Birdy, whose birth name is Jasmine van den Bogaerde, is a young but accomplished singer-songwriter out of the UK. Having already released three albums, including the recently released Beautiful Lies, Birdy is adept at writing powerful yet simple tunes that invade the inner consciousness. From the beguiling melody of “Keeping Your Head Up,” to the blissfulness of “Wild Horses” Birdy’s songwriting envelopes her strong voice as well as her robust lyric writing ability. Although Birdy is only 19 years old, she composes songs like someone who is twice her age. Of course, she comes from a musical family; her mother is a skilled concert pianist, and Birdy learned to play the piano when she was seven.
It should be noted that the origin of Birdy’s stage name stems from the cognomen her parents gave her as a child. She earned this nickname, because she opened her mouth like a bird when she ate food. That said, her voice is very much equivalent to the animal from which her stage name stems. Although she is known for her original songs, her cover songs are also noteworthy. Birdy has recorded songs by Bon Iver, The xx, Cherry Ghost and Phoenix. Her exquisite musical stylings should definitely be appealing to many, regardless of age. Despite her youth, Birdy remains a key part of the rise of indie folk.
Watch Birdy perform “Beautiful Lies” here, and play through to see the rest of her session.
—Ben Rosner
