Biography
New York indie rock quartet Active Bird Community emerged from their origins as a teenage garage band in the suburbs and evolved into a national touring outfit that became a fixture in the Brooklyn scene. Their sound blended slacker-garage-grunge-pop elements rooted in the '90s, supported by several carefully shaped albums such as the notable 2015 release I've Been Going Swimming. Following ten years of independent achievements, the group signed with Barsuk Records in 2018 and issued its fourth album, Amends.
The quartet originated in 2005 when founding members Tom D'Agustino on guitar and vocals, Andrew Wolfson on guitar and vocals, and Zach Slater on bass were still in middle school together in the New York suburb of Hastings-on-Hudson. Their shared ties of friendship and musical interests sustained the project through high school and into separate college experiences, at which point they brought in permanent drummer Quinn McGovern to complete the lineup. Once settled in Brooklyn's active music community, the band increased its live performances and put out its first album, the lo-fi garage pop collection Magnum Opus in 2012, which revealed their melodic approach shaped by '90s influences. Additional smaller projects appeared in the following years, among them the energetic Drive Like Your Kids Live Here EP from 2012, the more streamlined "Astrophobia/Eidelolon" single in 2014, and a self-titled EP in 2015.
At producer Christopher Daly's Salvation Recording Co. studio in New Paltz, the band completed its second full-length album, I've Been Going Swimming, which arrived in October 2015. Daly's involvement helped sharpen their sound, prompting further work together on the 2017 album Stick Around. After developing a dedicated following through extensive touring and a growing catalog of independent releases, they secured a deal with Barsuk to put out Amends in September 2018.
The quartet originated in 2005 when founding members Tom D'Agustino on guitar and vocals, Andrew Wolfson on guitar and vocals, and Zach Slater on bass were still in middle school together in the New York suburb of Hastings-on-Hudson. Their shared ties of friendship and musical interests sustained the project through high school and into separate college experiences, at which point they brought in permanent drummer Quinn McGovern to complete the lineup. Once settled in Brooklyn's active music community, the band increased its live performances and put out its first album, the lo-fi garage pop collection Magnum Opus in 2012, which revealed their melodic approach shaped by '90s influences. Additional smaller projects appeared in the following years, among them the energetic Drive Like Your Kids Live Here EP from 2012, the more streamlined "Astrophobia/Eidelolon" single in 2014, and a self-titled EP in 2015.
At producer Christopher Daly's Salvation Recording Co. studio in New Paltz, the band completed its second full-length album, I've Been Going Swimming, which arrived in October 2015. Daly's involvement helped sharpen their sound, prompting further work together on the 2017 album Stick Around. After developing a dedicated following through extensive touring and a growing catalog of independent releases, they secured a deal with Barsuk to put out Amends in September 2018.
Albums
Singles
