absolutely integral to the band’s sound as we head further in to prog/metal territory, and the four of us are now like a family. It’s hard to imagine the band with any other line-up now, we’ve definitely got the dream-team.
How long have you been playing as a band?
Birdeatsbaby has been going in some form since 2009, but the sound and genre has changed considerably since then. It’s nice to see the progression of many genres while still retaining our vision to make dark and interesting music.
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
The band name was born of a nightmare that Mishkin had in her teens… the first album is all based on dreams and visions.
What are your influences?
Classical piano music (Rachmaninov, Chopin, Mozart) mixed with dark and progressive metal (Opeth, Gojira, Tool).
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
Our music is very unique, in fact it’s been difficult for us sometimes to find our place in the music scene because we cross so many genres. We blend classical, cabaret, progressive, metal, experimental and even jazz with a lot of different instruments. The band members combined play drums, piano, guitar, bass, cello, violin, accordion, double bass, synth, baritone horn and of course we all sing too. Our latest album is a bit more simplified in instruments but rhythmically it’s the most complex.
If you like what we do, consider joining us on Patreon for as little as £1 per month!
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
We like to tell stories, our previous themes have included religion, feminism, trauma, mental health issues, animal rights and politics. The latest album, HEX, is esoteric in theme and has a lot more hidden meaning.
What’s your live show like?
It’s very theatrical and dark. Currently we’ve been wearing demonic headpieces and painting our bodies. We aim to make people feel a mixture of fear and arousal.
How many shows have you played?
I can’t remember, we’ve been around a while!
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
We played a 2-hour show standing on a bar in a strip club, that was pretty wild and so was the after party…
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
Garry has an 8 string Strandberg guitar and Anna is a Ludwig sponsored drummer.
What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
Our latest music video for “HEX” and our Patreon club.
What are your plans for the next 6 months or so?
Keep releasing demons from the pit of hell.
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
We would support Igorrr and Hana Piranha would open. Hana Piranha is our violinist’s band; they’re also dark and twisted.
Don’t fancy Patreon? Buy us a one-off beverage!
Header image by Scott Chalmers
If you want to check out more new music, then fire up our Headline Act playlists on Spotify and YouTube!
Birdeatsbaby: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | spotify | bandcamp | youtube | patreon
