Psychedelic Raleigh quintet Birds Of Avalon release their expansive sophomore album Uncanny Valley 6/23 (7/21 on vinyl) via Volcom. We spoke with guitarist Cheetie Kumar and bassist David Mueller about the hazy, disorienting standout “Your Downtime Is Up.”

The idea of down being up’s used by the Velvet Underground, Richard Fariña, William Vollmann, etc. What was the song’s inspiration?
Down and up can be used to create a plurality of interpretations — a literal physical disposition, emotional states or something more intangible — as in “rising up,” or “standing down.” The inspiration, I guess, was to have a title that suggests the sort ambiguity and mystery that reflect the overall musical elements and feeling of the song.

What’s the narrative? You can get close to figuring it out, but the instrumental swells drown out a complete meaning. Maybe that’s intentional?
The idea is that ultimately songs are about what they feel like, not necessarily what they “say.” That said, there is a loose narrative about a child playing in a storm tunnel, coming face to face with his doppelganger and getting frozen to the spot. He watches his double leave the tunnel to assume his identity while he (the child) remains trapped below forever. A playful scenario gone horribly awry…