Gothic Theatre
Paper Bird
Standing firm in no existing genre, Paper Bird’s backbone is their songwriting, musicianship, and a general allergy to all limitations and trends. With six members, and no leader, this band is pulled in every direction imaginable, but thanks to their unique instrumentation, this Denver-based group never reminds you of anyone but themselves. Their “sound” is achieved by the opposing of the multitudinous influences of the members and the intimacy of their mutual collaboration. The acoustic guitar and banjo dance rhythmically together beneath three singers who weave a basket out of harmony, while trombone adds texture, bass, melody and occasionally, sound effects. Without bass or drums, the rhythm section is a product of the ingenuity of Paul DeHaven’s guitar work (which often includes bass duties), Tyler Archuletta’s trombone wizardry, and the unconventional, puncuated rhythm and bite of Caleb Summeril’s banjo. While they may appear unfamiliarly eclectic and unusual onstage, the unified sound they produce is greeted by all audiences like an old friend (astonished looks, big old grins, and the occasional misty eye are not uncommon). The women on the other hand, Sarah Anderson, Esme Patterson and Genny Patterson, have a sneak attack of their own. At first glance they appear to be like a trio out of a sixties girl group, all dresses and smiles, while musically, they function more often than not, as one singer. Whether in harmony, canon, or in three-voiced unison, they’ve been known to try everything that has been tried in the last 150 years of popular music, and many things that haven’t. The six of them together are capable of writing in any style and covering any song with simplicity and sincerity. Paper Bird is directed and anchored by their big hearts which are ceaselessly creating new songs. The vast majority of these are love songs. In the lyrics, music, and performances, this is really what comes across. The individual members of Paper Bird are often obscured by their overwhelming love for the world and, incidentally, each other. All between the ages of 19 and 24, they have been a band for only a year and most of them have known each other about that long. The band’s inception came at a cabin high in the Colorado Rocky Mountains where, the first time they played music together, four songs were written and played to their first audience (passers-by on a street corner in Breckenridge,CO) a few hours later. Within a month they had a seven song demo of all originals and a solid foot in the door of the Denver music scene. Things have continued to move at this pace ever since. In a Denver Post poll of the best underground bands in the city, Paper Bird ranked number 48 out of 360+ candidates. They are currently gigging constantly and planning a tour in October with fellow musicians Laura Goldhamer and Ian Cooke. The present finds them functioning more as a family than a band. They all live together, spending the majority of their time making music and art, amusing the hell out of each other and surrounding themselves with books, friends and food. Listen to their music, they will make you happy. Come to a show, they will make you their friend.
