Sacramento, California-based post-hardcore act A Lot Like Birds were formed in late 2009 by guitarist/composer Michael Franzino. Franzino gathered together a host of area musicians to join him in filling out his frenetic, genre-jumping compositions, which would take turns from screamo breakdowns to ambient atmospheres with no notice. Debut album Plan B arrived in 2010, featuring a host of guest musicians and accompanists. By the start of 2011, a solid lineup was in place, featuring dual vocalists Kurt Travis and Cory Lockwood, bassist Michael Littlefield, drummer Joe Arrington, and guitarist Ben Wiacek joining Franzino on his increasingly ambitious productions. Second album Conversation Piece was released in late 2011, and A Lot Like Birds toured for much of the next year, signing with Equal Vision Records to release their third album, No Place, at the end of 2013. The lineup reshuffled over the next few years, with bassist Littlefield replaced by newcomer Matt Coate, who also took over vocal duties from departing singer Travis. Meanwhile, Franzino released an album with his side project alone. in 2015. Two years later, in May 2017, A Lot Like Birds returned with DIVISI, their fourth full-length and first to feature the vocal pairing of Coate and reformed screamer Lockwood, who began working in a cleaner singing style. ~ Fred Thomas