About
Cats and Crows is an acoustic folk project based in North Wales, UK.
Isaac Birchall is the founding member of Cats and Crows and has been a well known singer-songwriter on the the North Wales circuit for nearly 20 years.
Having gigged under his own name as a one-man acoustic solo act for well over a decade performing mostly covers gigs at the countless wonderful pubs and clubs in the area, Isaac found that his own musical style varied heavily from hard rock and metal to delicate acoustic and folk.
The blend of the two genres culminated in the putting together of a band called Isaac and the Beekeepers in 2014, and the release of their first and only album Where We Are in 2015, a loud, shouty, rock-and-acoustic effort that enjoyed plenty of local success with a sold-out album launch party at the now closed Rewind bar in Wrexham in the summer of 2015.
The band played all over North Wales and the North East (Cheshire, Liverpool, Manchester etc) over the course of a couple of years, but while writing for their next album, Isaac found that as he was entering his late 20s, his style was mellowing away from the heavy rock side, and the vocal style of the band was doing was taking a negative toll on his voice.
And so, enter Cats and Crows.
Initially just an outlet for the softer, folkier side of his music, it soon became apparent that Cats and Crows was ultimately where Isaac had found his musical home, and so Isaac and the Beekeepers disbanded, with Andy Cooper (drums) dutifully coming over as the longest serving member and Isaac’s musical compadre. Andy has drummed on quite literally everything Isaac has put out over the last 10 years and it’s hard to imagine the sound of Cats and Crows without him.
By the summer of 2016 our first album Honest Crimes had been released, featuring a whole host friends & family chipping in – 12 members in fact, including Isaac’s dad, Chris Birchall (guitar) and the late Dave Newman (piano).
Almost from day one, it was clear that Cats and Crows was going to be a revolving door project. Whoever was available and willing at the time was “in the band”, be that just the absolute powerhouse virtuoso that is Andy Cooper or an entire choir, the idea was simple – write beautiful music that comes from a place of honesty and truth, put it on record and hope that people hear it and connect with it.
In 2018 we released our 2nd album Winter, which received some lovely reviews online and featured what went on to be one of the favourite songs of late and dearly missed Peter Footitt of Music Mine Studios and the Well Inn Festival.
2020 saw us write and release our “lockdown album” The Mourning After with Andy and Isaac collaborating remotely online. Due to the ongoing lockdowns and closed venues, we hosted a virtual launch party on Facebook and Instagram that was attended by over 200 people, where we streamed the songs and got to experience them together with a lovely online community.
Which leads us to today.
We’re in the process of putting the finishing touches to our upcoming album 10am due to be released early 2026, featuring a whole host of friends we’ve made over the last few years from all over the world.
Words can’t describe the pride we feel for this album – we can’t wait for you to hear it.
In memoriam
My friends on the wall ❤️
Dave Newman
Dave wrote and recorded piano on our first album Honest Crimes.
A warm, honest, no-prisoners gent who was the first to turn up when you needed help and the last to leave when you needed an ear. He adored talking about music & about all the gig’s he’d been to.
I first met Dave in around 2012 and quickly, as everyone did, grew very fond of him. Many a night sat at the bar of our local pub just putting the world to right & despite the age gap he always felt like a friend that treated me as an equal.
Dave played piano for the North Wales tribute band Pinc Ffloyd, who I opened up for on more than one occasion. Their first gig without him was profoundly sad, yet a beautiful tribute.
He was sometimes the only person who attended my gigs – he’d travel specially for them and would always make his presence known by playfully shouting “Freebird!” at me at the most in opportunistic times. He was a true supporter of local music.
When I asked Dave if he’d play piano on my album, the answer was a quick and resounding yes.
I’ll never forget the day he turned up at my house with enough gear for a stadium tour – I only needed some piano but he’d come prepared, just in case.
We lost Dave suddenly and unexpectedly in 2017 and he is dearly missed to this day.
I often think to myself, how lucky am I that I get to throw on that album and through the power of music, get to close my eyes and be in the same room as my absent friend again?
He is forever immortalised on our very first recordings, and for that I am eternally grateful.
It was an absolute privilege, Dave.
Peter Footitt
Pete was an absolute champion of the North Wales music scene.
He ran the Music Mine Studios in Ffynnongroyw and also organised and promoted countless events and festivals, including the Well Inn Festival and the We Are The Cae Festival.
One afternoon in 2019 as I was driving to the festival to play my slot at the Bethel Chapel in Holywell, I recieved a phone call from a friend.
“Hello mate, where are you?”
“Driving to Holywell, why?”, I replied.
“Well, I’m here, and you’re supposed to be playing now and everyone is wondering where you are.”
I was still an hour away. There was nothing I could do at all. I’d gotten my timings wrong and was an hour late for my own gig!
I immediately phoned Pete, groveling and apologising, expecting to be rightly chastised. Instead, he just calmly told me two things.
First, that it was no problem. Another band were doing an extra set. Second however, unfortunately, he couldn’t slot me in any other time during the day, so I had no gig to play.
What blew my mind however, was when I asked if I should turn around and go home, he said I should definitely still come, and that he’d keep the Chapel open after everyone had packed up so that I could still get some videos for my social media account, but also on one condition… that I played our song Up In The Sky, a song he’d told me was one of his favourites… what an honour!
So, I turned up, filmed a couple of songs in an empty Chapel and upon finishing that song, was met with rapturous applause from Pete, who was waiting in the wings, listening.
Pete invited me back to perform at numerous gigs in the years since, and always had time for a chat. He was always full of praise & full of love for what he was doing.
He left us in January 2024 and is dearly missed.
In his memory, Up In The Sky has since been, and always will be forever introduced as Pete’s song.
Rest easy.