A Lot Like Birds

Sacramento, California post-hardcore outfit A Lot Like Birds came together in late 2009 when guitarist and composer Michael Franzino assembled local players to realize his restless, shape-shifting pieces that veered without warning from screamo explosions into ambient stretches. Their first record, Plan B, appeared in 2010 and showcased numerous guest contributors. Early in 2011 the group stabilized around dual vocalists Kurt Travis and Cory Lockwood, bassist Michael Littlefield, drummer Joe Arrington, and guitarist Ben Wiacek alongside Franzino, whose increasingly elaborate arrangements continued to expand. Conversation Piece, their sophomore effort, surfaced in late 2011; the band spent much of the following year on the road before aligning with Equal Vision Records for the 2013 release of their third album, No Place. Personnel shifted in subsequent seasons as bassist Littlefield departed and Matt Coate arrived, assuming both the bass role and vocal responsibilities after Kurt Travis exited. During this period Franzino issued a solo-project album in 2015. In May 2017 the band resurfaced with DIVISI, their fourth album and the first to spotlight the vocal combination of Coate and returning screamer Cory Lockwood, now exploring a smoother singing approach.