Tiny Bird鈥檚 latest album dropped in December of 2023. The self-titled 鈥淭B鈥� features catchy tracks that may feel a bit more poppy than other Tiny Bird releases, but audiences seem to be digging it. Eli Katz, Tiny Bird singer and guitarist, said compared to the band鈥檚 former releases, 鈥淭B鈥� is seeing better reception even just after being out for a month.
Tiny Bird originally formed in 2011, with original members Katz, Alec Tippett on the drums and Sam Jacobson on bass guitar. Later down the line, guitarist Seth Terrell joined the band, finalizing its current formation. Since their creation, Tiny Bird has been igniting the rock and roll scene in Flagstaff with their music.
Though before 鈥淭B,鈥� Tiny Bird hadn鈥檛 released a full-length album since 2019鈥檚 鈥淧ray for Snakes.鈥� Katz said the band had been sitting on the tracks for 鈥淭B鈥� for over two years before pulling the trigger on the release.
鈥淭B鈥� features a poppier array of tracks, particularly 鈥淭ouch Myself and go to Sleep,鈥� which is a song that Katz said audiences are particularly loving. People have been coming and telling him they think it鈥檚 catchy, he said.
Compared to 鈥淧ray for Snakes,鈥� Katz said 鈥淭B鈥� took less time and planning in putting it out overall.
鈥淲e recorded those songs in Santa Fe, New Mexico probably two and a half years ago,鈥� Katz said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e just some rock and roll songs. Our last album was definitely more of a conceptual thing and took a lot of time and effort, and this one is really just a collection of songs. That just happened to be a period of time where I was writing more, I guess, poppier songs.鈥�
The songs on 鈥淭B鈥� were just sitting mixed, mastered and ready to go, though Tiny Bird held off on its release because the foursome wasn鈥檛 entirely confident in the recordings, Katz said.
鈥淚 woke up one day and was fucking over it and texted the group chat and said I鈥檓 putting it out,鈥� Katz said.
Similarly to the album鈥檚 release, Katz said there also hadn鈥檛 been much planning for the album鈥檚 release party. Despite this, the guitarist said everything ended up falling into place, and Tiny Bird dropped 鈥淭B鈥� with a bang at Flagstaff Brewing Company on Dec. 15 at a show with David Strackany and Tsoh Tso.
Following the 鈥淧ray for Snakes鈥� release, Katz said Tiny Bird鈥檚 momentum had naturally begun to slow, as the band was playing less live shows.
鈥淚 would say as a whole, just as a band, it鈥檚 been a couple of years of being much more relaxed about everything, and it鈥檚 not like we have much less ambition in terms of trying to make anything more out of it,鈥� Katz said. 鈥淚 think we鈥檙e just kind of doing it for the love at this point, and it feels good to put out an album like that and then have good reception.鈥�
A big part of Tiny Bird鈥檚 slowing momentum comes from already accomplishing the goals that the band members had for the band.
鈥淣ot that we ever had any real, defined goals, but you play music in the same small town for a decade and it starts to feel a little bit less special. In some ways, that鈥檚 true, and that鈥檚 why we don鈥檛 play too often in town,鈥� Katz said.
The guitarist and singer explained that after bands go through that period where they鈥檙e really doing their thing, performing can get a little oversaturated and less fun.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just like, you can鈥檛 do the same thing forever,鈥� Katz said.
While Katz said Tiny Bird still loves to play in Flagstaff, they feel inclined to make sure the shows they are playing feel truly special for both themselves and the audience. He said the 鈥淭B鈥� release show certainly was special.
鈥淔lagstaff is like a revolving door,鈥� Katz said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 always younger people coming through town, through NAU. It was cool at our release show for that album because it did feel like a reunion. We were playing, and I was looking into the crowd and seeing people that I hadn鈥檛 seen in a couple of years.鈥�
While the members of Tiny Bird hold more focus in their personal lives now, it鈥檚 the love of the music and special moments like the 鈥淭B鈥� release show that keeps things going for the band, Katz said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 become a way for us to see each other and stay more in contact than you normally would with friends from high school,鈥� Katz said.
Looking to the future, Tiny Bird doesn鈥檛 have much on their radar, but the band does have an abundance of unreleased music to tap into for future releases and projects, Katz said.