In 2013 Lenker returned to her hometown of Minneapolis and entered Terrarium Studios with producer Rob Oesterlin, where she laid down ten songs on acoustic guitar. “It’s basically just like a live solo show,” Lenker describes, “but with an added twist.” She then enlisted NYC friend Andrew Sarlo to mix the album (he would later engineer Masterpiece and Capacity), and on January 24, 2014 Hours Were the Birds was released into the world. Drenched in beautiful imagery and intimate stories, it is the work of a woman on a journey, conquering new territory with bravery and honesty.