Birds in the Airport - Sound In The Signals Interview

Birds in the Airport is fronted by multi-instrumentalist/vocalist, Tom Breyfogle. He grew up playing in orchestras and punk bands and finds the perfect combination of the two in his music. There's a fun sound and artistic element to his music. He was kind enough to chat with us about his most recent release, Domesticated Drowsiness, his writing process, how art is connected to his music, and what's on his playlist.  

First, thanks for the interview!

Tom Breyfogle: Of course!  

You have toured and played with many bands including Relient K, Secondhand Serenade, and Bleed the Dream. You also release your solo music as Birds In The Airport. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background for those who may be new to your music.

Breyfogle: For Birds in the Airport, I write songs that combine orchestral arrangements with modern instruments. Sometimes it can be a full orchestra with a programmed hip hop beat, and other times it can be stripped down to a piano and a string quartet. For the past 12 years, I’ve toured and made albums as a drummer in lots of various bands. I started Birds in the Airport as a way to stay creative while I was on tour. Most of my songs are written in hotel rooms and tour buses.

Your new EP, Domesticated Drowsiness came out on May 6th. You serve as songwriter, orchestrator, producer, and you play all of the instruments. Can you explain your process when coming up with ideas. Does one part or one role come first?

Breyfogle: Each song is a little different, but I usually write the lyrics first. I enjoy when I have a concept of a song before any music is written. After the lyrics, I normally write the chords and melodies on the piano. Once all of that is in place, I’ll experiment with beats and orchestration. I spend a lot of time trying out different instrument combinations.

I start some songs by writing the music first. “Newspapers and Magazines” started as an instrumental string quartet piece. I put Drums, Synth Bass, and vocals over top of the quartet and it took a totally different direction.  The lyrics were one of the last things written for it. It’s pretty intense and dissonant at times, so I settled on a lyric concept that would mesh well with the music.



You've said that while writing the new EP you wrote it with the intention of the live setup with the string quartet. How does it change the feeling of writing and recording it by yourself and then hearing it all come together live?

Breyfogle: I thoroughly enjoy writing and recording in solitude. I find it very therapeutic to record this way, but there really is something magical in the air when a string quartet is playing in the same room as you. For the next batch of songs, I am going to have the quartet record some of the new arrangements. I want my sound to constantly change, and I’m excited to hear how this approach pans out.

You definitely have an artistic vibe to your music. The cover art for "Honey Moon", "How's It Going to End?", and Domesticated Drowsiness is very cool.  I've seen the videos on your Instagram about the pieces of art being created for "Newspapers and Magazines". You even had a music-inspired art showcase. It's quite complementary to your overall sound. How do you go about selecting the art or the overall aesthetic that you want to set to the music? How do the two seem to fit for you?

Breyfogle: For the album covers, I normally have an idea in my head and explain it to an artist. For the first EP (How’s it going to end?), Corey Wolford did the album art. I explained to him something I saw in Hoboken, New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy. It was a parking lot full of taxi cabs that were underwater.  For the new EP (Domesticated Drowsiness), an amazing artist named Zachary Hart Baker painted 12 variations of the album cover. It’s a painting of Me and my Dog sleeping in a parking lot. When I was mixing each song, I’d always go out to my car to listen on car speakers. It’s normally in the middle of the night. One night, my dog and I fell asleep in a parking lot listening to mixes, and that’s what inspired the album art. There’s a reoccurring theme of dreaming and insomnia on the new EP and I wanted to reflect that with the artwork.

The pieces from the Art Show in March came about in a different way. Individual songs from “Domesticated Drowsiness” were given to 10 visual artists around Nashville. They made pieces inspired by the songs they were given. The only direction I gave them was to make a piece of art off of how the song made them feel. Some artists made paintings inspired by the lyrics, and some made abstract pieces based entirely off of feel. It was so inspiring to see what they created. It was an incredible experience playing a show surrounded by all of the art. It was our first show in Nashville since I moved here.

When talking about your overall style and art we have to mention that the video for "Dozing Off" is excellent. You worked with Jason Themm, a comic book artist on this video. How did this partnership happen and how did this concept come about?

Breyfogle: Thanks! Jason was phenomenal to work with. I had this idea for a comic book video, so I went to a comic book store in Nashville with the intention to ask if they knew any artists in the area.  When I got there, Jason was at a booth, signing copies of his latest comic (Wicker #0). I introduced myself and told him about the video. He and I saw eye to eye on comic book art and we started working together a few days later.  He took my stick figure drawings and really brought them to life. I hope to do more with him in the future.



I have to admit I love the fun, pop sounds and the layered orchestration of your music. You grew up playing in orchestras and punk bands. You combine the two together nicely. What would have been on your playlist as a teen and/or what about now?

Breyfogle: Thanks. What a fun question.

Playlist as a teen:
NOFX- The Decline
Rancid - …and Out Come the Wolves
Eels - Souljacker
Nirvana - In Utero
Smoking Popes - Destination Failure
Green Day - Nimrod
Silverchair - Diorama
Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape
Presidents of the United States of America - Freaked Out and Small
Cursive - The Ugly Organ
Danny Elfman - The Nightmare Before Christmas Soundtrack

Playlist today:
Son Lux - Bones
Childish Gambino - Because The Internet
Kishi Bashi - Lighght
Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
Liza Anne - Two
Big Grams - Big Grams
Kronos Quartet - Phillip Glass String Quartets
Tegan and Sara - The Con
London Symphony Orchestra - Planets by Holst
Pink Floyd - The Wall

You've been quite busy lately with the new EP coming out. Lightning 100 named you Artist of the Week, you played on their station, you played a show at Soulshine Nashville to support the release, you've been playing other shows, and you had a musical and art showcase at Main Street Gallery recently. What's next and how can fans find more about Birds in the Airport and your other ventures?

Breyfogle: There will be lots of shows this summer.  You can find out more at www.birdsintheairport.com or facebook.com/birdsintheairport. The live line up is always evolving and we’re talking about playing a show with a full orchestra instead of a quartet.

Thanks for the interview. We are excited about your music and can't wait for more people to catch on to it! Do you have anything else you would like to add?

Breyfogle: Thanks! I’m working on a new batch of songs now, and they should be released before the end of the year.  I’m also writing a comic book that will probably come to life in 2017.

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-L.Burden