Music like Birds of Chicago

Birds of Chicago is an Americana/folk band founded in March 2012 in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The band is led by husband and wife, JT Nero and Allison Russell. Russell is formerly of the Canadian roots act Po' Girl. The duo-fronted band refers to their music as "secular gospel".

Nero, a Midwesterner with strong family ties to Chicago, Illinois, has made the Windy City his home since 2002. Russell grew up in Montreal and has lived with Nero in Chicago since 2009. In 2014, Russell gave birth to their first daughter and hit the road with her four weeks later.

Prior to officially forming Birds of Chicago in March 2012, Nero and Russell were in other musical projects. Nero (as Jeremy Lindsay) fronted The Rivermen, a popular band based in his hometown of Toledo, Ohio. Russell first began collaborating with Nero on his solo project, mountains/forests in 2011, while she continued with Po' Girl. Nero was also in another band, JT and the Clouds. The two developed a working relationship, as Po' Girl and JT and the Clouds traded shows across the Canadian/US border – Po' Girl would open for JT and the Clouds in the States and vice versa. In 2007, Nero opened as a solo act for Po' Girl's international Home To You CD release tour, their last record under Nettwerk Records in Vancouver.