Chelsea Mitchell - Married In The Aviary debuts, released June 4th & premiered June 7th at World Cafe LIve

Photo by Mat Burke

This Friday, at World Cafe Live Philadelphia, a labor of love will be unveiled.  Married In The Aviary (Self Release -June 4th) will be showcased with its mastermind Chelsea Mitchell and a collection of her favorite musicians. 

Married In The Aviary is a fantastic arrangement by Chelsea Mitchell.  Previously she had been more commonly found with her guitar doing the singer-songwriter thing; this time she takes a turn featuring her ukulele, which kept finding its way into the recordings.

The EP starts with 'The Chapel', which is simply Chelsea Mitchell and ukulele.  No lyrics, just Chelsea's angelic voice and careful plucks, amongst the reverb of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Buckingham PA.  I often find myself having an Andy Dufresne type moment (SEE: Shawshank Redemption), locking away the rest of the world while attempting to forget my troubles amongst the operatic notes. 

If the first song is unsuccessful in making you float away, title track 'Married In The Aviary' will complete the task.   Give yourself a minute with this song and allow Chelsea Mitchell to take you on a lyrical journey with her and her beau through romantic flower gardens, white picket fences, and picturesque picnic scenes.  The instrumentation is spot on with Peter Joseph on banjo and Chelsea on ukulele, backed by Erik Hischman on his upright bass, Gene Kovalchick on alto sax and Terry Kovalchick on trumpet.  Even the hand clapping evokes silly happiness, to the point of expecting a Feist video to break out.


It's not all rainbows and butterflies on Married In The Aviary.  Ryann Lynch's violin part on 'Waltz for Little Bird' captures the sadness shared with a little boy and bird.  'Walk and Talk' is an attempt at reconciliation, while 'Don't Be In Love With Me' flat out spurns love.

The biggest emotions are invoked amongst the harmonies in 'Nobody's Daughter' of Chelsea Mitchell, Vanessa Winters, and Amber Twait.  Despite feeling that no was looking down on her, through the song of spiritual distress, abandonment, and betrayal it's heroine is lifted to new heights by these harmonies. 

The lineup for this Friday's showcase will highlight so many of the wonderful features from the EP.  All indications are that this is a show not to be missed.  More importantly, Friday will be the first chance to get your hands on one of the numbered (of 175) limited edition of Married In The Aviary. 






In the waning days before the Married In The Aviary EP release.  Root Down In The Shadow caught up with the siren, Chelsea Mitchell, for some insight on the creation of the EP, and the completion of the project , down to it's numbered, handmade sleeves.



With smaller releases in '11 & '12, describe what you wanted to be different for Married In The Aviary.  How did you want this new project to stand out, to take off, etc?

CQM: My favorite artists are the ones who are consistently true to themselves, no matter what's popular at the moment; that doesn't mean they resist change or personal evolution, but they believe in their own artistry enough to go against the tide. Rufus Wainwright is a good example. His music is romantic and theatrical - sometimes over-the-top - and his voice is so clear and buttery. That's the way he's always been, love it or leave it. He's not about to have a guest rapper on his next single, you know? So anyway...more than getting airplay (though airplay is wonderful), I just wanted this EP to be something I was proud of. And I am very proud of what we made.

How did your process change/evolve?

CQM: The process of making Married in the Aviary was far, far different than my 2009 release If I Got Mine. This time around everything was a little less calculated and more organic...I think it helps that the songs on this EP were all pretty new when I recorded them. I didn't write the title track on this EP until we'd already started the project, whereas If I Got Mine had songs that spanned over 2 or 3 years and had been played hundreds of times. You can kind of fall into a comfortable routine that way and I think it detracts from the excitement of recording. Fresh material is always the best to work with because you don't have as many preconceived notions. It can go anywhere!

How long did it take to write and to record?

CQM: All these songs were written in a year's time, which I like. I feel as if they're all connected to each other, and somehow they needed to be together on this EP. That probably sounds strange. But I can tell you that we scrapped several older tunes to make room for new ones that just kept coming during the recording process. I think that's why it took almost a year to make a six song EP! I'm lucky PJ is a patient guy.

Your decision to do all the printing, stamping etc..  budgetary or art? 

CQM: I've always enjoyed a good art project...I'm an amateur at best, but it is so rewarding to spend time simply creating. I get that from my mom. It took about a month and a half to finish the front and back block-printing, the numbering, the inserts...I certainly feel it was worth it. Hopefully the 175 sleeves I made all find a home! 

I think this generation really takes to handmade, personalized products. I have a lot of crafty friends who inspire me on a daily basis - in fact, I just got an incredible custom guitar strap from my old neighbor Mike Stampler of Norman Porter Co., based in Fishtown. It has birds on it!!

What do you have planned for #1 of 175

CQM: If my pockets were big enough, #1 would come with me wherever I go. But I guess a mantle will do.

Why did you/who did you select for the EP

CQM: Amber Twait and Vanessa Winters are two of the best singers I know and are always a pleasure to work with. Their harmonies are so perfect on "Nobody's Daughter" I think I teared-up the first time we sang it together. Peter Joseph on banjo and electric guitar was just a no-brainer. 99.9% of the time, we're in total agreement about the direction of a song, what it needs, what the production should convey. He has been my biggest cheerleader over the last 2 years and I trust Peter with my music more than anyone. He got Erik Hischmann to play upright on a few tracks and it made a huge difference. Come to think of it, Peter found the horn players and the violinist, too! I'm lucky he's on my side. Terry and Gene Kovalchick added the perfect touches to Married in the Aviary and Ryann Lynch's violin on "Waltz for Little Bird" is absolutely gorgeous.