the Mynabirds

After years of classical piano and stints singing and playing keyboards in rock bands and electronica projects in Washington, D.C.,{{cite web|url=http://www.radioindy.com/Laura_Burhenn/biography.php |title=Featured artist |publisher=Radioindy.com |accessdate=August 10, 2015}} Burhenn founded her own record label, Laboratory Records, and began releasing solo work. Burhenn's first solo record, Not Ashamed to Say, was released in 1999 and is a collection of thirteen songs written from 1994 to 1998. After releasing a split 7" in 2003, Burhenn released the full-length Wanderlust in 2004. In 2005, Burhenn teamed up with John Davis, drummer of defunct DC trio Q and Not U, to form Georgie James. Laura first worked with Saddle Creek in 2007 on Georgie James' debut LP, Places.{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2007/05/georgie_james_q.html |title=GEORGIE JAMES (Q and not U) signs to Saddle Creek + 2007 Tour Dates |publisher=Brooklynvegan.com |date=May 17, 2007 |accessdate=August 10, 2015}} The duo parted ways in late 2008.{{cite web|author= |url=http://blog.georgetownvoice.com/2008/08/04/georgie-james-goes-to-splitsville |title="Hard Feelings"?: Georgie James break up | Vox Populi |publisher=Blog.georgetownvoice.com |date= |accessdate=August 10, 2015}}

Burhenn went into the studio with Richard Swift in the summer of 2009 and recorded what would become the debut album from the Mynabirds. The band signed with Saddle Creek in January 2010{{cite web|last=Sudol |first=Brendan |url=http://www.tinymixtapes.com/news/saddle-creek-signs-mynabirds-ex-georgie-james |title=Saddle Creek Signs The Mynabirds (ex-Georgie James) | Music News | Releases |publisher=Tiny Mix Tapes |date=January 27, 2010 |accessdate=August 10, 2015}} and released What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood to critical acclaim in April 2010. Anthony Lombardi described the record in PopMatters as "...a soul-purging, powerful statement of survival and self-assertion that stands head and shoulders above the current crop of navel-gazers populating today’s underground music scene."{{cite web |author=Lombardi, Anthony |date=April 30, 2010 |url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/121768-the-mynabirds-what-we-lose-in-the-fire-we-gain-in-the-flood |title=The Mynabirds: What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood |work=PopMatters |accessdate=May 1, 2010}} The Mynabirds supported their debut LP with more than a year of touring with Bright Eyes, David Bazan and Crooked Fingers. Burhenn also toured at this time as a member of Bright Eyes.{{cite web|last=Fischer |first=Jonathan L. |url=http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2010/12/15/laura-burhenn-joins-bright-eyes |title=Laura Burhenn Joins Bright Eyes – Arts Desk |publisher=Washingtoncitypaper.com |date=December 15, 2010 |accessdate=August 10, 2015}}

At the end of 2011, Burhenn headed back into the studio with Swift to begin work on the Mynabirds' second album, Generals. Saddle Creek released the title-track single in February 2012 as a free download.{{cite web|url=http://saddle-creek.com/news/2012/02/the-mynabirds-announce-new-record-free-mp3-and-website |title=The Mynabirds announce new record, free MP3, and portrait project |publisher=Saddle Creek |date=February 21, 2012 |accessdate=August 10, 2015}} The album was released on June 5, and was met with near universal critical acclaim, with Gianna Stefanelli of CMJ describing the work as "...a serious and intellectual pop album."{{cite web|author=Gianna Stefanelli |url=http://www.cmj.com/reviews/mynabirds-generals |title=Review: Mynabirds – Generals (Saddle Creek) |publisher=Cmj.com |date= |accessdate=August 10, 2015}}

In 2013, Burhenn was a touring member of the Postal Service's reunion tour. She provided back-up vocals along with Jenny Lewis.

In May 2015, The Mynabirds' official website announced that Lovers Know would be released on August 7, 2015, via Saddle Creek. Lovers Know took a year to make, as Burhenn drove across the US twice and toured South Africa solo while writing. Burhenn then spent eight months in studios in Los Angeles, Nashville, Joshua Tree and Auckland, New Zealand with producer Bradley Hanan Carter (of Black English).{{cite web|title = Listen to "Semantics" + Pre-Order the New Album, Lovers Know, Out August 7th on Saddle Creek|url = http://www.themynabirds.com/news/2015/5/19/pre-order-and-track-premiere|accessdate = May 29, 2015}}

The first single, "Semantics", debuted on NPR's All Songs Considered on May 12, 2015.{{cite web|title = The Mynabirds, 'Semantics'| website=NPR |url = https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2015/05/12/406149623/songs-we-love-the-mynabirds-semantics|accessdate = May 29, 2015}}

In the summer of 2017, Burhenn released a series of EPs that culminated in the release of the album Be Here Now. This album was the product of two weeks of writing and recording with singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer Patrick Damphier in Nashville, TN after the presidential inauguration and the Women's March.{{cite web|title = The Mynabirds, Be Here Now|url = http://www.popmatters.com/review/the-mynabirds-be-here-now/|accessdate = September 1, 2017}}

• Laura Burhenn – vocals, keyboards, piano

• Tom Hnatow – guitar
• Tyler Odom – guitar
• Patrick Damphier – bass, percussion, vocals
• Nicole Childrey – drums, vocals
• Rebecca Marie Miller – vocals, percussion, trumpet

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• [http://saddle-creek.com/themynabirds The Mynabirds] at Saddle Creek Records
• [https://www.npr.org/2010/06/21/127915408/the-mynabirds-tiny-desk-concert The Mynabirds: Tiny Desk Concert on NPR Music]

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Category:Indie rock musical groups from Nebraska

Category:Musical groups from Omaha, Nebraska

Category:Saddle Creek Records artists

Category:Musical groups established in 2009