For the right people, obstacles become opportunity and hardship becomes promise. After the breakup of her previous band, a duo called Georgie James, Laura Burhenn gathered her favorite music, books, and friends and began crafting the music that would become The Mynabirds. What We Lose In The Fire We Gained In The Flood was the end result and its one of the biggest surprises of 2010 and maybe the best debut album of the year.
Lauras voice and piano make up the trademark sound of the band, but The Mynabirds are no one (or two) trick pony. She collaborated on the album with Richard Swift who produced and played multiple instruments. She also enlisted the help of other artists to fully orchestrate her timeless arrangements. Guitar, pedal steel, piano, horns, gospel-inspired backing vocals , its all there. This could have easily been a DIY effort by a great vocalist and her piano, but The Mynabirds went all in and created some magic in the studio.
After Shirk acquired a 1920s Cable Co. full upright piano just days before, this session with The Mynabirds at Shirk Music + Sound was meant to be. Laura was the first to break in the piano at a HearYa Live Session and she also gave the Wurlitzer a spin, finishing off four songs found on The Mynabirds debut. The only song from my wishlist that’s missing is “Good Heart” with Tom Hnatow (of These United States) on pedal steel. That song with Tom backing Laura has become a favorite of mine. But hey, just one more reason to buy the album.
Exclusive: The Mynabirds – What We Gained In The Fire (Video: Vimeo | YouTube)
Exclusive: The Mynabirds – We Made A Mountain
Exclusive: The Mynabirds – Right Place
Exclusive: The Mynabirds – Ways of Looking
Download: The Mynabirds Live Session as a zip file.
Video: The Mynabirds – What We Gained In The Fire
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The Mynabirds – “What We Gained In The Fire” Video..
I love their sound! Awesome song…nice, mellow feel to it!
what a voice. reminiscent of chan marshall. i think i’m in love.
Beautiful for a change, than the dirge we are made to listen to in the main. 11 out of 10.
Great voice on Laura, and great piano work I love the heavy hold downs within the song. This band should be “Up There”.
In talking to Laura a few days before the session, we were talking about the piano that Shirk had just picked up. She was excited about our new addition as she loves the way each session she does sounds different depending on the keys available. I thought that was such a refreshing approach and her voice knocked my socks off.