A year ago, Laura Burhenn was part of the Bright Eyes touring band. Flash forward and the 32-year-old Burhenn has gained enough confidence to unleash her own torrent of green-minded, anti-corporate, pro-Occupy Wall Street views. An entire album’s worth, in fact, on Generals (Saddle Creek), her sonically adventurous sophomore outing as one-woman band the Mynabirds. In her previous incarnations as a solo artist and part of Washington, D.C., folk/rock duo Georgie James—and even on her soulful 2010 Mynabirds debut, What We Lose In The Fire We Gain In The Flood. Burhenn will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our latest feature on her.
Burhenn: As much as I appreciate the conveniences of the digital world (memories of touring in a pre-iPhone world seem impossible, but the Rand McNally’s did have charm), I need to “turn off” in order to really tune in. Digging in the dirt, hiking with my pound pup, making and sending postcards to friends through the old snail mail, writing with a pencil on paper, taking photos on actual film, playing my upright piano with the actual hammers, strings, keys and pedals, sitting face to face with a friend is all so important. My Underwood 310 typewriter has been a source of inspiration lately. A lot of the new Mynabirds merch was created using that typewriter alone. And I worked in real time and space with a gang of amazing ladies to create a New Revolutionists zine. Here’s to passing the physical cup and drinking up.
Video after the jump.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzC3GQn_TC0
