Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire

Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire formed in Chicago in 1995, with Bird on violin and vocals alongside Heather Trost on cello, Kevin O'Donnell on guitar, and Dan McCarthy on bass. Their self-titled debut came out the following year, mixing Bird's intricate string arrangements with Trost's vocal presence. The band's sound has always been hard to pin down, drawing from folk and classical traditions without settling into any one genre.

After Trost left in 2002, Bird brought in Jeremy Ylvisaker on guitar and Mike Polizze on drums. The group went quiet for several years starting around 2007, then returned to playing shows in 2014. That led to the 2015 album (What's Your) Angle?, which included songs like 'Candy Shop' and 'Beware' alongside the title track.

Their catalog includes records like The Swimming Hour from 2001 and Weather Systems from 2003, each adding to their particular blend of violin-driven arrangements and off-kilter songwriting. Bird's whistling and lyrical turns became part of the band's texture, heard on tracks such as '11:11' and '50 Pieces'.