Andrew Bird Announces ‘Outside Problems,’ Shares ‘Mo Teef’
‘Outside Problems’ will arrive on July 21 via Loma Vista Recordings.
Andrew Bird has announced a new album, Outside Problems, a companion piece of sorts to his 2022 LP Inside Problems. The album will arrive on July 21 via Loma Vista Recordings.
News of the album arrived with a new single and accompanying video for the LP’s song “Mo Teef.” The visual emphasizes the importance of environmental preservation. Check it out below.
A collection of nine fleeting moments of instrumental improvisation and melodic exploration, Outside Problems captures the sound of music in everyday life. Similar to his environment-based Echolocations series, Andrew primarily recorded Outside Problems outdoors in Ojai, CA.
As both a precursor and extension of the world he built and pondered on 2022’s Inside Problems, Outside Problems planted the seeds to many of that album’s songs.
“There are two notable things about this album. One, none of these songs were recorded with the intent of making an album, I just happened to capture moments of melodic exploration over a period of time,” explains Bird. “You can hear themes from Inside Problems throughout the album, including on the song ‘Epilogue,’ just without concern for bridges and choruses and the band.
“I’m able to capture the sound of music in everyday life, a surprisingly hard thing to do. I was playing for the joy of it and to get these ideas out of my head. To hear them in a room. There is no room. Second, these pieces were recorded primarily outside in Ojai, CA. I’m no stranger to recording outside as with the Echolocations series. My plan was to record Inside Problems outside but the leaf-blowers made that difficult…Deep in the pandemic, far from the city and album campaigns and Instagram strategies, getting back to the original point of it all.”
Bird uses Outside Problems to further shed light on the inspiring sceneries and vital, fading landscapes that are more precious than ever. Created in partnership with Patagonia by frequent collaborator Tyler Manson, footage for “Mo Teef” was sourced from four different Patagonia films including Blue Heart, a documentary Andrew scored about the last wild rivers in Europe, and the battle to save them.
