New to Vodka, Maygen & The Birdwatcher present a beautiful blend between folk stories and styles, with nods to both bluegrass and country thrown in for good measure. Enter Antidote (seen/heard here), from the band’s recent long-player Moonshine (October 2021), which is a different twist on the classic love song. 

Lyrically, Antidote highlights the stubborn self-sufficiency of the protagonist, which is just fine with their status alone and in control, until someone comes along with the tools to crack open the protective shell:

“It’s always been my way, or no way
I’ve always been just fine, if that means I’m alone
I never thought too much, about constellations
I never thought about the pull of the moon
You came in through the side gate, unexpected
Opened this untamed heart, to your blanket of love
Wrapped up so tight, in unspoken safety
Never release me
You see me, the real me
Unkempt and unrefined“

Maygen Lacey’s delivery here represents the resulting aftermath of the love that found the keys to what was locked up in her. Whether this is directly relating to Lacey herself, or in someone she simply perceives in her story, is unclear.  That’s not important, however, because it’s a great story to tell, even if it is just a different telling of love that is found.

Maygen & The Birdwatcher is represented by founding members Maygen Lacey (singer, songwriter) and Noah Neumann (guitar). Both are responsible for the lyrics of Antidote. The band includes Ethan Moravec (bass), Jesse Moravec (mandolin, fiddle), and Nik Pellinen (banjo). These members add textural beauty to what is already a wonderful song. 

You can find more information on Maygen & The Birdwatcher by heading up to their website. To be fair, this is not the most wonderful website in the world, but it has nearly everything you are looking for: a biography on the band, and links to all of the social and streaming content. What is missing are the purchasing options for Moonshine. I did find Moonshine and the original EP from 2018, The People We Don’t Choose on the band’s bandcamp.com site which appears to be missing from the website.

I can’t say enough about the band’s sound. It’s full, but doesn’t overshadow Maygen’s voice, which is a perfectly wonderful voice indeed! Take a listen to Maygen & The Birdwatcher and pick up their music now!

Note: Unfortunately, we are still dealing with Covid 19. The variants are making a comeback, which means that the livelihoods of artists like Maygen & The Birdwatcher, and many others are still threatened. If your situation allows it, consider purchasing more in these tough times. Please, if you are physically able to do so, get the vaccine! –Vodka