Time: 8 p.m.

Cover: $20 members, $25 non-members

http://fishandbird.ca/

Fish & Bird's latest album, Every Whisper is a Shout Across the Void, marks a major step forward for the young band. The project began in Victoria, BC in 2006 as an acoustic duo, comprised of Taylor Ashton (banjo, guitar, vocals) and Adam Iredale-Gray (fiddle). On their 2007 self titled debut, their take on 'folk' included original songs in odd time signatures and traditional murder ballads with rock beats. 2009's Left Brain Blues was a more mature exploration of the space between folk traditions and reckless creativity, with Ashton & Gray playing multiple instruments on each song, and toying with the formats that inspired them. Some of the friends they enlisted to help fill out the sound on the record and at live shows eventually became permanent members of the band, and now Fish & Bird are the five-piece indie-folk powerhouse we know today. They have weird vocal improv sections, they rock out in 11/8, sometimes it seems like they're playing bluegrass, and they might make you cry.

Every Whisper is a Shout Across the Void was released in April 2011. Featuring the full ensemble and some of their strongest material yet, it redefines the Fish & Bird experience yet again. Where 2009's Left Brain Blues took listeners on a roller coaster ride of varied genres and instrumentation, Every Whisper comes off more like a live show, with all the band's influences and musical ideas woven tighter into a more cohesive sound. The arrangements are cleaner, the playing is stronger, and Ashton's singing is at its best, this time finding company in backing vocals from Iredale-Gray and bassist Zoe Guigueno. Fiddler Adam Iredale-Gray is Fish & Bird's resident recording engineer. In the 2 years since Left Brain Blues, he has cut his teeth on a number of other recording projects for a handful of other western canadian artists, and the experience shows on Every Whisper.

The album is more lyrically cohesive, too. Expanding on themes hinted at on the second album, Every Whisper explores the relationship between reality and perception. Taylor Ashton's lyrics explore the fragility of human interactions, and the fictions we all weave about our own worlds whether we acknowledge them or not.

2011 was a good year for Fish & Bird: In February, the band performed to a sold-out CBC studio audience for a concert that was aired on radio and television nationwide. They traveled to Memphis, TN to perform an official showcase at the International Folk Alliance conference. In April, they released "Every Whisper is a Shout Across the Void", to critical acclaim. Following the album's release, they toured hard all around Canada, from Vancouver Island to PEI to the Yukon, playing festivals, clubs, and house concerts. The album picked up a Western Canadian Music Award nomination, and in October the band traveled to Whitehorse to play at the awards ceremony and at the associated BreakOut West music festival.

A lot is cooking for 2012. Watch the "News" and "Gigs" pages for details!

Fish & Bird are a five piece band, consisting of:

Taylor Ashton (vocals, banjo)
Adam Iredale-Gray (fiddle, vocals)
Ryan Boeur (electric and acoustic guitars)
Ben Kelly (drums)
Natalie Bohrn (upright bass, vocals)