Passerine is Eric Gagne from Peterborough NH. Gagne cut his teeth over the last decade or so playing bass with thrashy instrumental outfit Death to Tyrants, singing and playing guitar with dream/folk group Redwing Blackbird, and most recently has been writing and recording in the collaborative effort of Dweller on the Threshold. Passerine represents his solo work, for which he has been regularly recording and performing live alongside such kindred songwriters as PG Six, Micah Blue Smaldone, Low Anthem, Fat History Month, and more.
The project began after Redwing Blackbird went on hiatus, leaving Gagne with a number of song ideas and a backlog of unfinished material. With no alternative outlet, yet still feeling like there were songs to be sung, he recorded his first album under the Passerine moniker, The Procession (Hidden Temple Tapes, 2013).
The follow-up, 50, has now been released via cassette on Sophomore Lounge. This album represents a big shift in songwriting, from more natural observations of the past to heavy introspection, futuristic ideas, and a gentle passivity. 50 is also the first collection of material written from scratch specifically for the Passerine project.
The tape at hand shows Gagne moving into more electric guitar territory, allowing for a much different arrangement of sounds. Recorded with Will
Killingsworth (Orchid, Ampere, Bucket Full of Teeth), it blends plainly poetic quiet songs with punk sensibility and a spacy air of experimentation.
