For admirers of the legendary partnership between Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter, the song “Bird Song” carries a profound emotional weight. It is a track defined by its evocative lyrics, soaring melodies, and a sense of resolution that feels as expansive as the open sky. However, the improvisational collective Club d’Elf has managed to breathe entirely new life into this classic, stripping away the words to reveal a powerful, instrumental narrative that feels both ancient and immediate.
A New Elevation for a Classic
Today, Relix is proud to exclusively present an in-studio look at Club d’Elf’s interpretation of “Bird Song.” This rendition is a centerpiece of their latest album, Loon & Thrush, released on April 10, 2026, via Royal Potato Family. The track serves as a poignant tribute to the members of the Grateful Dead who have passed, while simultaneously honoring the band’s own history and the enduring influence of their late bandmate, Brahim Fribgane.
Photo: Liz Liner
Mike Rivard, the driving force behind Club d’Elf, explains that the goal was never to replicate the original, but to honor the experimental spirit that defined the Grateful Dead. “My personal view is the world doesn’t necessarily need another straight cover of a Grateful Dead song,” Rivard shares. “It was my intention to honor the wildly experimental side of the Dead by giving it a totally different vibe than any other version I was aware of.”
Moroccan Rhythms and Personal History
The transformation of the song is rooted in the North African 12/8 rhythm known as cha’abi. By weaving this rhythmic complexity into the familiar main riff of the song, Rivard and his ensemble have created a bridge between the American jam tradition and the Moroccan influences that were central to Fribgane’s musical identity. This choice serves as a testimony to the collective learning and musical evolution that continues to define the band.
For Rivard, the process was deeply personal, connecting his current creative work with a formative memory from his youth. “The song has always been one of my favorites that Garcia & Hunter wrote together, and the process of working on it connected me with the memory of one of my life’s great adventures—hitchhiking from my home in Forest Lake, MN to Red Rocks, CO in 1979 to see the band when I was 16,” he reflects. “It was perhaps the greatest sense of freedom I’d ever experienced.”
You can experience this unique, Moroccan-infused take on “Bird Song,” recorded live at Middleville Studio in North Reading, Mass., in the video below.