In creating music, what matters most is the ingrained desire and effort to make something that resonates; music that can be felt in the pit of the stomach. And, above all, music that matters. A delicate and fragile balance of influences and sounds is what defines Those Mockingbirds. It could be a distorted guitar, ambient vibes, or the combination comprised of male and female vocals. It may seem like the pieces of the puzzle are spread all over the table while in reality they’re creating a single picture that all makes sense.
Those Mockingbirds’ debut full-length album is slated for release in early 2014, with the title still to be determined. Engineered by Howard Willing (Smashing Pumpkins, MUTEMATH) and Dean Baltulonis (The Hold Steady), the band planted themselves at the Wild Arctic Studios in Portsmouth, NH for the effort, committing themselves to the music, each other and the creative process.
While music is clearly the band’s primary passion and foremost on their minds these days, a series of casual email exchanges between Ghettoblaster and Those Mockingbirds’ Adam Bird revealed the band’s dedication to another artistic medium that matters, television.  So, with the blessing of the band, Ghettoblaster scrapped plans to talk about the record (for now) and invented a brand new feature.  This is the inaugural Kill Your Television feature in which Adam, and fellow Mockingbird, violinist Tory Anne Daines, discuss the shows that matter to them, Breaking Bad and Supernatural respectively.
Adam on Breaking Bad…
What is your favorite television show and why?
Breaking Bad is my favorite TV show. Why? Because it is the greatest show ever made. The character of Walter White is somehow the most sympathetic AND most vile character I’ve ever seen at the same time.
Do you relate to him in specific ways?
I do relate to him in regards to his journey to become the best at something. I think everyone can. We all want to be the best at something, Walt just happened to be really good at cooking meth and he ran with it, while struggling to justify it to himself.
Do you believe that character would enjoy your band?  Why?
I am not sure. We aren’t given much in the way of Walters musical taste over the course of the series so I don’t have anything to compare it to. However I’ll go ahead and say “I hope so” because most of our songs are about underdog situations and overcoming odds and saying “fuck you” to people and situations that are holding you down, which is kind of his entire story arc. So maybe he would find that message in there.
Which of your albums would be their favorite?
Our upcoming LP, because it’s our best.
What was your favorite episode of the program?
My favorite episode was called Ozymandias, which was the third-to-last episode of the series. I’ll keep this spoiler free, as the series only recently ended, but it’s the episode where the shit just absolutely hits the fan. Just about everything that could’ve fallen apart over the past five seasons does in this episode.
Have thematic elements from the program ever leached their way in to your music?
The concept behind our upcoming LP, and its story, is slightly inspired by Breaking Bad.
If you were to write a song about the show, what would the narrative or message be?  What would it sound like?
One of our songs on the upcoming record, which actually leaked already, is called “A Ballad From Hell”.  While I did not write it about Breaking Bad, I am often startled by how much the lyrics fit the show and the dynamic between Walt and Jesse specifically.
Tory on Supernatural…
What is your favorite television show and why?
My favorite show changes with whatever show I’m binging on at the time and right now my favorite show (and guilty pleasure) has to be Supernatural. A show that’s able to hold an audience for nine seasons on two different networks really has to have something special. As each season progresses, the show becomes more and more self-aware, making jokes at itself and acknowledging it’s fans in a very nonchalant way. In one episode they take the two main characters out of their television realm and into our world, where they kill the supporting characters, writer, director, and the camera operators. That episode had next to nothing to do with the plot and was made for fans, not for ratings. I’m also a sucker for strong female characters. I think we need more characters like Jo and Ellen Harvelle on TV.
Who is your favorite character on the show and do you relate to them in specific ways?
All of the actors on the show have their talents, but I feel like Dean Winchester is the most well rounded character. In the same way that you write a melody to hold a song down while the other instruments take off, the writers of Supernatural do a great job of keeping this character in check while the other characters get themselves into some seriously compromising situations.
Coming in at a close second for favorite character is Death. It might seem strange but I find him to be one of the most lovable characters on the show. I’d eat dinner with him anytime. I wonder what that says about me…
Do you believe that character would enjoy your band?  Why?
I do. A large part of this show is the inclusion of classic rock from the ‘60s and ‘70s which coincidentally is the era I define rock as. We draw in a ton of inspiration from that era.
Which of your albums would be their favorite?
Definitely our upcoming album. It’s pretty damn dark, but not without some hints of mockery and light. One riff I hint at: “Y.M.C.A.” by the Village People. I challenge you to find that one when the album comes out!
What was your favorite episode of the program?
The opening of Lucifer’s cage at the end of season four, the episode is called “Lucifer Rising.” It opens with a Kansas song and ends in betrayal”… Man that was a good band. I love their violinist.
Have thematic elements from the program ever leached their way into your music? 
I wouldn’t say so, but our upcoming album has some serious supernatural undertones. I can’t outright say the theme yet, but let’s just say Sam’s character wouldn’t be too happy to hear about it.
If you were to write a song about the show, what would the narrative or message be?  What would it sound like?
It would have a solid drum beat with some heavy blues rock riffs. The lyrics would be about finding humanity in the absence of God, brotherly love, and it would only be compatible with the speakers in a 1967 Chevrolet Impala, so forget about hearing it if you don’t have one of those baby’s around.
(Those Mockingbirds recently premiered their video for their single, How To Rob A Bank here: http://youtu.be/qODaCcMTiKc.  Purchase the single on iTunes here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/how-to-rob-a-bank-single/id722990166 before visiting them here www.thosemockingbirds.com.)