| Blackbird Raum | |
| Origin: | Santa Cruz, CA |
| Genre: | Anarcho-punk, acoustic, Folk-punk, Blues, Traditional folk music, Ragtime, country |
| Associated Acts: | Sangre de Muerdago, Lynched, Hail Seizures |
| Website: | Official website |
| Current Members: | CPN Amelia Zack Religious David Allen Degenerate |
| Past Members: | Roberto Miguel Mars KC Jillian Edward Chaplin |
Blackbird Raum is a folk punk band from Santa Cruz, California, formed in 2004.[1] They are known for their frantic live shows and anarchist politics. They have toured Europe and the U.S.
Blackbird Raum was formed in 2004 by banjoist CPN and accordionist Zack while living at UCSC housing in Santa Cruz, California. The band was haphazard at first, playing gigs and busking with a band randomly composed of other crustfunders living in or around Santa Cruz.[1] They made their first dollar from a man on a date who paid them to leave.[1] During this period, they wrote songs including "Honey in the Hair" and "Coal" and recorded a demo. After some frustrations with chaotic nature of the lineup, CPN left Santa Cruz for a year to play in other projects. When he returned he and Zack agreed to try the band again and a lineup was cemented with the addition of K.C. on washboard, David on washtub bass and Mars on musical saw and mandolin. They quickly wrote new material and recorded what was to be their first album, Purse-Seine, named after the poem by Robinson Jeffers.
The band were unsatisfied with Purse-Seine and produced the follow-up, Swidden,[1] promoting it with a full U.S. tour and several other tours. Two years later, they followed up with Under the Starling Host. During the release of UTSH, the band members set up a small collectively run anarchist record label called Black Powder to support other radical folk projects, including the Hail Seizures.[2] After the release of UTSH, the band took a hiatus for a few years, playing few gigs. After the 2011 release of the Hail Seizures, Blackbird Raum split 7-inch K.C. left the band.
In 2012, Blackbird Raum regrouped, replacing K.C. on washboard with Allen Degenerate and signing to Silver Sprocket Bicycle Club for the release of False Weavers in 2013. Recorded at John Vanderslice's Tiny Telephone Studios, the album marked a change in sound, with psychedelic touches the band has attributed to their love of Chumbawamba and Crass. Five months of touring in the US and Europe followed.[3]
Following the release of False Weavers, the band teamed up with Dublin based folk band "Lankum" (then called Lynched) to create a new album "Destroying," released in 2015. The bands toured together before the release of the album. After the tour, the band announced the departure of Mars. Mars had been contributing to vocals and songwriting greatly, as well as playing the mandolin, musical saw and other instruments. After Mars left, the band took a short break before a short tour followed by the release of an EP titled "Nevermind The Ballads" in 2016.
After a long break between releasing new music but a continued presence on social media, Blackbird Raum released "come into your power" on July 1, 2023. The new EP featured former band members and multiple cameos from groups, including Lyngfarer, Casey Mattson, Holy Locust, the Resonant Rogues and Mama' s Broke. This new EP has yet to be introduced with a formal tour, as the band's last public performance occurred March 5, 2016.
Blackbird Raum's lyrics tend to paint a bleak picture of modern society, focusing on issues like the destruction of the environment, mental illness, and class warfare. They have described themselves as eco-anarchists.[4]
In an interview with The Sunday Times of Malta, banjo player CPN had this to say about their political views:
The lyrics and song names often contain references to historical events, ancient myths and cultural icons:
Blackbird Raum makes use of epigraphs from many poets and writers. Among them are William Blake, George R. Stewart, Sir Thomas Malory, Gary Snyder, Kenneth Rexroth and Black Elk.