Birdy played her first show of 2024 on 8th April at Zermatt Unplugged. The festival not only is located in a beautiful scenery on the foot of the world famous Matterhorn, but the artists are also encouraged to perform a special unplugged set. Birdy put lots of efforts in that task and brought a grand piano as well as a string quartet to the stage. In the interview before the show she explained how she built up her show, talked about cover songs, remixes and her approach of creating new music.
Indiespect: Your latest record «Portraits» has been out since August 2023. How does it feel to you now that you’ve brought the songs to the stage?
Birdy: It was a bit of an adjustment to get used to being not at the piano all the time, to be playing synth and to be moving a lot more, but it felt good. It was nice to see people's reaction to it. Some were slightly scared by it, I think, because it was so different. But I think people enjoyed it too, they were moving a lot and that was nice to see.
Indiespect: Is it true that this is your first concert of 2024?
Birdy: Yes, it is actually.
Some people were slightly scared by it, I think, because it was so different.
Indiespect: Are you more nervous than usual after a tour break?
Birdy: I am a bit nervous. I was nervous last night, I felt a bit sick. Then today I feel excited. Seeing the venue and feeling the energy of this place is cool.
© Julius Hatt
The special treats of Zermatt Unplugged: Birdy is rarely able to play a grand piano at her concerts.
Indiespect: I saw in your Instagram stories that you prepared a special set for Zermatt Unplugged. How will it be different from your usual concerts?
Birdy: So, because it's meant to be unplugged, we're doing more of an acoustic version of some of the songs, and it's going to start with 4 or 5, just piano and vocal. Then I've got a really amazing string quartet coming and we're going to do a couple of songs like that. Then it's going to lead into the band at the end, which will be really nice. I’m excited.
Indiespect: Can you already tell what kind of piano you'll play? Is it a grand piano?
Birdy: Actually, it's a grand piano. For once, I've got a real piano. I never get that when we're touring because it's so hard to balance the sound and obviously to car a real piano around is hard. So, it's a real treat for me.
For once, I've got a real piano. I never get that when we're touring.
Indiespect: Did you have to arrange the new songs from scratch? Some of them were written with drum machines and not with the piano, I think?
Birdy: Yeah. For some of them I've done versions already and then I've just embellished them with the strings – like Raincatchers from my new record. That lends itself really well to just the string quartet and to take the synths out. It still sounds really nice and kind of classical.
© Julius Hatt
Birdy started the show completely on her own.
Indiespect: Do you think about doing other shows with the string quartet or will it remain just a one off?
Birdy: I have thought about it because it does feel good to do it this way. I actually sometimes think my music comes across better when it's more stripped. But sometimes, like if it's a big festival, it kind of needs something a bit more to hold an audience. It's always difficult to decide.
I actually sometimes think my music comes across better when it's more stripped.
Indiespect: How do you manage to still keep the energy of your new songs? Is this possible or are they more quiet now?
Birdy: They're a bit more quiet. Raincatchers still has energy, I think. We're also going to do Paradise Calling tonight, which is very different. It's a lot more emotional and a sad version of the song. Because actually the lyrics are sad in all of them. (laughs)
Indiespect: Really? It's so upbeat that I didn't realize that up to now.
Birdy: Yeah, actually. Most of my lyrics are always sad, but it's just disguised. So I think it works like this.
Birdy is used to acoustic performances.
Indiespect: But the source of that is not that you are always sad in the first place, right?
Birdy: It’s a mixture. Sometimes I'm sad and I write from that, but sometimes it's about other things or people and stories.
While making «Portraits» I was listening to to PJ Harvey and Kate Bush and that's kind of what inspired that record.
Indiespect: On your earliest album and on your socials as well, covers play quite an important part. Does that help you in your own writing?
Birdy: I think it does, yeah. If I do a cover, it's normally because I've been really inspired by that person and I've been listening to their music a lot. You definitely absorb new music as an artist. While making Portraits I was listening to to PJ Harvey and Kate Bush and that's kind of what inspired that record.
Indiespect: But I also read that for you, it's the easiest to do covers of songs that people tell you to cover, because like that you don't have a deep personal connection and you can approach them differently.
Birdy: That's true. It does help if you don't know the song that well. Sometimes if you know it really well, you just want to copy what that person did. It's hard sometimes.
© Julius Hatt
A special setting for a special artist: The tent stage of Zermatt Unplugged
Indiespect: Is there an artist you would love to cover one of your songs? If yes, which artist and what song would that be?
