Written by: Mary Simkins

Originally from Ypsilanti, the now Ann Arbor-based Ragbirds have been gaining national momentum (and touring their tail feathers off!) during the past year, but the effortless fusion of world cultures and styles in their music has been pleasing fans since 2005.

Currently touring the U.S., the five-piece band employs a great variety of instruments to create a truly unique sound. With a newly-released fourth album and a growing fanbase (or flock), this small town band is making it big, while still remembering to appreciate the little things.

When Erin Zindle (the band’s lead singer, writer and multiinnstrumentalist) answers my phone call, the band is stopped somewhere between Birmingam, Alabama and Oxford, Mississippi. Why are they stopped, you ask? Oh, just empyting out grease traps from a local restaurant. With a tour bus that runs on recycled waste vegetable oil, stops like this one are a regular occurrence on the road. While Randy (the tour manager) sees a guy about a greasetrap, Erin is kind enough to answer a few questions.

Your new album, “Traveling Machine,” definitely has an eclectic energy.  Is it important to you to feature many different styles in your albums?

“Travelin’ Machine” is definitely in keeping with our style of eclectic fusion, influenced by rhythms from all over the world.  The title of the album, as well as the music, was inspired by all of the traveling we do as a band. Having been able to experience so many different people’s worldviews has allows us to see the big picture… to see all of these really diverse people as kind of a mosaic of God.

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We were chosen as the January 2012 High Times Magazine band of the month!  Swing by your local news stand to get your copy today!  And don’t forget, you can now purchase Travelin’ Machine in our online store!