"I'm not alone in being afraid of preconceptions or being self-conscious about your footprint online. Having the freedom to have no face or name on it was really inspiring. To do exactly what I wanted to do without worrying about what anybody thought."
"That corner of music seems to be where a lot of cool, straight, unaffected, interesting guitar parts seem to happen. I love effects, and I love experimenting with more recent technology. But my first loves were first-wave rock-and-roll, and the blues, and stuff that can happen directly into a microphone."
Kellen Baker, an Indianapolis musician, began recording fuzzy guitar pop in 2020 for personal use before uploading anonymously to YouTube in 2023. The anonymity allowed creative freedom without self-consciousness about online presence. Inspired by Guided by Voices, he named his project Good Flying Birds and eventually performed full-band shows across the Midwest. A St. Louis label released his work on cassette, leading to the 2024 streaming compilation "Talulah's Tape." The album combines '90s indie sensibilities with early British Invasion rock influences, drawing from Baker's background in Beatles cover bands. His musical foundation emphasizes harmonies, pop structures, and unaffected guitar work rooted in first-wave rock and blues.
Read at The Washington Post
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