By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
Faced with the pandemic imposed restrictions, the atmospheric soul band Tree No Leaves opted to make new, rather than just make do.
The quintet took its time away from the public scene – except for a porch concert in late summer – to branch out their music and its presentation into a new dimension.
On March 1, Tree No Leaves will release the multimedia “The Eyes of Xylem.” The package will include a 20-page graphic novel booklet and a 7-inch vinyl record with four songs.
The band’s founder Dustin Galish said that storytelling through art has long been a part of the band’s aesthetic. He pointed to the band’s collaboration with writer and illustrator Will Santino, who has designed posters and album covers for the band.
Galish worked with illustrator Andy Thomas at Aardvark Printing.
Though they had different tastes, they shared a love of graphic novels and comics. And Thomas had played trumpet so they were connected through music as well.
One night, Galish said, he had a story emerge in “a fever dream.” The narrative was “weird,” he recalls, but “it all fell into place.”
He scribbled it down and “ pitched it to Andy at work.”
The idea was a narrative with each song having its own illustrated page. This was about a year ago.
Then the pandemic took a chunk out of Aardvark’s business and both lost their jobs. They kept in touch.
With clubs closed, Tree No Leaves no longer had live gigs.
The pandemic required them to record the new material separately in their bedrooms and living rooms. “It forced us to learn how to record at home,” Galish said. Quite a difference from their last studio recording which was done together in an old church.
Not being amateurs, they were up to the task of rewiring their process.
They sent files – bass lines, melodies, chord progressions – back and forth over their phones. Galish and bassist Steven Guerrero mixed the tracks. Galish added background vocals by his wife Sarah, and some sound effects from their vacation in Michigan.
Drums were a challenge. Drummer JP Stebal was able to use electric drum pads he inherited from his late teacher and mentor Roger Schupp.
The band was also working with a new sound. The quintet no longer had a guitar player. Galish, who played guitar in the early days, now focuses on electronic keyboards. The band boasts two percussionists Stebal, drums, and Billy Gruber, congas and percussion, with saxophonist Garrett Tanner, and Guerrero, on bass. Guerrero plays both acoustic bass and six-string electric . He often works as a solo artist.
Guerrero’s fluid melodies have greater prominence in the mix, weaving them with the percussion.
“We’re trying to embrace out strengths,” Galish said.
The vocals are also “more present.” Given the narrative quality of the material, it’s important that listeners understand what he’s singing.
The narrative tells the story of the relationship between two characters Willow and Elder – Xylem is the vascular tissue that brings water and minerals from the roots of a tree. They inhabit a surreal, haunted town.
Galish said he did research into the symbolism and folklore related to the trees, and incorporated that into the narrative.
The story he said, is told from multiple perspectives.
The four tracks on the translucent record are selected from the eight tracks that tell the story.
The record was cut at Little Elephant Records in Toledo. The company has the ability to do high quality small batches.
“Eyes” tells the first half of the story with a follow up planned for the end of this year.
In October, the band went into Howard’s Club H to perform a live version of “Eyes of Xylem.” There was no audience.
They wanted to capture a concert version of the music taking the parts recorded and realizing them in person. The set has a looser, more improvisational feel than the recorded tracks. The band played the album straight through, but “it wasn’t just one take and go,” Galish said. They did a couple takes of each song.
Thomas’s illustrations were projected as a backdrop.
The band will return to Howard’s on Tuesday, March 9, at 8 p.m. to debut the film, which will be shown simultaneously on www.twitch.tv/summitshack.
Having live versions of the song is important, Galish said. “When we do reemerge it’s good to have a body of work ready.”
