The Hummingbirds

My mind is filled with the bits and pieces of my musical upbringing; there are plenty of memories of the first band I ever fell in love with, the Beatles. (Sorry if this was predictable. I’ve been told that because I’m American, it’s predictable.) They were the first band I was ever obsessed with: our public television station ran a documentary on them called The Compleat Beatles narrated by Malcolm McDowell, and I watched it so many times, I could quote all the narration word for word from memory and had mastered the Scouse accent, though it would be years before I even knew what “Scouse” meant. The Beatles came from a land faraway called Liverpool, England that sounded like a gritty yet fun place to my young, 8-year old mind. Lucky for us, years later Liverpool is still churning out great bands, even if the city is often passed over in favour of that other Northern musical hotbed slightly east that is Manchester. So today, I’m going to tell you about my latest Merseyside discovery via Twitter. (I would like to point out that I’m not suggesting that all the unsigned bands out there rush to follow me on Twitter. But it appears Twitter is acting admirably as the new MySpace in terms of musical discovery…)

If you go further back to the Fabs’ earlier days, when they started out playing skiffle, they had a more folk and bluesy-type sound and before they tried writing their own songs, they mostly played covers of their favourite American rock and blues artists. (You can hear evidence of this on the first CD of ‘The Beatles Anthology 1’.) This is the fond memory that is triggered when I get hearing the Hummingbirds’ ‘Bankrupt Blues’, which sounds more Eddie Cochran’s ‘Twenty Flight Rock’ than anything else of recent memory I can think of; it’s blues done right, a little rough around the edges but still fun. It’s a back to basics rock style the band is calling, rather accurately I think, “modern skiffle”.

I’ll be honest, when I opened up their official Web site and saw their header photo, my initial thought was, “oh no. Plaid shirts and acoustic guitars. Another Mumford and Sons?” I was however rewarded when I had a listen to their Soundcloud tracks. In addition to ‘Bankrupt Blues’, there is the excellent ‘Back to Liverpool’. Jay Davies’ clear and winsome voice in the verses rises above the admirable backing vocals of his band compadres. Since the days of first hearing the Beatles ‘This Boy’, beautiful male harmonies always slayed me. And good god, this song slays me. To death. If you like the Crookes, I’m pretty sure you’re going to love this band. It’s like a less frenetic ‘Backstreet Lovers’. The guitars and drums chug along satisfyingly as they would in Lonnie Donegan’s day.

The main differences are that the Crookes have electric guitars and favour a darker, Smiths-like lyrical direction, and the Hummingbirds are taking a more acoustic approach, and the approach is also much lighter. See ‘Awaiting Your Call’, a yearning ballad that is deceptively simple but if you look closer, it’s a clean, well-arranged song allowing for Matty Brougham’s guitar lines to shine in the bridge. My only complaint is that it goes on a lot longer than it should. But I’m not worried: when (not if) they are signed, I’m sure someone will recommend to them to trim the song down so the BBC can play it. These songs are available as part of the ‘Talking of Tomorrow’ EP released last autumn that I’ve embedded below so you can listen to them.

This is probably heresy to many Fab Four fans but the era of the Beatles that is nearest and dearest to my heart, owing to a ‘80s Christmas present of a new fangled thing called a CD of ‘A Hard Day’s Night’. Something that seems to get lost in the focus of the Fabs’ experimental and post-psychedelic periods is the gorgeousness and innocence of their early records. If you haven’t, have a listen to ‘Please Please Me’ and you will see what I mean. The Hummingbirds appear to have bottled this kind of innocence and nostalgia and gone for a simplified approach to pop/rock without sacrificing quality. “There’s things I’d like to say to you / when you’re back in Liverpool”: a warm welcome as any from five Scousers who could be the next big thing. Also included below is a band documentary. And yes. I am a sucker for a cute boy with a Scouse accent… - The Goes The Fear

The Hummingbirds are a 5 piece acoustic ensemble from Liverpool. The band have been gathering a following locally as well as on their travels around the UK, playing good quality music, written by the band.

Playing to a packed audience at the Kazimier in Liverpool They belted out some of their well written songs to a welcoming crowd.

Back to the gig, they started off with a song called All Comes Down. The crowd sang along with the band, other tracks followed. You could detect the influence of the Coral, Oasis and the Beatles but their sound was brilliantly unique. In it for the money, John Doe, Talking of Tomorrow followed before an other guitarist and a keyboards player joined the band helping play out the performance with Things you do to me, Doesn't Really Matter, Awaiting Your Call before finishing with Bankrupt Blues; unbelievably, all of these songs were penned by the band.

The gig was absolutely fantastic. The Liverpool crowd where buzzing to the sound of the Hummingbirds, they bayed for more. The Hummingbirds obliged with an encore playing a cover (unheard of) Something by the Beatles followed by a wonderful rendition of Daddy. For the finale they played out with the aptly named Back in Liverpool, the crowd once again joined in to bring the house down on such a fantastic night.

A MUST SEE band. They have a website www.wearethehummingbirds.com where you can check the band out; they are also on facebook www.facebook.com/pages/The-Hummingbirds/109030545823674 .

