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8 THURSDAY 0DUPCFS r5IF)FSBME1BMMBEJVN Finding their sound The Ragbirds bring world- IF YOU GO beat-folk-rock to the Mendel What: The Ragbirds By JEREMY D. BONFIGLIO Sight & Sound Editor When: 7 p.m. Friday Where: Hanson Theatre, BENTON HARBOR — When asked Lake Michigan College Mendel Center, about the evolution of her music, Erin 2755 E. Napier Ave., Benton Harbor Zindle, the front woman of The Rag- How much: $15, $10 for students, birds, struggles to even say the word. seniors and Mainstage Series members “I don’t want to say it, but it’s almost Contact: 927-1221 or ... pop,” Zindle says by telephone while www.themendelcenter.com traveling to Ann Arbor from a show in St. Louis. “I think what I mean by that is Artist info: www.theragbirds.com it’s just more accessible than ever. We’re focussing on strong melodies more than before. It’s a refl ection of all of our trav- “The theme of the album is unlike eling and is just much more rooted. The anything I’ve done before,” she says. songwriting feels a lot like coming “There’s a thread that weaves through- home.” out and it’s the story of these two lovers. When the Ann Arbor-based world- I’ve named them Betty and Bill. The al- beat-folk-rockers make a tour stop Fri- bum follows them through the process day at Lake Michigan College’s Mendel of fi rst meeting and through a very long Center to open the Hanson Theatre Liv- relationship, sticking together through ing Room Series, they’ll showcase their some very diffi cult circumstances where evolving sound as well as a handful of their love is tested and tried. But there’s a new tunes from the forthcoming album, sense that they’re always working it out, “The Threshold & The Hearth,” due in Photo provided and on this journey together. There’s early 2016. The Ragbirds, featuring, from left, Randall Moore, Dan Jones, Erin Zindle, Jon Brown and T.J. some upbeat, danceable songs in there It’s the fi rst album of new music since Zindle, open the Hanson Theatre Living Room Series on Friday at the Lake Michigan College and there are some songs that bring to the birth of Aviva Alice Moore, the now Mendel Center. life some of those troubles, too.” 2-year-old daughter of Zindle and per- Fan favorite “The Lemon Grove,” cussionist Randall Moore, who travels well as her ability as a vocalist and song- Almost Ready,” with the single “Book of which Zindle describes as a “simple mu- with the band. writer who can play everything from the Matches”; and 2012’s “Travelin’ Ma- sical arrangement with more complex “She’s been on tour with us since she violin and mandolin to the accordion chine” followed. lyrics about accepting the sour things was 5 weeks old,” Zindle says “She’s now and banjo, that is the musical heart of Last year, the band released the live that come in life,” opens the album. An- 2 and it just gets better. She’s hilarious. this ensemble. album, “We Belong to the Love,” and in other highlight is the song, “Cosmos.” She’s extremely verbal and extremely so- Her interest in world music began with March, the band spent two weeks in Big “It’s about when Betty and Bill fi rst cial. I feel like she deepens our connec- her own roots. With two Irish grand- Sky Recording Studios making their fi fth meet,” Zindle says. “Betty is a cosmetol- tion with people everywhere we go. It mothers, the young violinist fi rst discov- studio album with Grammy Award- ogist and Bill is a cosmologist. They of enriches all of our experiences. There’s ered Celtic fi ddling as a teenager growing nominated producer Jamie Candiloro course fi nd that ironic. It’s about seeing defi nitely challenges but the beauty of it up in suburban Buffalo, N.Y. At this (Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, R.E.M., the world so differently and yet fi nding outweighs any of the challenges.” same time, she became entranced by the Willie Nelson). some commonality.” The band has always been a bit of a world musical sounds from artists such “It was a really transformative experi- The same can be said for The Ragbirds family affair. In addition to Zindle and as Paul Simon, Rusted Root and Peter ence,” Zindle says. “He did everything I sound. Moore, The Ragbirds features Zindle’s Gabriel. hoped a producer would do for an al- “It’s hard to take a song from the new brother, guitarist TJ Zindle, bassist Dan “I was classically trained on violin and bum. He really challenged us and pushed album and say that sounds like a tango Jones and drummer Jon Brown. The piano,” Zindle says. “But I was drawn to us to do things better, but at the same or that sounds South African, or that it band formed in 2005, not long after Zin- those sounds as a young songwriter that time I didn’t feel pushed in the stylistic sounds Irish,” Zindle says. “There’s a dle met Moore through an African drum I tried to incorporate them into my own choices we made. He was very respectful sense that the musicians are inspired by circle. music.” of the songwriting process and just different cultures but it’s not as easy to “When we fi rst started dating, we After meeting Moore, the couple gath- helped expose the weak spots and im- pin down a region specifi cally. In a way would go busk in the street,” Zindle says. ered a band and began to record her prove them. In the recording process he this has always kind of been what I’m “I’d play Irish and Celtic fi ddle and he original songs. just brought great performances out of aiming for. I feel like I’m fi nally fi nding would back me up with a tambourine, or The fi rst was The Ragbirds’ 2005 de- us by just knowing what to say.” my own sound.” doumbek and tabla.” but album “Yes Nearby.” The 2007 trav- One of the main differences is the sto- Contact: [email protected], 932-0364, Twitter: It’s Zindle’s affi nity for world music, as el-themed “Wanderlove”; 2009’s “Finally ry Zindle says runs through the album. @HPBonfiglio
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