BALLAD OF CROWS (Scotland/Germany, formerly known as ‘As the Crow Flies') are three guys who blend great songs and exquisite melodies with honey-soaked vocal harmonies to create a sound which, although carved from the roots of traditional music, is infused with a very modern energy. Equally interested in the traditional tunes and ballads of their native Scotland as they are with the nu-grass and Americana movements in the United States, the trio blend these trans-Atlantic influences to great effect. Some call it ‘Celticana’; others simply call it wonderfully pure and honest acoustic music.
Their original songs feature eloquent lyrics that deal with themes as diverse as politics, love, life and death. Using guitars, fiddle, mandolin and three voices, they make music which is at times poignant, up-tempo and often downright funky. It’s a robust mix which is bound to leave fans of acoustic music suitably impressed.
Live they serve-up their own songs alongside foot stomping tunes and a few cleverly-chosen covers. If you believe the press, then they have been described as “an asset to the live circuit” (rootstime.be)
Ballad of Crows brings together the two Scottish musicians Steve Crawford (guitar & vocals) and Pete Coutts (guitar, mandolin & vocals) with the German musician Sascha Loss (guitar, fiddle, harmonica & vocals). In 2014 after a successful Kickstarter funding project they completed their self titled debut album.

Intense, soaring vocals and classical-inspired piano amalgamate to concoct dramatic indie rock with a misting of moody goth/doom folk.

Sexy funeral music. When a band’s style is difficult to classify, its interpretations and descriptors can vastly vary. This is just one of many conveyed of the difficult-to-pigeonhole Minor Birds’ (aka singer-songwriter/pianist Chelsea Wilde) sound.

A classically trained pianist and self-taught multi-instrumentalist (including guitar, accordion, and banjo), Wilde has been composing and performing music in different capacities since childhood. Rising from the dust of a creative dry spell brought on by a series of tragic events in her life in 2008, the band, moniker and concept of Minor Birds was hatched. Channeling deep-sea emotional depths, the project finds Wilde exploring life’s mysticism and darkness mixed with a healthy infusion of timeless tales of love - or lack thereof. Musically, Minor Birds weaves together striking mezzo-soprano vocals, ominous baroque-era classical piano, modern guitar work, stand-up bass, cello and various other instrumentation to deliver dramatic indie pop rock with notable elements of goth, doom-folk and grunge.  

Over the near-decade since its inception, Wilde has been writing, performing and continuing to lay the sonic and visionary foundations of the project and experimenting with a variety of soundscapes (including electronica and folk rock). Pulling influences from everything encountered or experienced, she does not set out to copy or tweak any one sound, yet seeks to create truly original works that build and amplify the mood while spinning poetic tales, both otherworldly and familiar. And – that voice! Often oscillating between a silky coo and a guttural howl, Wilde possesses a rare instinctive gift with maneuvering her powerful – yet controlled - vocal mechanism to paint and elicit an emotional atmosphere or response. 

At heart, Wilde’s musical gems take form as emotionally-receptive storytelling – evocative, solemn and dreamy. Her disciplined and culturally-astute academic background is apparent throughout. Yet, rather than remaining rigid and stubborn in structure and delivery, there’s an intuitive freeness and spontaneity to Wilde’s work, letting the music carry her adrift on its unpredictable paths - as it correspondingly does the same for the listener. Intrinsically poetic, Wilde’s music is about the journey, rather than a set destination. 

Minor Birds’ forthcoming EP “The Alchemist” is set for release Fall 2017. 

"There’s nothing sweeter than the pure, honest music, that runs deep into your soul. When you have the pleasure of hearing Minor Birds…the chaotic world around you melts away." - Our City Radio 
“Minor Birds is nothing but major. Eerie crystal clear vocals....” - 360 Magazine ​

Nominated/Runner-up Oaktown Indie Music Award (2013)
Nominated for Modesto Area Music Award (2015)
Moniker Guitars Endorsed Artist

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