FISH IN A BIRDCAGE, THE COMPLEX FOLK-POP ALIAS OF DUSTY TOWNSEND, SIGNS TO NETTWERK
October 11, 2024 BY Bailey Vigliaturo
TODAY, Nettwerk is excited to announce the signing of Fish in a Birdcage, the thrilling Canadian experimental folk-pop project by Dusty Townsend. To celebrate the news, Townsend is sharing a new single titled “Rule #39 Lore” along with the unveiling of his new album, Mentors out December 20th. Dusty Townsend’s fifth album as Fish in a Birdcage, is a revelation, taking his unique sound and deeply felt songwriting approach to new heights. His Nettwerk debut Mentors draws from the deep well of experience that the Canadian singer-songwriter has amassed over his impressive career thus far, packing decades of wisdom and learnings into a swooning, gorgeous folk-pop framework that’s as intriguingly complex as it is instantly appealing.
Townsend shares, “The main guiding force behind this album is the idea of mentorship. If the other albums were about stories, these represent lessons.”
WATCH “RULE #39 – LORE” HERE
Mentors is the latest signpost in the travelog that is Townsend’s musical life; after spending most of his childhood honing his craft on multiple instruments in conservatory studies, he took to the streets at the age of 16 as a busker, lucratively and creatively cutting his teeth on corners and at open mics with just a guitar, a tambourine, and a harmonica strapped to his neck. After a quick study, he pivoted to the cello while kicking off his professional music career at the age of 23, the beginning of a love affair with the instrument that continues today.
“As soon as the horse hair went across those strings, I immediately felt regret because I felt like I’d been playing the wrong instrument for years,….But there was this excitement and love for the instrument, too.”
True to the album’s theme of learning from others, the soulful chamber-pop of “Rule #39 – Lore” honors the tradition of passing down wisdom through generational experiences, “I find the communication method between elders and the young to be so impactful, and kind of a dying art form too,” Townsend shares while discussing the song’s central message. “It has meant so much to us for many centuries, and it’s important to honor passed-down wisdom.”
“Rule #39 – Lore” is available on all streaming platforms here.