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What happens when two childhood T-Ball teammates reunite 20 years down the line and decide to make indie-rock music together? Well, to name a few things: a viral cover of Dr. Dog’s “Where’d All the Time Go,” a move from Columbus, Ohio to Nashville, Tennessee, multiple singles and headlining shows, and now, a debut album.

With the release of their self-titled debut project, Bird and Byron, we couldn’t be more thankful that the soul-rock duo decided to team up again. Bird and Byron takes the listener on a 32-minute “locomotive” ride through the motions of love and heartbreak, channeling each individual stage of a romantic relationship until, ultimately, it is no longer. It is evident that Bird and Byron have taken the time to fully focus their sound. The pair have managed to strike the perfect balance between their folky-yet-jazzy rhythms and authentically raw vocals that feel so incredibly powerful to hear. Whether it be through the electric guitar riffs cadencing throughout “What’s The Use?” or the cinematic storytelling of “Me and Mrs. Rose,” the second you press play on Bird and Byron, you are teleported to a smoky, 1970s jazz bar, getting so lost in the music that you forget there is a reality to snap back to.

We had the chance to sit down with Bird and Byron and hear all about their move to Music City and how that impacted the inspiration and creation process of Bird and Byron.

Ones to Watch: Hi Bird and Byron! By the time this interview is up, your self-titled debut album will be out to hear. Congrats! In one word, how does it feel?

Bird and Byron: Relief.

The album is described as a “locomotive” ride through the motions of heartbreak. When it came to crafting the narrative of the album, how did this concept of a train come about?

The concept of the train was derived from classic artwork depicting the American expansion out West. We’ve also recently moved to Nashville, and in every corner of this city, you can hear a train rolling through town. When people hear a train rolling by, I hope they think of us.

Back in 2020, when you released your first single “Alone,” you were based in Columbus. Since making the move to Nashville—a.k.a. the home of blues and soul and rock and roll—how has this new environment influenced your songwriting and general artistry?

Moving to Nashville was a big step for us, and it has further cemented our love for the type of music that has been coming out of this city. It’s made us trust our own taste in soul and rock, and it’s also introduced us to a lot of new musicians and ideas. Nashville’s rich music history inspires us every day, whether we are writing or performing. Some of the greatest music has come from folks who once lived in this city, and we hope to add on to its legacy.

What was the most challenging aspect of making the album? 

The toughest part about finishing the album was finishing the album. We did all aspects of the record in house, so we had to battle with our own opinions and decide whether or not a part, lyric, melody, or song was completed the way it needed to be. We just had to trust ourselves and become comfortable with the final product.

Artists like Marvin Gaye, Charlie Megira, Aretha Franklin, and The Black Keys are cited as influences for this album (all impeccable choices, by the way). Non-musically, was there anything that inspired you during the creation process? 

We bought a book in the album process that had great photographic references of the American expansion West and the beginning of rail travel. All of these people were going into unknown lands and exploring and discovering, and we feel like that’s what the album was for us. We were finding and discovering new sounds and building new ways to get to our final outcome. It was an adventure, and now the tracks are built. Now, we can ride the train.

Across the project, the vocals and instrumentation carry equal depths of emotion and soul, and it feels so powerful to hear. When the two of you are writing, how do you manage to find this balance, so that one doesn’t overpower the other?

We usually have a good idea of how the song will go from the beginning, but if we feel a section is lacking compared to others, we’ll spend a lot of time building it so that the tune can swell emotionally and compositionally. What is at the heart of soul and blues music is the relationship between the instruments and voice and how they interact with each other during the course of a song. We have learned how to incorporate that in our own writing and feel like we can fix an imbalance if there is one.

Personally, “Me and Mrs. Rose” and “Set You Free” are two standout tracks I would absolutely love to hear live. Are there any tracks from the project you’re most excited to perform live?

“I Will Always Be There” and “Tennessee Fire” will be great. Those are ones that will take a little time to get right in a live setting, but they’d be really fun.

What’s one thing you hope people take away from Bird and Byrond?

We hope people think this album sounds like us. Creating this piece of work was such a personal experience for both of us, and we hope that emotion comes through in the music. This album is also a multi-listen experience. Each song has a layer, whether it’d be instrumentally or lyrically, that everyone won’t catch on the first few listens. But we really put time and care into how these songs grew and we hope everyone can appreciate that care and construction.

And lastly, who are your Ones To Watch?

Sekou. He’s an up and coming 18 year old from London whose voice is absolutely incredible. Excited to see how he grows as an artist and songwriter, very powerful stuff. Gabriel Thomas Broussard. met him here in Nashville a month back. He’s got one of the best voices in town and he’s a killer songwriter. He’ll be going far.

Bird and Byron is available now.