Birdy: I've actually been thinking about this recently because I was thinking about Surrender, which is a song from Young Heart. When we recorded it, it could have been done in so many different ways and it could have been sung out really big, but it always felt wrong to me to do that. I'd love to hear someone like Nick Cave sing it or try a version of it. That would be really cool.
I remember someone did a remix of Shelter years ago, I think it was Photek. It was a dubstep remix, and I absolutely loved it.
Indiespect: Are there any known covers of your songs already?
Birdy: I don't know, actually. I mean, there's been a lot of people doing remixes, like for Keeping Your Head Up. I've had a lot of those, I don't know… Maybe you've heard some? I’d love to hear them.
Indiespect: Me too! Talking about remixes. You also released a second version of «Portraits» with additional remixes of your songs. For me as a listener they are most of the times a bit annoying because the original song was already thought through. Do you feel they add something new to the song? How is it for you as an artist?
Birdy: For me it's just a different thing, completely. It's just its own. A new creation that’s just using parts of that song. I like them. Not all of them. Sometimes I don't like them. But I remember someone did a remix of Shelter years ago, I think it was Photek. It was a dubstep remix, and I absolutely loved it. It made me feel so emotional and I really loved it. It's very dark, but it's cool.
Birdy's favourite remix: Photek's version of «Shelter»
Indiespect: In 2022 your song «Quietly Yours» was featured as the title track for the Netflix movie Persuasion. Do you also have a connection to Jane Austen besides that or not at all?
Birdy: Not particularly. I mean, I grew up with with Jane Austen and reading her books and watching the movies. I remember being obsessed with Sense & Sensibility when I was young. But I'm always very inspired by film – watching and writing to film. So, it's just always exciting for me to do that.
I remember being obsessed with Sense & Sensibility when I was young.
Indiespect: Is it more the adaptation than the original book that inspired you?
Birdy: Well, no, I think it's the story. Because I hadn’t been sent the film, yet, I watched an earlier version when I was writing for it. I just found the story so moving. I mean, I knew it from the books, but just to watch it was really inspiring.
© Julius Hatt
Birdy writes her songs with the guitar as well.
Indiespect: I know that you are very interested in painting and arts in general. Do you still find time to read books or not so much?
Birdy: I don't always have time. I used to read a lot more when I was younger and I got a bit slack, but I really love it when I do read. The last thing I read was Klara and the Sun, which was a while ago now. It’s a beautiful book about robots taking over (laughs). It was really cool. I need to read more though.
The last thing I read was Klara and the Sun, which was a while ago now. It’s a beautiful book about robots taking over.
Indiespect: I was just thinking if other art forms help you to write songs or where you draw your inspiration from.
Birdy: Yeah they do. I mean, reading, films, nature and different places I find inspiring. My early records are inspired by where I grew up, it was very wild and secluded. Then, the other records are inspired by being away from home, missing it and being in a foreign land.
«Raincatchers» works with synths and unplugged.
Indiespect: Are you constantly writing or do you specifically take your time when you want to work on a project?
Birdy: I just wait for inspiration to hit. Sometimes it's like two months of no writing. You're like: something happened to me like, where is it gone? And then it will suddenly come back and there is a month of amazing things that come out.
I actually enjoy the challenge of trying to keep the audience when it's a festival.
Indiespect: Now you’ll have a break until the end of May when you start playing festivals. That will be a completely different audience than tonight. Are you sometimes also afraid of such shows because people are used to heavy guitars and pumping beats?
Birdy: Sometimes (laughs). I don't know, really, I actually enjoy the challenge of trying to keep the audience when it's a festival. It’s very freeing and nice. There's no pressure for people to stay and people come and go. If you have a big audience then you're like: great, they want to be here and they've chosen to stay here, which is cool.
© Julius Hatt
Birdy is waving to the audience in Zermatt.
Indiespect: When I was a kid I loved Britney Spears…
Birdy: Mhm, me too.
I was really influenced by my dad. We loved the same things.
Indiespect: …and listened to the charts in the radio every Sunday. Only when I got older I discovered indie and alternative music through TV series like The OC. Were you mainly influenced by the music your parents listened to, since your mother was a piano teacher, or how did your taste in music form?
Birdy: I think that came a lot later. I was really influenced by my dad. We loved the same things, so I guess it has just come from him. It’s Tracy Chapman, Bob Dylan and a real mixture of things. KT Tunstall is one of my early influences and I think he played that to me. But then as I got older, I discovered Joni Mitchell. I don't know if my dad has listened to Joni Mitchell. No, he never played it to me. So, that’s my own discovery.
Indiespect: Thank you so much for your time.
Birdy: Thank you!