‘Futurebirds’ come to Burlington

futurebirds
Futurebirds’ premiered at Higher Ground on November 5th.

Psychedelic country band Futurebirds will be bringing their Southern-infused sound up north to Higher Ground Thursday, Nov. 5.

The group, based in Athens, Georgia, is characterized by their spacey twang. “We strive to always bring energy into everything we do onstage,” guitarist Carter King said. Since it is impossible to perfectly replicate their newest release, “Hotel Parties,” while playing it live, Futurebirds likes to add new elements to their music during concerts. King refers to this as the live versions of songs “having their own voice.”

“We have three lead singers and a few guys in the band who write songs,” King said. “We share responsibilities on the microphone which is nice but tough because we want to sound like one band and not three separate voices.”

With multiple men sharing a microphone, finding a consistent, unifying sound is challenging. However, this technique allows the band to find a common voice while providing variety. The tour is an exciting new step for Futurebirds, who are looking forward to playing a new set.

“Hotel Parties” has a different vibe than their previous release, the ethereal “Baba Yaga.” “Hotel Parties” is a more blunt and to-the-point collection of lyrics than on previous releases. Therefore, the album is sonically more succinct than “Baba Yaga” but still has a somewhat eccentric sound. Futurebirds has played in Burlington before, but this will be their first time at Higher Ground.

“We’ve heard great things about the venue,” King said. “We want to take a day or two off around the time of the show so we can spend time in town.”

Futurebirds’ manager is from Burlington and they are friends with famous musician and Vermonter Grace Potter. In the summer of 2011, Futurebirds toured with Grace Potter and the Nocturnals on the Bonnaroo Buzz Tour, and performed at the Bonnaroo music festival along the way. First-year Samantha Spencer is intrigued by the idea of Southern rock at Higher Ground. Fellow first-year Jess Giordano likes Futurebirds’ sound and thinks the show seems like an interesting experience.

“I’m not a big fan of country music, but this is a little different and I like it,” Giordano said. “Listening to them feels like laying in a sunny meadow while eating messy barbeque wings.”