As any flock of birds knows, there is power in numbers. Such is certainly  the case for Paper Birds, a cross-country pop-up band fronted by two successful songwriters in their own right: Claudia Russell and Katie Dahl.

(Check out Paper Birds on YouTube.)

Claudia Russell is a veteran of California’s Americana Music scene who has won songwriting honors from Boston to Austin. Known for her nimble, expressive voice and tightly knit songs, Russell brings grace and spunk to an eclectic array of music. Two thousand miles inland from Russell’s Bay Area home, Katie Dahl has gained a reputation as one of the Midwest’s best young songwriters, writing keenly literate songs planted deep in the ground of her Wisconsin home. Her velvety alto carries a rich sense of depth and expression. Fold in Dahl’s husband Rich Higdon on bass and percussion and Russell’s husband Bruce Kaplan (on mandolin and guitar), and you have a musical outfit adept in creating music that is at once reflective, quirky, and poignant—and an onstage dynamic that is genuinely warm and lively.

This “pop-up band” (as the quartet calls themselves) was born out of friendship. All four band members are fans and friends of each other who have long shared stages in both California (where Russell and Kaplan live) and Wisconsin (where Dahl and Higdon live). Paper Birds was born out of a desire to play together more often.  And though the band’s performances are somewhat rare, there is nothing thrown together about their live show. This quartet is as magic as a Blue Moon.

Paper Birds is available for California performances in March 2024 and in the Midwest Summer 2024. Contact Bruce Kaplan at folkunlimited@att.net for booking.