All said and done, a brilliant performance enjoyed by everyone.

by Paul Wise, Writer & Editor
- Fit4Talent

‘I drink whiskey every night and I’m smoking every day. I got no money in my bank account and I’m struggling to pay all the bills’
Through the first line in Bankrupt Blues, The Hummingbirds have essentially summed up my current situation but managed to make me feel much better about it through their upbeat, bluesy sound. Subsequently, the song has become both the soundtrack to and justification for my lifestyle – being skint is far more enjoyable when acoustic guitar and great percussion are involved. The lyrics aren’t groundbreaking but are incredibly accessible and at this moment in time, that is precisely what I want to listen to. It seems as though anyone could relate to these songs and I’d challenge anyone who doesn’t at the very least crack a smile or develop a sympathetic foot tap to the catchy melodies of all four tracks on the EP.

It’s the kind of music you want to listen to while sat in a summer field with a cold pint of cider and a smile on your face. I’ve been really happy to see the resurgence in popular folk music over the past few years and these guys have a similar vibe to Mumford and Sons et al, but still manage to make the sound their own and are still very much ‘Liverpool’. It sounds as though they could just pop up and play anywhere; no pretence or production, just pure and unadulterated love of creating music. They claim that they provide the audience with a ‘modern skiffle sound’ which can’t be bad – a skiffle band from Liverpool was integral to the creation of the greatest band the world has seen after all.
The EP’s title track Talking Of Tomorrow appears to deal with young lust – ‘I’m hooked on your desire’ but also the alienation of youths and features some great work on the harmonica. The band members may be young but seem to always be speaking from experiences which make the songs so real. Although the lyrics are relatively simple, they carry much more weight than something intricate when they are combined with the rawness that these lads possess.
Back in Liverpool is performed with feeling and I can already hear the hook being chanted by beered-up listeners in a live venue. I predict an immediate hit with crowds and EP listeners alike. As is the case with all of the songs on the EP I can imagine this in particular being even better live, with an impossibly catchy melody, it could only come more exhilarating with the addition of live performance and atmosphere.
Awaiting Your Call is more angsty than the other three tracks, with a moodier sound as the title suggests. Again the lyrics are something that everyone can relate to, telling the all too familiar tale of a relationship that is stuck on an impossible turntable and with lyrics such as ‘I’ll wait until I’m out of my mind’ it will no doubt strike a chord with many listeners.
Undoubtedly talented musicians, it is clear that their inspirations span decades and continents, from the aforementioned Beatles nee Quarrymen to more recent local acts such as The Coral as well as folk and blues musicians past and present. The vocals are nicely raw and clearly extremely natural, retaining the regional accent that popular music has grown to know and cherish over the past few decades. It’s hard to believe that they only formed last year so I’m expecting some really great things in the future as they mature further. Definitely worth a listen, check them out on facebook. I would love to see them live though, so boys, if you’re reading this you know which way to send the tickets!
- Mangone Music Blog

“……next up were The Hummingbirds and to say I was impressed would be an understatement. I’m a big believer in facts, well, what’s not to believe in a fact ? and for me Music in this city would never have existed were it not for one song…Rock Island Line. Take that song and add all the strands that have kind of gone since…then take them back in time as if you were starting again, fresh and excited, then you have The Hummingbirds.
Quirky eye winking style delivery and songs that scream at you like they were written in a pre-beatle cavern, by bands that came much later. With nods to Revolver era Beatles (yet loads of star club in there too), The Byrds, Dylan and a more recent “merseybeat” acts The Hummingbirds nailed it. I won’t be the first or last to draw a Coral comparison but The Hummingbirds are brazenly parochial and it’s that which makes them so refreshing. Finally Pete Wylie can stand easy and know there are other people willing to pen positive Liverpool songs. If the Hummingbirds would like to send some more stuff, free stuff obviously, then I’ll gladly give it a shout here.” Who’s Arsed. Com
- Who's Arsed . Com

What do you get when you mix a bit of Mumford & Sons, Frank Turner, The Beatles and four young, dedicated, passionate lads from the heart of Liverpool? You get The Hummingbirds, and you get an honest, exciting, genuinely brilliant live performance to treat your ears to.

I originally went down to the Zanzibar that night to check out another band that I knew, who happened to have already played and had already left by the time I got there. Being a little pissed off I wasn’t in the mood to listen to a bunch of other bands that I didn’t know, or have the slightest expectancy of. Now, I’m not religious in any way, but thank GOD The Hummingbirds were there to make my night completely and utterly worthwhile.

Taking to the stage about 10:30pm, the band calmly set up their gear, which consisted of two acoustic guitarists, an electric lead guitarist (who was also credibly welcomed by the crowd for his harmonica skills) a percussionist who used a Cajon Drum (or ‘The Box’ as the scouse singers renamed it as) as well as a session bassist. A simple set up.. but a damn effective one, with 4 microphones included for added backing vocals and Beatle-like harmonies. ………. from the moment they set foot on stage, the crowd must have at least tripled from the previous act. A quick word from the front man, and straight into their 30 minute set they went, and I enjoyed every minute of it…………

From sheer excitement about the band, and lots of social-media hours of research later, what I can tell you is that two songs that shone in particular are the ones taken from their EP ‘Talking Of Tomorrow.’ ………The songs themselves were thoroughly enjoyable, combining a punk like on-stage attitude and energy of Frank Turner, the harmonies of The Beatles, the light, melodic guitar work of John Mayer, and of course the heart, dedication and commitment of four Liverpool musicians. …….They’re definitely on the up and are a band that you NEED to see live. “ Altsounds
- Altsounds