It’s been a long while since we last heard from Bowerbirds, the beguiling folk-rock band led by Beth Tacular and Phil Moore. The band’s most recent record, The Clearing, is six years old, and it’s been nearly that long since they last graced a stage in the Triangle.
But on July 4, Bowerbirds return to the spotlight to begin a new period of activity that’ll eventually include a new record. They’ll be at the Festival for the Eno, the major annual fundraiser for the nonprofit Eno River Association, performing on the Meadow Stage at 2:15 p.m.
“I feel like taking a long break actually was refreshing. We just finally realized this is taking so long, there’s not really pressure anymore,” Tacular says.
Not long after the release of The Clearing, the band launched a Kickstarter campaign that raised them more than $37,000 for a new studio, a new Bowerbirds record, and a solo record from Moore. Tacular and Moore built the studio and started a family, and Moore issued his self-titled solo debut as Tuskha in May 2016. But unexpected and dire health issues within their family resulted in some necessary shifts in priorities, which in turn translated into major delays for supporters getting their handmade prizes. Save for a few lingering paintings, Tacular says, they’re caught up on their Kickstarter obligations and are looking toward moving on.
At the Festival for the Eno, they’ll play some of their new songs and offer a preview of what’s to come with their new record, which doesn’t have a set release date yet. They’re not gunning to hit the road hard quite yet, either.
“We’re just trying to see how this goes. This is a good point before actually releasing the record to see if we enjoy getting back into it in some sort of way, but there’s no tour being scheduled right now. No extreme diving into anything,” Moore says. “Just the creative part is such a nice part to get back into, writing the music.
