Umbrellabirds the Transatlantic indie-folk three-piece from London UK and Chicago craft music with a soft, contemporary voice that carries both feeling and atmosphere—an indie‑folk sound built on beauty, subtlety, and emotional weight. The trio—Sam Blickhan, Lewis Daly, and Alex Hunt—first formed in 2013 as a long‑distance recording experiment, trading demos that captured something quiet, intricate, and deeply human.
Producer‑turned‑bandmate Alex Hunt joined soon after hearing those early sketches, helping shape the group’s signature blend of sparse arrangements and autumnal warmth. Their self‑titled debut (2014–2016) emerged from late‑night sessions and countless miles traveled, with Oda Almås contributing strings that deepened the album’s cinematic tone.
The band expanded their sonic palette on Closing Ceremony (2020), bringing in a wider collective of musicians—Shyam Prasad on drums, Will Harvey on strings, and Cath Day on clarinet—to build a bigger, more textured sound. Their third album, BACK TO LAND (2025), continued that evolution, refining their indie‑folk identity with even greater emotional clarity.
Umbrellabirds have earned support from BBC 6 Music’s Tom Robinson and have been featured on the BBC Introducing Mixtape, steadily carving out a space for their thoughtful, atmospheric storytelling.
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From my little corner of the indie world, I’m always moved by artists who can make softness feel powerful—and Umbrellabirds do exactly that. Their music feels like stepping into a quiet, cinematic moment where every detail matters. It’s tender, beautifully crafted, and unmistakably theirs.
-Rob | The INDIE Musician
Float Away with Umbrellabirds
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More from Umbrellabirds:
Founding Member
