BirdPen 2015 Tour
BirdPen are Dave Pen and Mike Bird. A duo formed some years ago whilst sharing a flat in their hometown of Southampton. From the word go, Bird and Pen have always come up with ideas to create songs and to craft sounds; it’s what they do. Self-releasing a load of EP’s to start with and receiving great press gave them the confidence to keep grafting away with their bedroom project. This took them to Switzerland to finish their debut album ‘On/Off/Safety/Danger’ and then onwards to Eve Studios in Stockport, to work alongside Jim Spencer and Frank Arkwright for their second album ‘Global Lows’. Over the years they have slowly added branch after branch to their ever-growing doom groove triffid of spacerock, cinematic big beat sound.
Self-producing, recording and mixing their work over the years in the shape of three full length albums has taken them all around Europe, touring and making a lot of fuzzy warm energy-filled noise to an ever growing and loyal fan base. To quote the band, BirdPen’s sound is a bit like “standing at the end of the world with a smile on your face”.
Dave has also been an integral part of London-based music collective Archive for the last 10 years and has co-written on the last 6 studio albums. The band has a huge following and they continue to tour large venues, arenas and headline major European festivals. Mike has recently joined Dave on stage with Archive.
BirdPen is where it all began for Dave and Mike and their new album ‘In The Company of Imaginary Friends’ explores the concept of reaching out for freedom in a world spiralling ever out-of-control. The freedom of mountains and feeling alive, the tempting pendulum of escape through false substance, voices in your head, the questioning of your own sanity asking yourself “am I going mad?” Finding your lifeline that gets you through it all and, the ultimate outcome of “you get one life and then you’re dead”.
BirdPen are a self-financed outfit and the final stages of the third album were funded through a campaign with Pledge music. The band reached their goal in a few weeks which gave them the finances to master the album with Frank Arkwright at Abbey Road Studios, print up a limited run of chunky gatefold vinyl and CD’s, and to do another tour of Europe to great success.
The album ‘In The Company of Imaginary Friends’ is available on general release now through the bands own label JAR records via Fintage Music.
“The composition and detail of this music is at times astonishing. This is a truly remarkable work, surrender to it” – Prog Magazine
„In the Company of Imaginary Friends has what it takes to develop long-term-effects.” – Classic Rock Magazine
„An hypnotic and timeless record that evokes comparison towards all eras of progressive rock, from Pink Floyd, King Crimson and Manfred Man to Talk Talk and the better days of Depeche Mode until Radiohead and Archive. Bird and Pen are masters of the artistic understatement.” – Eclipsed Magazine
„With wonderful calm and melancholic songs Pen and Bird are taking us away into their own sound universe” – Slam Magazine
BIRDPEN 2015
TOUR DATES
12/11 – Liege – Reflektor
13/11 – Arlon – L’Entrepôt
14/11 – Soignies – Rock & Chill Festival
15/11 – Cologne – Artheater
16/11 – Hamburg – Molotow
17/11 – Berlin – Comet Club
19/11 – Wiesbaden – Kesselhaus
21/11 – Poznan – Pod Minoga
22/11 – Warsaw – Hydrozagadka
23/11 – Dresden – Groovestation
24/11 – Prague – Futurum
26/11 – La Chaux-de-Fonds – Bikini Test
27/11 – Düdingen – Bad Bonn
28/11 – Zurich – Bogen F
29/11 – Munich – Ampere
30/11 – Heidelberg – Karlstorbahnhof
3/12 – London – Hoxton Bar & Kitchen
4/12 – Southampton – The Joiners
