Migrant Birds is an indie folk outfit from Winston-Salem, North Carolina that combines elements of pop, rock, and americana to write folk songs for the modern age. Armed with the timeless tools of intimate songwriting and close vocal harmony, their music can shapeshift to fit any music club, noisy bar or hushed living room.
Drawing inspiration from traditional Appalachian folk tunes and modern acts like Shovels and Rope, Shakey Graves, Brandi Carlile, and Andrew Bird, the group has taken to peddling their brand of americana across North Carolina and the beyond.
The group is fronted by Spencer McNair Ayscue and Tara Lancaster Logue, both North Carolina natives educated in the hills of Appalachia. Migrant Birds released their debut single "Appalachian Spine" in April 2019 and their eponymous EP a month later. They followed that up with a steady stream of singles over the course of 2020 thanks to the addition of accomplished cellist and multi-instrumentalist Scott Peters to the line-up.
On April 23, 2021, they released their second EP "Winters Like These." Consisting of their 2020 singles and several new tracks, the release serves as a testament to the breadth of the folk genre—the big Americana tent. Ranging from the folk pop "Feel It All" to the antique protest-inspired "Lay It Down," the songs are united by the shared thread of introspective and sincere songwriting that defined the "Migrant Birds" EP.
In early 2023, they released "The Debt", a peppy murder ballad and the first single from an upcoming album, and followed that up with the anthemic "Stonewall // Asherah", a meditation on idolatry in the 21st Century.
Their full-length debut album My Honest Face is slated for release on September 29, 2023.
Released on 4/23/2021. Lyrics and music by Migrant Birds. Engineered, mixed, and produced by Sam Amos, Geoff Weber, and Migrant Birds. Artwork by Tara Lancaster Logue.