For the most part, things with feathers are usually able to experience some sort of flight.
For Boston songwriter, singer, guitarist, and cellist Dana Osterling, her band Civic experienced liftoff once it became a collaborative process, and today Vanyaland is proud to premiere the Americana-tinged folk-rock ensemble’s debut EP, Things With Feathers.
Civic celebrates its release with an April 6 show at Atwood’s Tavern in Cambridge, and the EP is officially out two days later. Combining forces to add to Osterling’s compositions are members of Eternals, Parks, Art Decade, with the EP recorded in Easthampton and mixed by Jason Kingsland (Youth Lagoon, Band of Horses, Iron and Wine).
“The project itself formed gradually,” says Osterling, who is joined in Civic by Eric Bolton (guitar), Wayne Whittaker (bass), and Harrison Seiler (drums, percussion). “I’ve known them for a long time and can say, without hyperbole, that they are the best… They played a few shows with me, learned my songs, and made them way better. Even a knows you better lock down a good thing when you get it, so I slowly lured them into my band as more permanent fixtures.”
Osterling adds: “The real story here is how many great people contributed — Grant Wicks, our engineer, the guy who owns the studio where we recorded, is a hero of the Pioneer Valley music scene. Jason Kingsland, our mixing dude, took a risk on working with us — a band with very little money and very little clout but lots of spirit — and elevated our sound. Stephen Konrads of Eternals and Brian King of Parks contributed their talent to several tracks. Leo Melanson added pedal steel. My dad, Richard Osterling, played violin. The best part of playing music is playing music with other people.”
Listen to Things With Feathers below via the Civic Bandcamp…
