Seeing Mimicking Birds live proved to be an experience I cannot easily reproduce within the boundaries of words, so readers, bear with me. The band’s sound was ethereal, their movements calm and their vocals mesmerizing.
The trio played with a mutual appreciation for each other’s talent and a visible passion for the music. The intricate, chilling finger work of bassist Adam Trachsel against the soothing and methodical drumbeat seemed to inspire goose bumps to sprout along arms all across the audience. All three pairs of eyes remained closed for a large portion of the show, adding to the hypnotic effect that provided a sense of being transported to a different place completely. Experiencing the of removal out of time and space is entirely purposeful, lead singer Nate Lacey said.
“I would describe our music as atmospheric, almost,” Lacey said, leaning back into the couch.
Much like the songs he writes and sings, Lacey’s voice is soft but deliberate. He Mimicking Bird’s fruition from its beginnings as a slow process. The musician recorded alone for some time until a friend of his sent a link of his recordings to Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock. Brock’s enthusiasm for Lacey’s music led to a signed contract with Brock’s Glacial Pace Record Company. Shortly thereafter, drummer Aaron Hanson, equally enamored with his sound, joined Lacey.
“Nate (Lacey) and I used to play in a middle school band together, and I actually found out Nate was still recording by way of the Internet as well,” Hanson said “After I heard his recordings, I was realIy touched. I was immediately disenfranchised by the idea of joining any other music group and got in contact with Nate and just said ‘Let’s jam.’”
Hanson and Lacey grew up only a couple of houses down from each other in Portland, Oregon: the city the band calls home. The group agreed that the similarity in background of Hanson and Lacey adds cohesion to the over-all band dynamic.
Lacey said he thinks growing up in the same place “makes communicating easier.”
“The more you know each other, the easier it is to understand where the other person is coming from,” Hanson said.
This understanding seemed to also manifest itself in the respect each band member demonstrated for one another’s talents. When asked what particular aspect of their band is most unique, they agreed each musician’s style adds a great deal to their music.
“We are interested in the soul that goes into the playing. Each person’s personal style is on display and everyone is very much themselves. We feel comfortable with each other,” Hanson said. “You know, Nate’s songs that he writes makes our band really special. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the songs that he is writing right now. And this guy, (Adam). He’s the best bass player I’ve ever played with. He is a fantastic musician. I feel privileged to be able to come into this group every day and show people what we do.”
Although the men of Mimicking Birds enjoy being on tour, both for the sight-seeing and access to limitless breakfast restaurants (the band’s favorite part of being on tour—breakfast food), they said they are also looking forward to returning home to Portland. Their six-week tour is only two weeks away from wrapping up. Upon their return to Portland, the group hopes to hit the ground running on their new music. Mimicking Birds plans to turn out a new album within the next year.
“We have songs, we just haven’t started recording them yet. Hopefully it’ll start happening pretty soon,” Trachsel said.
The band dropped a single, “Dead Weight,” on July 15 of this year. This song featured an increased amount of electronic influence. According to Lacey, the shift in sound can be accredited to the musical influence of Jeremy Sherrer, whom the band plans on using again in the future. When asked if they intended to lean even more toward electronic sound in their next album, the band seemed to shirk the notion.
“I like to think of it as driving down the freeway, in the middle of the woods and nature, and then a(ll of the) sudden, there’s this giant industrial plant. It’s (electronic influence) just like that,” Hanson said. “It’s just sprinkled into a natural setting to add contrast and balance.”
The presence of Mimicking Birds last night was perhaps more low-key than usual as a result of the absence of their fourth band member, Michael Slavin, who plays the electric guitar. However, calming, soft tunes spread good vibes throughout Proud Larry’s. After the show, the band members spent time interacting with members of the audience.
At the end of the night, Mimicking Birds is a band of genuine people who really love to make music. Lacey demonstrated true heart behind the group through his reflection on the current state of the music industry.
“I don’t think musicians (were) ever really known in society as really making a lot of money until, like, television and radio came about,” Lacey said. “Now it seems like there is this big burst of people who view making music as winning the lottery. You have to be doing it for the right reasons.”
