If I Were a Bird was released in 1996 and is the first release by Ryan Shupe & the RubberBand. The CD represents the earliest incarnation of RS&RB. It features multiple musicians, including such notable performances by Matt Flinner, Kate Macleod, and Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek. The music is a fun loving acoustic country, pop, rock blend that is guaranteed to give you hours of pure enjoyment.

"The music on this CD is as pleasant and fun as anything you'll hear. Few singers can really appeal to a broad range of demographic groups, but I can picture women in their 60s enjoying this as much as I, a fellow in my 20s, do. The music itself is a mix of rock, pop, folk, bluegrass, and country ... The album is an easy-going, lively blend of all those styles." - Daily Herald