July 2008
Thanks to everybody who came out to hear Anna and me this month. We had a great time moseying about the west coast, culminating in an unbelievable house concert in Half Moon Bay, CA. Makes me wish all concerts were house concerts! I'm also trying out this new website. Expect some tinkering.
June 2008
I'm pleased to say I've just finished recording a small collection of
songs which I'll be handing out as I travel the west with Anna Laube
this July. The EP, titled "Town Rill", features some lovely vocals by
Alison Rice, and has already been getting some good reviews.
About Town Rill
Town Rill (Birger Olsen) is a songwriter with a heavily rooted, yet totally distinct sound. With a strong, finger picking guitar style, and a rough baritone voice that seems to belong to somebody else, his music can knock listeners off balance, right before it pulls them in to the simple stories of his songs.During a recent stint living in San Francisco, Birger formed a gypsy blues duo with guitarist Travis Magrane called the Rustics, and worked as a sideman to folk singer Anna Laube. Now a resident of Portland, Oregon, Birger is backing singers Alison Rice and Reina Collins, in addition to performing his own music solo and with his band throughout the West Coast.
The Town Rill band includes bassist Dean Boudouris, formerly of Vagabond Opera, Harris Ambinder on harmonica, and portland-music veteran and guitar master Dan Miller.