Turns out Jason Lytle has been busy since Grandaddy split in 2006. Aside from appearing on M. Ward's Hold Time, Lytle has also recorded a new solo album. And on Maps, an Italian radio show, Lytle premiered a new song entitled "Birds Encouraged Him". It's a solid, if unsurprising, song from Lytle. There's plenty of isolation and fear, a staple of Grandaddy's music, as he sings about a boy hiding in a hole. But it's nice to hear Lytle channeling a group of birds urging the boy out, and his high, lilting voice sounds a little fuller with that thread of hope. No word yet on a release date for Lytle's album, but 2009 seems to be starting off well for the singer.