Kyle Field is the absurdist folk mastermind behind Little Wings, one of the most prolific and underrated folk musicians of our era. Field’s latest release, 2015’s Explains, was one of my personal favorite records of that year. I wrote about it for Stereogum when we premiered the record, and named it the third best folk album of 2015.
Field’s songwriting is marked by an ability to mix fast food junk wrappers with imagery of the sky, or his own head, and come out with something that feels like half poetry and half prophesy. I’d call him a post-capitalist folksinger, but that phrase is just wishful thinking at the bottom of it. If you need a place to begin, “Light Brang” is a great place to start.
Now, he’s returned with a super group project that originated as a comic band, and then transformed into a full-fledged project whose first album, Begin will be out June 24 on Death Records. Their first video release, for the song “Girls In High Heels Having Fun” is above.
Here’s his explanation of both the band and the video:
“Be Gulls were born in the fictitious lines of a Little Wings song over 13 years ago, a sketch comedy band of sorts that has evolved into a lifestyle brand and mostly hot air. In the new and first official Be Gulls video we find our two characters exploring the wilds of the west and reproducing the album cover in a pageant of the masters style. The song explains itself and is truly a song for the ages and for the spirit of women today everywhere. Respect.”
The artwork and tracklist for Begin are below.
1. “Butter On The Wind”
2. “Day’s End”
3. “Do It”
4. “Girl In High Heels Having Fun”
5. “The Island”
6. “Hey Look At That Guy”
7. “The Men”
8. “Song Of The Rocks”
The album was engineered by Dave Matthie and produced by Jacob Navarro, who also adds additional guitar on the album. It features Lee Baggett on guitar and vocals, Kyle Field on bass and vocals, Brian Malloy on keys, Dave Matthies on drums, and David Nordstrom on voice overs.
Additionally, Little Wings will be playing the United Folk Festival on July 1st in Rhode Island, along with a select few other tour dates. The Be Gulls
originated on Little Wings’ Grow, so if you like what you hear, expect plenty more of the same from the mother group.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUleRudlI6a/
Begin is out 6/24 via Death Records. Pre-order it here.
