Mynabirds: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Nov. 10, 2017 | Bob Boilen --For Laura Burhenn, 2016 was a tough year and she wasn’t alone. We lost David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Prince (and so many more beloved artists). And then there were the elections and subsequent inauguration, which were devastating to many. But what transpired next for anyone dismayed by those events was inspiring: The Women’s March united many who were in despair, while giving purpose and focus to what for them was an unthinkable outcome in the election of Donald Trump. Then came the songs – nine new ones Laura wrote with Patrick Damphier, inspired by the many marches around the country, listening to the news, seeing social media, talking to friends and taking it all in. The result is The Mynabirds’ politically charged 2017 album Be Here Now. I first met Laura Burhenn ten years ago for a songwriting project she did with John Davis, her then bandmate in the duo Georgie James, here at NPR called Project Song. I was thrilled to discover her talent. Her current band, The Mynabirds, are