Currently rolling through the country like a Mistral on their Early Summer Tour, The Earlybirds are a pop rock quintet not to be missed.  Comprised of Mike Cannon, Jared Aisher, Kane ter Veer, Sean Patterson & Filip Kostovich, these young bloods can be found kicking around in the musical enclaves of
Devonport - yes, that's right, Devonport - that creative hub that has become known for spewing forth bands of tender years and great talent.
Having played support for NZ fellow rockers Pluto, The Checks, Midnight Youth & The Feelers, it was only a matter of time before the big wigs sat up and took notice.
EMI came calling and The Earlybirds have recently signed with the major label.
Now that they've caught the worm, there's no stopping them.
Lovemusic talked to the guys about touring & how it all started...

How did you all meet and how long have you guys been playing for?
Three of us (Michael, Sean & Jared) met at Pinehurst school in Albany and started playing together as a jam band. We came together due to the fact that we were all influenced by the same music, predominantly early bands such as Led Zeppelin and The Who.
Filip and Kane joined the group shortly after, so as the present lineup we have been together for roughly 3 years.

You call yourselves a ‘Devonport’ band. Do you feel Devonport has had a large influence on your sound & style as a band? How?
The influence Devonport has had on us is not necessarily in our sound, its more the musical scene that we found ourselves immersed in, not all of us live in Devonport but we spend most of our lives hanging there and practicing in the old Vic Cinema. It's become a sort of second home for us.

What kind of music did you grow up listening to? Any guilty pleasures?
We all grew up listening to different music ranging from 50's to 80's, rap, rock, alternative and anything else we could get our hands on. Our parents' vinyl collections were crucial too.


What’s your favourite artist at the moment?
Listening heaps to the great new albums from Editors, Arctic Monkeys, Julian Casablancas, Phoenix and The Roots. 


We see you’ve just started a nation-wide tour, what’s been the highlight so far?
Yeah we're actually writing to you from Nelson at the moment. The tour's going really well and it's been a real eye opener. We've been to some amazing places, and met some cool cats. It was actually our first time playing in the South Island! There have been many highlights, bungee jumping off the harbour bridge, playing the same venue Ladyhawke played a few weeks prior in Christchurch, seeing Penguins and Seals. The tour's amazing!

What inspired you to pen your single ‘I Killed the DJ’? (A particularly cringe-worthy night of bad tunes? A play on the many references to DJ’s in pop songs?)
It was basically a social commentary, a so-called 'bash on the popular music scene'. These days you can't really read what a dj is going to throw at you next.


You’ve really gained momentum as a band and you’ve signed with EMI. 
Any advice for other young bands on how to get exposure?
Our advice for younger bands would be to practice as much as you can and play as many gigs as you can, just so that you improve your musicianship and your live show. Stay independent for a couple of years and get a name for yourself around your local area. When the time is right someone in the industry will get in touch with you and then things will move on from there.
Also watch as many other bands that inspire you as you can and learn from them - note things you that like about them and make them your own. Mainly just be true to yourselves.

What would you say to kids who are thinking about starting a band?
If you and your mates are into playing music together and are enjoying it, why not start a band?! There's nothing to lose and there doesn't have to be any pressure, take it as seriously as you want to. If something sparks and you find yourselves making some great sounds, sweet!

CHECK OUT THE EARLYBIRDS VIDEO FOR SINGLE 'I KILLED THE DJ'