Priestbird

Priestbird — not to be confused with Priestess, Judas Priest, or “Freebird” — can be confused with Tarantula A.D. That’s the name under which the New York trio crafted its unique, enticing blend of classical music, freak-folk, punk, psychedelia, prog-rock, and metal before changing their moniker in recent months. Why the switch, ahead of their upcoming album, In Your Time? “For this record we [focused] on songwriting, building environmental textures, and maintaining a certain mood for a longer period of time instead of the schizophrenia-type writing that we explored in Tarantula A.D.,” explains singer/drummer/organist/flutist Gregory Rogove. But fear not, loyal old fans — Priestbird still employs pianos and the occasional banjo, sings all trippy, and dresses weird; it’s just that their songs are a bit more epic, heavy, and hypnotic.