Last year, we featured a video premiere from Italian duo She Owl, based around Jolanda Moletta and Demian Endian. It was a live performance of Nanna from their 2015 album Animal Eye. Taken from their self-titled 2013 debut, we have another live performance to share, recorded late one night during a recent lockdown in Italy, the video showcases a new, more meditative arrangement of Paper Birds. The striking contralto vocals of Jolanda Moletta, one of the most alluring aspects of the group’s music, are front and centre in this new arrangement. Guitarist Demian provides atmospherics, contributing a range of shimmering guitar tones and impressionistic touches.
The new live version of “Paper Birds,” recorded and mixed by Moletta, will be available to download exclusively from the group’s Bandcamp page on Friday, 21 May. (sheowl.bandcamp.com).
When asked about the song and her creative process, Moletta explains: “Sometimes when I feel like I need some perspective, or to feel more grounded, I like to think about the bigger picture and what’s out there in the stars far beyond our world. I’ve always been fascinated by astronomy and imagining a future where our distant descendants might have the chance to visit worlds and planets that we can only dream about today. Looking up at the night sky we see light that has traveled for millions of years, unsure if the stars themselves still exist. I often wonder how our time will be seen many years from now. Finding ways to connect with this deeper, more existential side of our imagination can be challenging, but it’s always felt like a really important goal in my writing and creative process.”
Demian picks up the story: “‘Paper Birds’ was originally recorded in San Francisco with drummer Dave Mihaly (Jolie Holland) and double bassist Atiba Starr (Blue Sky Black Death). When we first played him the song, Dave said he thought it had something of a Miles Davis vibe about it. This observation has always stayed with me, it was a little surprising, but also very reassuring. The new live version of ‘Paper Birds’ is darker and dreamier than the original. When we came to re-record the song, having already played it on tour many times, we tried to approach it with a different mindset. Because it was just the two of us playing together, it felt like we were able to really connect with the song in a whole new way”
The video for “Paper Birds” was also produced by Moletta. In the opening scene, dried flowers can be seen placed upon the keys of an old piano. There is an air of calm as the duo are depicted waiting patiently for a time when they will be able to travel and be with their audience again. This beautiful new live version of the song alludes to long-held dreams, as yet unfulfilled.
She Owl is currently working on a new album, written and recorded in California, Germany, and at home in Italy.