Blackbird Sing began as the brainchild of Robert Vito Salinas, former singer songwriter of the now defunct

“Dieboy” of 1990’s pop-punk fame. After 13 years Dieboy called it quits in 2006 due to personal

differences in the band’s direction. Vito, taking the time to pen his most emotionally-connected songs on

this self-imposed hiatus, delved deep into a musical heritage that extended across multiple styles of music

due to the influences of the musical tastes of his numerous uncles and cousins, who had introduced him

to their favorite artists ranging from The Beatles to The Ramones. It was these soul-wrenching songs,

written at such a transcendent moment that would sow the first seeds of what would grow into something

larger.

 

Vito began collaborating with Andy Salazar, (lead guitar/piano/trumpet), and together the two began

consolidating reality-driven storytelling with experimental forays into folk music and country rock with

grassroots Americana. As the band grew to include George Ransom on bass and the infamous Magallanez

brothers Daniel and James on drums, percussions, guitar, and harmonica (along with a virtual cornucopia

of various sound-making equipment), their sound began to coalesce into something entirely nonpareil.

Vito and the Magallanez brothers are first cousins, thus allowing them to bring a very close-knit, personal

style that made the transition from their previous bands into Blackbird Sing seamless. “We definitely

shared a very similar soundtrack growing up and come from a very diverse musical family.” Heavily

Influenced by an array of artists like Cat Stevens, The Stray Cats, Dion and the Belmonts, Social Distortion, The Clash, and Chris Isaak, Blackbird Sing ambitiously set out to create a sound that Vito has described as,“Music that people who like country but don’t like rock can enjoy and people who like rock but don’t like country could equally relish.” And so in 2010 Blackbird Sing, the alt-folk Americana country rock band was born.

 

In less than a year, Blackbird Sing’s unique blend of modern musical genres combined with heartfelt lyrics

that resonated with the audience on an individual level catapulted them to the attention of music lovers

and critics throughout Texas. From their first stage performance in June of 2010, Blackbird Sing’s acclaim

began skyrocketing, and people began to take notice. In 2010, Robert Vito won the prestigious Rammy

award for top vocalist in the San Antonio Texas local music community and the band as a whole was

selected as runner up for best Country/Americana band in the same year.

Taking no time to rest while on their rise to prominence, the band quickly cut a fantastic self-titled EP the

same year. This showcased the band’s chemistry with each member playing an intricate role in the

development of the “Texicana” sound. With a style that echoed shades of current popular folk/country

rock bands like Wilco and The Avett Brothers, it wasn’t very long before Blackbird Sing began to spread its influence throughout the region. The self-styled “Heirs of Bexar” (the county in which the city of San

Antonio resides) used singles such as the lament-driven “Manxiety” and the esoteric “Hales” to elevate

themselves above the masses of garage bands and artistic dilettantes in an industry starved for originality.

 

Their efforts culminated in being the only band from San Antonio selected to compete in the esteemed

Shiner Rising Star tournament, which brings together the best Texas has to offer in musical acts to vie

for the ultimate title of Rising Star. Travelling far outside of their sphere of influence and hometown

fans, Blackbird Sing won the contest in late 2011 and is currently signed to Shiner Records, who will

release their debut album Enemies From Years of Loving in April 2013. Working diligently has allowed

the band opportunities to open for the acclaimed Ray Wylie Hubbard, Frank Turner, Two Tons of Steel,

Tumbledown, Sleeper Car, The Trishas and more just within the last two years alone!

Blackbird Sing has found the recipe to blending the swaggering bravado of punk, emotively captivating

lyrics of the grandest forms of folk, rural country music aesthetics, the experimentation of an indie band

with nothing to lose, and good old fashioned Americana that can only be described as exclusively their

own. If asked, Vito will tell it like he has countless times before “It’s not how you play. It’s what you play

that really matters.”

 

Ladies and Gentlemen Blackbird Sing:

Vito Salinas: Singer/Songwriter, Guitar

George Ransom: Bass

James Magallanez: Guitar, Percussion, and Harmonica

Daniel Magallanez: Drums

Andy Salazar: Lead Guitar, Piano, and Trumpet

Sounds like:

Wilco, Chris Isaak, Felice Brothers, Frank Turner, Old 97's, The New Amsterdams,

The Avett Brothers, and Texas in July!

Contact: Blackbird