“...they lifted the mood of the audience as soon as they appeared on stage...” - Relaxx Records
Alblum Release - Lyric Lockdown Live
1. The World is Waiting / I am Free
2. Shaking Hands With the Devil
3. Don’t Pull The String
4. This Love Isn’t Mine
5. Rise and Shine
6. Casanova
7. Challenging Day
8. Piece of Cake
9. Cut This Cord
10. Feed My Soul
Release Date 24th September
Polish singer-songwriter Magdalena Atkinson has made West Dorset her home and following two acclaimed solo albums with producer Steve Jones they joined with percussionist Darren Coleman and Bass player Drew Crow Star to form Magdalena and the Mystical Birds. The band was launched in March 2020 to an empty Lyric Theatre Bridport. The album "Lyric Lockdown Live" was recorded that day and is released into the world on 24th September 2021.
Rooted in Folk music, there are touches of Jazz, Blues and Chanson. Drawing on the musical backgrounds of the four members they add Darren’s infectious Brazilian grooves, grown from his time leading The Blackdown Samba to Steve’s past with Folk/Prog pioneers Heron and his decade with Mungo Jerry to the Punk poetry of Drew and Magdalena’s distinctive central European delivery. The result is a melting pot of music that never fails to stir the soul.
Magdalena’s songs are drawn from the self-awareness of life spent travelling and a sharing of universal themes of empowerment, spirituality and positivity. She says “I am a singer songwriter who dares... I dare to sing, dare to share, dare to enjoy my life to the fullest! My music is my healer, my companion, the voice of my soul”
Praise for Magdalena Atkinson:
“Her songs are so touching that it has brought tears to my eyes as the words are so poignant.”
“Her music inspires, fills me and so many others with lightness and hope.”
"Magdalena's story is of one of life's virtuosos. She has indisputable talents in musicianship as poet, songwriter, composer, singer, and performance artist.”
One year later - a story from hatching to nearly flying...
How the Mystical birds had changed their fate into their destiny…
“Thrive my friends, do thrive, not only survive in these challenging times…”
It is said that fate is something that a person, a group of people, or even the whole generation must experience in life in order to evolve and grow. Fate represents the events in our life that were meant to happen and that we cannot change. Fate is, however, transformed into Destiny according to how we respond to the given circumstances. The story about Magdalena and the Mystical Birds, a band launched during the lockdown, is a great example of that aspect in all of us, which can enable us to “thrive, even in the dark times”
The auspicious date of the Spring Equinox on the 21st of March 2020 was chosen by the four musicians of MAGDALENA & THE MYSTICAL BIRDS to reveal themselves to the world and launch the band in the welcoming space of The Lyric Theatre in Bridport, Dorset, UK.
Magdalena Atkinson, a singer songwriter from Dorset, had been dreaming about cooperation in her musical adventures for a while. Between 2015- 2018 she released two solo albums of her original music. The first, 'Beauty & Power', she calls her healing album. And the second, 'Love & Light', uplifting and more dynamic. On both albums she played two instruments, the piano and the hammered dulcimer, enhancing her feminine nature and gentleness. Her dream at this time was about spreading her wings and sharing her music with the world. During that time, she attracted two supportive allies: firstly, Steve Jones (a pianist and producer from Bridport) who produced and embellished her music with his imagination and skills. And secondly, Drew Crow Star, a video maker and eclectic musician, who created some vibrant music videos for her songs and projects. In 2018, she revealed the new set of songs to a small audience at a house concert at Steve’s home. It was planned to be published as her third album 'Deep & Wild'. The songs were different to what she had written before. They were stronger, more emotional, independent and performed with the acoustic guitar and played, even to Magdalena’s surprise, in a new and original way. The concert was recorded live but the results, although good, were missing something.
“You need a band” said Steve, and a few months later he came back to her with the idea of inviting Drew to join the two of them. Knowing and enjoying her songs so much from their video work together, Drew agreed without hesitation. Surprisingly quickly, they had a name for the band – 'Magdalena and the Mystical Birds'. Combining the name Heron, from Steve's successful British folk band 'Heron' and Drew’s name Crow Star, the Mystical Birds were born . Magdalena, laughing, at what she saw as a visible sign of her dream to spread her wings coming true, decided to transform herself into a Phoenix. Soon after that, samba leader and tempo-holding drummer Darren Colman, joined them as an Owl.
The rehearsals had begun, the songs were receiving the energy and the arrangements they needed, with creative input from everyone. Steve – the pianist, with the longest career in the music industry, featured not only in Heron but also Mungo Jerry amongst many other musical projects, enjoyed his newly given freedom to add to Magdalena’s music that which simply felt right. Drew - also a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist - chose the bass guitar to contribute his ideas and hold the structure of the songs. Darren, with his rhythmic expertise, was simply enjoying himself and tuning into the new exciting territory of the band.
In January 2020 the band members had their first retreat, a weekend at Steve's house dedicated to everything related to the band, bonding and having fun with music and each other. During these extra few hours a day, the band was putting together the plan of what to do next. The obvious answer was to launch the band! The date had been chosen – 21st of March 2020 - at the Lyric Theatre in Bridport, who had agreed to host them, the posters were printed and tickets started to sell well.
Then the frightening news about the virus started to dominate the media, and the lockdown date was announced a day before the launch. Magdalena suggested a great solution: if all the members of the band agreed, together with the theatre manager and the technical support team. The idea was to make the event available online, streaming the concert from an empty theatre.
It was a totally new adventure. Streaming events were not popular yet, but the tools were already available, so Facebook live was chosen and the team got ready for the big day and its new circumstances. The band had already planned to record the live performance, both audio and video, and Magdalena’s dream to record her next album live was also becoming a reality.
That Saturday was very special for everyone involved in the project. The technical team arrived early to set up all the equipment, microphones, lights and cameras. The band members were nervous but excited about the new experience, and a tiny phone was given a central position in the theatre to stream the live performance into the homes of family, friends and the first fans of the band.
The concert was very special; weird on the one hand, playing to a virtual audience was a new experience for everyone; and emotional on the other hand, as the unknown fate of the world was making everyone confused and shocked.
“...it has been only a little challenging day” – sang Magdalena, giving everyone courage with the uplifting choruses of the songs – “And the light will shine again, and a smile will decorate your face... don’t take so seriously all that they say, it has been only … a little challenging day…”
The band felt uplifted and fulfilled, the moment fate had been transformed into destiny, even though they didn't see it like that at that moment. "What could be done next?" was an obvious question.
The technical team sent all the digital files to Steve and Drew. In his home music production studio, Steve started to work on the audio material. And Drew, with his video production skills, began editing all of the videos. The work was making the first lockdown more bearable for the Birds, and step by step the new album was taking shape.
Magdalena continued writing songs and reviving some for the band to try. The music files were sent online again, this time with the new music and new arrangements done at everyone’s home in preparation for the next studio recordings.
In the meantime, the album cover was designed, the website was built and new plans for the future were emerging.
The band has been actively transforming the challenges into opportunities, making steady progress towards the live launch of Magdalena and the Mystical Birds.
So now, finally, the date for the band and album launch has been approved by the Lyric Theatre and the band is ready to share their work at the concert on the 25th of September 2021 in Bridport and on line.
You will not regret your time, as the music of Magdalena and the Mystical Birds has something unique to offer - its enthusiasm, energy and transformative power to change Fate into Destiny, now ready to spread their wings and fly high when the world is ready to receive them.
Press Photos
