(Editor's note: This Q&A previews the Mynabirds' show at The Zoo Bar with The Sleepover and Son of 76 and the Watchmen. The show starts at 9 p.m. with an $8 cover. RSVP here.)
by Hilary Stohs-Krause
Laura Burhenn is a power to be reckoned with. The Omaha transplant and driving force behind Saddle Creek Records band the Mynabirds is a musician, feminist, songwriter, activist and mentor, and she’ll be in Lincoln tonight at the Zoo Bar with her band to kick off their next tour. Lincoln groups The Sleepover and Son of 76 and the Watchmen are also on the bill.
The Mynabirds’ second album, GENERALS, will be released on June 5. Their tour ends in Omaha on March 23 with a show featuring Big Harp and Howard.
Read on for more about the direction of the new album and Burhenn’s favorite places to play:
Hear Nebraska: Tell me a little bit about how you found yourself in Omaha and how the Mynabirds came together.
Laura Burhenn: I worked with Saddle Creek with my old DC band, Georgie James. Through that, I came to love Omaha and all of the amazing people here. So three years ago, I packed up and moved here. It's such an amazing, supportive community here. I love it. When I went to make a new solo record, the Mynabirds were born.
HN: You mentioned Wednesday that practice for the new material from Generals was a little rough. What are the challenges (and any benefits) that come from the band not all living in the same city?
LB: I have the pleasure of playing with some incredibly talented musicians who are committed to the Mynabirds, so that's great — even though getting us all together can be a challenge. That said, it's kind of amazing to be totally immersed in music when you're doing it. We've been in Mynabirds summer camp mode this past week — everyone in my house, 12-hour days of music, with some great late-night hangs afterwards. I've been lucky to play with some incredible musicians in Omaha in the past, too (Ben Brodin, Dan McCarthy, Johnny Kotchian, Susan Sanchez, Pearl Lovejoy Boyd).
HN: Speaking of, how does the new album differ from your last? You were saying that you wanted to make it a feminist record — what does that mean? What were some of the major influences on the songwriting?
LB: The new record is considerably different from the last one. It's a protest and a concept record. It's a lot louder than the last one, more dancey, rougher around the edges. I played drums on a couple of songs and there's lots of stomping and clapping. It's written from the voice of many different women. That feminine perspective is what, in my mind, makes it a feminist record: this sort of wolf mother of the collective consciousness guarding her cubs, the daughters, the sisters, et cetera. I was heavily influenced by early PJ Harvey records, Patti Smith, Grace Jones, and the darker, fiercer political work of Nina Simone.
HN: The show on Tuesday at the Zoo Bar marks the beginning of a tour throughout the Midwest and West. Where are some of your favorite places to play? Are you traveling to any cities you haven't been to before? Any tour traditions or superstitions that you or the band adhere to?
LB: I always love the smaller shows in smaller towns around the country. Those are the ones that always surprise you. It's like people are hungry to connect and come out in force. There seems to be less ego in smaller towns; people dance. I'm really excited that our first show is in Lincoln. It'll feel like playing for family in some ways. We're playing Santa Barbara for the first time, which I'm excited about. Any time we get to see the ocean, I'm happy.
Hilary Stohs-Krause can't wait for GENERALS to be released. She gets her local music fix through HN and as a cocktail waitress at Duffy's Tavern. For more on Nebraska ladies making music, tune into the "X-Rated: Women in Music" radio show every Thursday from 1:05 to 3 p.m. CST at 89.3 FM KZUM in Lincoln or streaming live at kzum.org. Find it on Facebook at facebook.com/xmusicnebraska.