The Other One
By Doug Freeman, Fri., Aug. 12, 2011
"We're probably at our best when Leslie and I are singing together," notes Andrew Kenny of his female counterpart in Wooden Birds, Leslie Sisson. "We've found that ground where we can do more together than we can do on our own."
Kenny and Sisson have a long history of collaboration, stretching back to Kenny recording her first home demos and Sisson later contributing to American Analog Set's 1999 breakout, The Golden Band. When she joined the Wooden Birds, there was a natural thread for her in the songwriting and sound.
"As a fan of the American Analog Set, I listened to them progress from the shoegazey thing to more of a rocking thing," notes Sisson. "They developed over time. So when the Wooden Birds came out of it, it was a natural progression into something that wasn't the Analog Set, but if you were a fan of them, you would be a fan of the Wooden Birds."
Sisson, who also plays with Matt Pond's band and is currently recording her solo debut in Austin with Louie Lino at Resonate studios, is a significant factor in the Wooden Birds' growth on Two Matchsticks. With her vocals more prominently featured, especially in her striking lead on "Baby Jeans," Sisson drew the frontman into more comfortable and bolder territory all while making an important discovery for herself.
"I think something happened to me on this second round where I started honing in on my Texas roots in the way that I sing," she laughs. "This twang I didn't know I had started to come out. I like it."
