YOU MIGHT LAUGH
at Birdcloud’s lyrics, but they aren’t a comedy act. Hear for yourself as the country duo performs at Will’s Pub tonight.
You might laugh at Birdcloud’s lyrics, but they aren’t a comedy act. The country duo out of Nashville is “definitely more” in a punk vein, according to singer Jasmin Kaset.
Kaset and Makenzie Green have been bringing their caustic acoustic act since they formed in 2010. On Sept. 4, Birdcloud will perform at Will’s Pub in Orlando’s Mills 50 District with Kingofalldrunks and a headliner whose name can’t be printed in polite company (7 p.m., 1042 N. Mills Ave., Orlando, $15-$18, willspub.org).
Many of Birdcloud’s songs have titles which can’t be repeated here. Even songs with ostensibly safe names such as “Black Guys” and “Indianer” have raised controversy. (The former is about the love of white Southern women for African American men, and the latter is about people trying to outdo each other with claims about their percentage of Native American heritage.) Raunchy, racy and straightforward, the duo seeks to showcase the often dirty and uncomfortable sides of Southern culture, all captured in a low-fi punk sound.
From their touring minivan, Birdcloud spoke about their affinity for live performance, how they connect with their Southern audience and with South-loving audiences around the world.
Question: Does the fact that you play on acoustic instruments [typically a guitar and a mandolin] dictate how you write
your songs?
Green: We don’t write it because of our instruments. If we could play anything else, we probably would. We play with a full band every now and then. If we’re on tour with a band, we’ll work up some songs with them. And then at our Christmas show, we always work with a backing band.
Q: You’ve released several EPs [including a new 7-inch record that will be available at the show]. Do you think you work best as a live band?
Kaset: I think Birdcloud is at its best as a live show. We’re entertainers, and our show is a show; it’s a sight to see. I think that’s why we’ve traveled as far without any management or anything just on YouTube, because people see what we’re like in real life.
Q: Given how critical of Southern culture your songs sometimes appear, do you ever feel uncomfortable playing in the South?
Kaset: I don’t feel uncomfortable. I think it’s important to examine where you live and where you’re from and the parts about it that are kind of [expletive] up. I think if you’re not paying attention, then you’re doing something wrong. In the South, people get it. A lot of people with a Southern accent, people immediately think that they’re stupid or that they’re prejudiced. We have a lot of really cool, smart fans in the South who are happy to hear satire.
Q: How does your act translate when you perform in other countries?
Green: People seem to kind of obsessed with the South. We’ll go to Scandinavia, and people there will be with a George Jones tattoo. Lots of Johnny Cash tattoos. People assume that we like to drink Jack Daniels. It’s cool to be from the South and have people be into you just because of that.
Q: Do you find that you encounter the same stereotypes when you’re overseas?
Green: Yeah, there’s rednecks everywhere.