For Savannah Leigh Wellman, who performs as Redbird, interest in music started young and quickly became an outlet for whatever was transpiring in her life.
"It's the classic answer - I've been singing since I was a youngun'," said Wellman when asked about how she started in music. "I started writing songs to work out whatever I was going through at the time, and that's been the motivation ever since! I taught myself how to play the piano, and basic theory, but when it came time to choose something to study in college, I figured music would be pretty much the funnest choice possible, right?
"So I now have a degree in vocal jazz performance, although you'd be pressed to find me ever performing jazz. I've gone through so many variations of bands over the past 10-years, but am really happy with where I'm at now with Redbird."
Like most musicians Wellman said her influences have been many and varied over the years,
"I have a pretty wide range of influences, and I think that definitely comes through in my writing," said Wellman who will perform at 5th Avenue Cup & Saucer in Yorkton June 7. "I admire the word-craft of greats like Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan, but also really appreciate the beauty of a catchy melody and harmonies like Fleetwood Mac. I'm also a huge rock and roll fan - this summer I'll be seeing the Black Keys and Sam Roberts Band in outdoor concerts, and I couldn't be more excited! I think I take a little bit of all of those aspects and try to roll them into my own music."
The result of rolling the influences together is a new disk for Redbird rolling out in June.
"This EP -- 'We're all friends and lovers until it falls apart' -- is mostly material that was written in the past year or so - there's definitely a theme of heartbreak that runs through it, as that's what I was dealing with at the time," said Wellman. "But I like to think there's a hopefulness within it as well.
"It's tricky when you pull on really personal material for your lyrics, and then need to turn around and play it for your best friends who know exactly what it's about. I tend to keep my personal matters pretty close to me, but writing is one area I've had to accept as being a no-holds-barred kind of situation. The shift from an introvert in person to an extrovert with your heart on your sleeve on stage is just part of the dichotomy of being a performer!"
Recording the disk was also an experience, said Redbird, noting there are things which can be accomplished in a studio which are impossible on stage.
"We were incredibly excited to be working with our good friend Shawn Cole to produce the album," she said. "We started out at Mushroom Studios, which is a classic building that has seen greats like Led Zeppelin and Heart, that has the best sounds because of an old reverb chamber that's built right into the room.
"We then took some time getting all the different parts laid down, which meant we could be a little more creative than what we're limited to on stage as a four-piece -- for example, I added organ to almost every track."
And while the finishing touches are just being put on the EP, Wellman said she likes what they've have done.
"We've actually just been listening to the latest mixes - it's going to be ready just in time for this tour," she said. "We'll be making a limited number of handmade copies to bring on the road with us, and then throw an official CD release once we're back home."
