Highlight Reel
Nominated for Hot AC Album of the Year – 20th Annual LA Music Awards “Masquerade”
Chiara Angelicola (born September 15, 1984) is an American singer-songwriter and musician, known for her work in the musical projects Motel Pools and most notably Bird Call.
Bird Call explores a range of emotional territory with her voice, vulnerable lyrics, and candid stage presence whilst providing an aural backdrop that is variably danceable, electronically driven, and, at times, futuristic and experimental. Since 2009, Bird Call has lured new fans and perked ears while touring and sharing the stage with indie favorites including Majical Cloudz, Angel Olsen, Christopher Willits, and others. Bird Call has released the following:
The Animals Know EP (FHC Records, Sept. 2010) Other Creatures EP (FHC Records, June 2011) Phantom Limbs – Remix EP (Zap Records, June 2013) Will We Get to Mars? LP (Found Objects, September 2013) Every Day Is Exactly the Same -NIN Single (January 2014) Tao of Love [The-Drum Reboot] (May 2014)
2014 and prior
After having written a collection of new songs in winter 2011, Angelicola approached musician, composer, and orchestrator Bryan Senti (Mark Ronson, Rufus Wainwright, Miike Snow) to produce Bird’s first full-length record. Over the course of 12 months, Angelicola and Senti embarked on a musical journey crafting a sonic landscape that encompasses the body of work found in the new record, Will We Get To Mars?, which FACT mag recently dubbed “phantasmagoric”.
Phantom Limbs, an EP of remixes including a rendition by Chicago-based producers The-Drum, released June 3, 2013 via the UK’s Zap Records, which upon its premiere, WNYC described as “a change that suits Angelicola’s direct, impassioned voice well.” Bird Call’s track “Phantom Limbs” recently caught the ears of Under The Radar, who described Angelicola’s style as being “dangerous, a romantic quality to it, emoting over a bed of cinema-worthy synths like Grimes on downers.”
Will We Get To Mars digitally released worldwide on September 3, 2013 alongside a premiere with UK’s The Guardian, who dubbed the record “heart-burstingly lovely…” Jessica Yatrofsky has directed the music video for the self-titled track which premiered with Nylon Magazine on October 4, 2013.
2011 and prior
Prior to 2013’s releases, Angelicola released two EPs under the moniker Bird Call. The Animals Know EP was written by the artist during her first winter in Brooklyn, recorded at Studio G by producer Joel Hamilton and released October 2010 (FHC Records). Other Creatures EP (May 2011, FHC Records), also produced by Hamilton, is a collection of cover songs, which features the song “Lost Cause” by Beck.
In 2011, Bird Call won first place in the Performance Category of the International Songwriting Competition for her song “Waltz In The Snow”.
“The Animals Know” and “Berlin”, songs from The Animals Know EP, are featured on the third season of the Lifetime show Dance Moms. Songs from The Animals Know EP have also been featured on the Carson Daily Show.
Motel Pools
Motel Pools is a garage punk rock project formed by California-native musician Chiara Angelicola, known for her previous work in the project Bird Call. Original demos for Motel Pools were tracked in Chiara’s Williamsburg living room in 2011 and then stored in the digital dungeons until her recent relocation back to San Francisco. Upon her return to northern California, Chiara reached out to friend Kyp Malone (TV on the Radio, Rain Machine) in Brooklyn to help produce and bring the songs to life. Honus Honus of Man Man makes a guest vocal appearance on the track “Lemme Walk Your Dog”. Motel Pools covers Butthole Surfers’ Human Cannonball. Alex Balderston, Dan Kalisher, and Kiel Feher also play on the recordings. All tracks were recorded in living rooms and at Heritage Studios in Burbank, CA in June of 2014.