Yellow Swans & Birchville Cat Motel - Yellow Swans & Birchville Cat Motel - CD

Yellow Swans & Birchville Cat Motel is the the first collaboration between these two underground phenomenons. Both groups have emassed sturdy back catalogs and a great deal of critical acclaim. This collaboration was recorded entirely in New Zealand, both live and in the studio.

In late 2005, Yellow Swans were blessed with the opportunity to tour Austrailia. As an added bonus, they were able to scam a free week and a half long layover in New Zealand, so they could check out the mythic noisescape of their teenagedom. They booked a few shows (three or four before they got there, but ended up playing seven) and most of those were set up by Mr. Birchville Cat Motel, President of Lower Hutt, whom they ended up collaborating with live.

Before the Yellow Swans headed to Dunedin (where Pete Swanson had a birthday party at the Arc Cafe) they were set to play a late show at a club. In walks Campbell Kneale (Birchville Cat Motel) wearing an Iron Maiden shirt and carrying a guitar that had a destroyed cookie tin wedged under the strings. After some opening groups, it was time for the Yellow Swans/Birchville Cat Motel jam. Pete suggested that they “ease into it.” Campbell looked bummed at this suggestion when suddenly Gabe suggested that they just go for it. Campbell looked happy at that suggestion, so they did it, and clearly it worked out pretty well because that's track two. Track one is a studio collaboration recorded at Celebrate Psi Phenomenon.