Johnathon Ford of Unwed Sailor and Roadside Monument grew up in Broken
Arrow, OK. Burnt Toast Vinyl recording artists Ester Drang also hail from
the Broken Arrow/Tulsa region. Members of Ester Drang were friends with
Ford before he moved to Seattle to pursue his musical endeavors, but
remained in contact over the years.
Circle of Birds is a combined effort between Ford, Ester Drang, and
members of OK's country band Lasso. This self-titled release was recorded
in forty-eight hours in a practice room at the University of Tulsa,
capturing the improvisational efforts of all involved. The result is a
spectacular instrumental ep that combines the airy, orchestrated sounds of
Ester Drang with the energetic indie approach of Unwed Sailor and just a
hint of cowboy inspired country aesthetic from Lasso members. The songs
are highly melodic, cinematic, and fragile, serving as a snapshot of the
recording session. The recordings were carefully mixed in Seattle by
Pedro the Lion's David Bazan and Johnathon Ford |