Firebirdie "Weathering Heights"
Review by: Sara Liebl, Writer @larasiebl
Edited by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner/Editor @PlaylistTC
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Firebirdie is a musical duo birthed by Jessica Grantham and Travis Wavescorx. While at a glance they may appear to have been laying low, with their most recent track on Spotify being released in 2018, they certainly haven’t been twiddling their thumbs. In fact, Firebirdie has spent the last decade writing, perfecting, and producing their debut album. Weathering Heights is an album jam packed with exciting instrumentals paired with emotionally vulnerable lyrics that tackle subject matter such as pain, passion, and mental illness. When asked what genres they consider were their biggest influences, Jessica threw out pop, indie, and RnB before the two settled on the term “genre fluid”. Travis explains further, “We’re living in a time where it really is post-genre, where you can really pull influences from everywhere, and the idea that you just have to stay in a lane is dead”.
Weathering Heights is definitely the type of album you want to listen to with headphones on, as there are many moving parts and embellishments cleverly mixed in the background, adding additional layers to each track that greatly enhance the listening experience. “There are little moments in the album that are crafted with intentions. The bells and xylophone on “Kissing with Teeth” for example,” says Travis, “I hope there are small things people continue to notice each time they listen to the record.”
While Jessica knew she wanted to be a singer by the age of two, Travis’ journey to Firebirdie was a little more complex. Initially interested in creating animated videos, Travis found that he was never quite satisfied by the music he commissioned for his videos. After beginning to branch out and write his own music for his films, he found his talent for songwriting was impossible to ignore and began his deep dive into learning instruments, mixing, and producing. And thus, Firebirdie emerged.
In the 10 years it took to write “Weathering Heights”, Travis and Jessica wrote between 30-40 songs before deciding which ones to include on the album, and they never settled for anything less than their vision. After working on mixing with producers whose credits include The Flaming Lips, Modest Mouse, The White Stripes, and Rhianna - the two never felt that the product they received quite captured what they wanted to put out into the world. After experiencing that disappointment, Travis took it upon himself to learn how to mix and master, allowing them to have more creative control to fulfill their goals and desires, and it paid off. “I heard it in the car and just burst out into tears.” Jessica mentions.
“Firecracker Racket,” the opening track, is a punch in the face - in the best of ways. Firebirdie comes out of the gate strong with an upbeat number that makes it nearly impossible to listen to without wanting to dance in your chair. “Firecracker Racket” sets the tone for an album that is both easy to listen to and guaranteed to keep listeners engaged and excited for what they will hear next. Firecracker Racket is a proud anthem aimed towards erasing the stigma around mental illness, “‘Firecracker Racket' is a song about just dealing with inner demons and how people take mental illness and act like you just have to be normal,” Jessica explained.
“Sew Me Up” is a stand out on the album, as it openly and unabashedly focuses on mental health struggles and the pain you feel while living with mental illness without the frills of the other songs on the album. . Forgoing their ongoing theme of dramatic instrumentation, “Sew Me Up” is a piano and vocal ballad with simple ambient synthesizer accents, a breath of fresh air between their otherwise upbeat and instrument heavy songs. As one of the most emotionally charged songs on the album, “Sew Me Up” is the perfect example of the vulnerability Firebirdie puts into their music. The stripped down nature of the song sets up a more simplistic song, what you hear is what you get, allowing the powerful lyrics to take the spotlight. “‘Sew Me Up’ just had to go on the record,” Jessica added.
Firebirdie wasn't shy to tease a future release, which they began working on while renting a cabin in Wisconsin (What’s up, Bon Iver?). They went in with no expectations or ideas besides a lyric here and a riff there, and decided to write a full album in one week while simultaneously documenting the project by filming a documentary throughout the course of the week. “The baby [Firebirdie] was released, now let's let the child come out to play.” said Jessica, when referring to their next release. While they didn't bend enough to give a time frame, they assured me we would not have to wait another 10 years for a second Firebirdie album.
To sum Weathering Heights up in one sentence - to Travis, Weathering Heights is a statement. Jessica agrees and adds that, “it’s passion and pain that clears the voices in your head.”
Good music to bop around to in the car - 10/10
Coolest instrument used on album - Roli Seaboard Rise
Am I ready for more? - Absolutely
You can listen to Firebirdie’s Weathering Heights” on Apple Music, Spotify, Youtube, and Tidal.
