Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Bird has just released her new single “The Boy and The Swan”, which is out now and serves as the third release from her forthcoming EP “Strange As Folk”. The track continues Bird’s distinctive blend of modern folk, classical orchestration, and cinematic storytelling, further expanding the atmospheric world she has been building across recent releases. This acts as the follow-up to the Austin Texas Version to her previously released single, “Lay Lady Lay”.
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Rooted in Bird’s classical background and her instinct for narrative-led songwriting, “The Boy and The Swan” moves through country, Americana, and indie folk influences, with a faint undercurrent of folk horror. The track builds slowly and deliberately, combining hushed, hypnotic melodies with expansive string arrangements and a dreamlike, cinematic atmosphere that feels both intimate and vast. Bird’s signature touch is evident in her striking vocals, which carry the story with emotional depth and effortlessly draw listeners into the song’s world.
At the centre of the song is a stark and unsettling visual metaphor. Bird tells the story of a young boy shaped by cruelty and bullying, reflected through the image of a swan being stripped of its feathers one by one. The act is carried out by the same boy, suggesting a cycle in which unhealed pain is passed on rather than resolved.
As the imagery unfolds, the song becomes a meditation on how harm is often inflicted quietly and forgotten just as quickly, while those on the receiving end continue to carry its weight. In that sense, the swan stands as a symbol of fragility and endurance, highlighting how emotional damage can linger long after the moment that caused it has faded from view.
The track was co-written by Janie Price (Bird), Jens Dolleslagers, and Belgian artist Justin Degryse (Aqua Riyaz), and was produced by Bird alongside Pete Davis. Aqua Riyaz first came to wider public attention through The Voice Kids Belgium in 2020, where his blind audition performance of Billie Eilish’s “Lovely” went viral and he progressed to the semi-finals of the competition, with the video on YouTube surpassing 62 million views.
Those experiences helped inform the song’s emotional starting point, which Bird then shaped into a more expansive and symbolic narrative. While the story at the heart of the track is deeply personal, its themes extend far beyond a single perspective, reflecting how harm can circulate within communities and societies and how its effects often linger long after the original moment has passed.
Speaking on the track, Bird shares, “I didn’t write ‘The Boy And The Swan’ for me. I had the bones of the idea for a song in a notebook and was introduced to a brilliant young Belgian artist, Aqua Riyaz, who was looking for writers to collaborate with. He told me about his experiences growing up, and it helped me to shape the idea I had into this song.
She continued by saying, “While I originally wrote it specifically for him, I think the lyric has a more universal message. Whether people also have their own versions of the story in the song, or whether we just look at the world at large and how certain countries and communities are bullying each other right now, it feels like such an unfortunately relevant thing to be singing about.”
Accompanying the release is a visually striking performance film shot in Northern Denmark, featuring Danish performance artist Jørgen Callesen, also known as Miss Fish. Filmed by a lakeside and featuring a costume made from real, found Danish swan feathers, the video mirrors the song’s themes of fragility, memory, and transformation. The collaboration reflects Bird’s long-standing creative connection to Denmark, which began during her Erasmus years in Copenhagen and continues to influence her artistic output today.
She also spoke about the video by saying, “I made the video for this track in Denmark with my incredibly talented friend Jørgen Callesen, aka Miss Fish, who is a performance artist and runs an amazing space called Warehouse 9 in Copenhagen. It meant a lot to me to have him involved, as an LGBTQ+ activist, he has helped a huge amount of marginalised artists work in the safe, non-judgemental, supportive space he and his partner created. So here’s to all the Swans out there.”
With “The Boy and The Swan”, Bird offers another immersive and emotionally rich chapter from her “Strange As Folk” EP, reaffirming her ability to merge evocative storytelling with lush, genre-blurring soundscapes. To mark the release, Bird is also performing a run of US dates throughout January.
Bird’s US Tour January 2026:
- Jan 16 – Greenwood Social Club, Kansas City, MO
- Jan 17 – White Water Tavern, Little Rock, AR
- Jan 18 – City Winery, Nashville, TN
- Jan 21-25 – Folk Alliance Conference, New Orleans, LA
- Jan 25 – The Bitter End, New York, NY
Tickets for Bird’s US Tour in January 2026 are available now through her official website. Don’t miss the chance to experience her captivating live performances, hear tracks from her new EP “Strange As Folk”—including the hypnotic single “The Boy and The Swan”—and witness her sweeping vocals and cinematic arrangements brought to life on stage. Having attended her intimate showcase event in London in 2024, we can personally attest to the power and emotion she delivers live—it’s an experience fans won’t want to miss.
“The Boy and The Swan”, by Bird, is available to download and stream, right now, across all platforms. Look out for her forthcoming EP, titled “Strange as Folk”.
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