Biography
Though the Sunbirds' brief existence yielded scant attention at the time, the group's appeal lay chiefly in the prior and subsequent endeavors of its members rather than anything achieved during their active period. Only once the recordings finally surfaced years later did it become clear that the trio possessed abilities well beyond their meager audience reach. Following the 1986 breakup of 28th Day after Barbara Manning's exit, guitarist and singer Cole Marquis joined drummer Mike Cloward to launch a fresh project that also incorporated bassist Lawrence Crane, previously a member of Vomit Launch. Taking the name the Sunbirds, the three began performing in their hometown of Chico, California, and laid down a six-song demo that failed to generate interest, leading to the band's dissolution before the year ended. Marquis and Cloward subsequently formed the Downsiders, while Marquis later cultivated a devoted following through solo recordings; Crane, meanwhile, maintained his association with Vomit Launch before shifting focus to the studio as a recording engineer and establishing the respected independent magazine TapeOp. A short-lived reunion in 1997 produced a second six-song demo, which Paisley Pop Records later merged with the earlier sessions for the 2003 album No Sun No Shadow. Crane reconvened the lineup in 2002 for a performance at a TapeOp convention, and although each member has continued pursuing individual musical work, the possibility of future collaboration remains open.
Albums