Andrew Bird performed at KCRW’s headquarters in Santa Monica on October 30, playing new material and songs from his 2019 album My Finest Work Yet. The intimate Live on KCRW event also included a conversation about his career and his Emmy-winning song “Need Someone,” featured in HBO’s The Pitt.
Bird said Gavin Brivek, who handles research for the series, called him to find music for a pivotal scene. Bird had not watched the show and initially assumed it was “just another medical drama.” After Brivek sent him the scene, however, Bird connected with it and wrote “Need Someone” in about an hour.
Reflecting on the Emmy, Bird joked that despite releasing more than 20 albums, “My first Grammy was an Emmy.” The song was one of the final selections in his KCRW set, followed by “Bellevue Bridge Club” and “Cracking Codes.” He closed with “Capsized.”
Bird was joined by drummer Ted Poor, bassist Alan Hampton and electric guitarist Madison Cunningham. The set also featured several new songs and selections from My Finest Work Yet, whose songs are set to appear in the upcoming movie I Play Rocky.
The full KCRW session is scheduled to be made available to the public on December 2. Bird’s setlist was “Proxy War,” “Bloodless,” “Archipelago,” “Low Country,” “Here’s the Rub,” “Burden Down,” “Magical Thinking,” “Need Someone,” “Bellevue Bridge Club,” “Cracking Codes” and “Capsized.”
Sources: Just Jared.