News on your favorite shows, specials & more!

LOST IN THE TREES


BIO:
Lush clusters of piano, a mysterious sound that might be something being unwrapped, or paper crushed for kindling, and A Church That Fits Our Needs, the second album by North Carolina group LOST IN THE TREES, is underway, announcing itself as a work of vaulting ambition, a cathedral built on loss and transformation. In the summer of 2009 Ari Picker – writer, composer, and architect of the band – lost his mother, an artist in her own right, when she took her own life. Picker was in the midst of releasing his band’s debut album, All Alone in an Empty House, a collection of folk-inflected songs that surprised with its orchestral arrangements, to an acclaim usually reserved for seasoned veterans: “both heart wrenching and beautiful,” said Paste, while the Huffington Post called the album “spellbinding in its musical ambition, touching in its intimacy, and often overwhelming in its emotional honesty.” Picker took the loss of his mother and set about transforming the events into a tribute, composing, writing lyrics, his mother’s picture above his writing desk: the same picture that now graces the album’s cover. “I wanted to give her a space, in the music, to be, and to become all the things she didn’t get a chance to be when she was alive.” The result is A Church That Fits Our Needs, an album that can stand beside not only musical journeys like Neil Young’s Tonight’s the Night and Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago, but also such literature of loss as Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking. Such is the honesty of Picker’s writing that he lays before us his loss in all its complexity of sadness, fear, joy, and wonder. “Neither Here Nor There,” the first song’s title, says it all, with its turning wheel of a chorus: “I’ll walk in a golden light/After the sun burns out.” Images of transfiguration abound, becoming motifs that weave through the songs, as Picker imagines his mother reborn – “as a color she’ll rise/from the water/a golden light.” Picker’s astonishing tenor voice – an instrument that veers from Carl Wilson’s emotional purity to the otherworldly abstractions of Thom Yorke – opens our window into this intensely emotional music. While this might sound on paper like a somber affair, A Church That Fits Our Needs is anything but. Picker, a classically trained composer, has Shostakovich and Stravinsky at his fingertips, but the music on this album speaks just as much to his love of Phil Spector and old film scores. The swooping strings on “Golden Eyelids” could come straight out of an old Drifters hit, while the orchestral breakdowns in the midst of “Red” recall the haunting soundtracks Bernard Herrmann composed for Alfred Hitchcock. Like Herrmann (and Stravinsky before him), Picker uses rhythm as its own emotional language, the driving polyrhythms and odd time signatures meshing perfectly with his words, while never losing the propulsive inevitability of great rock and roll. Above all this is pop music, in the way that “A Day In the Life” or Radiohead’s “No Surprises” are pop music, seeking to present complex ideas to the widest possible audience. As on the band’s debut, Picker surrounds himself with musicians who bring his vision to life with verve and sensitivity. A special contribution comes in the vocals of Emma Nadeau, whose soaring wordless melodies counter Picker’s ecstatic vocals throughout. Recorded and produced by Picker in North Carolina, the album was mixed by the legendary Rob Schnapf (Elliott Smith, Beck), bringing out the lush tones of the orchestrations in their full grandeur. At end of day, this is the album Picker set out to make, a celebration of the woman he calls a “warrior,” and a testament to the power of music to heal and transcend.

Latest Articles


The War On Drugs' Eliza Hardy Jones to Release 'Pickpocket' LP in April Photo The War On Drugs' Eliza Hardy Jones to Release 'Pickpocket' LP in April
by Michael Major - February 22, 2024

The ten-song LP explores surviving grief, birth, death, and the innate humanness surrounding a challenging and personal journey to becoming a parent.  It was written, recorded, and produced by Eliza with production assistance from the multitalented producer, engineer and instrumentalist Nick Krill -...

Join Shannon & the Clams in the 'Bean Fields' on Latest Single Photo Join Shannon & the Clams in the 'Bean Fields' on Latest Single
by Michael Major - February 22, 2024

Chirping crickets and a welcoming “woo-hoo”' immerse the listener into three minutes of triumphant bliss about living life to the fullest in the name of those that you've lost. The band immerses listeners into the song with an accompanying jubilant, storybook-like music video directed by Vanessa Pla...

The Mysterines to Release New Album 'Afraid Of Tomorrows' in June Photo The Mysterines to Release New Album 'Afraid Of Tomorrows' in June
by Michael Major - February 20, 2024

UK alternative rock band The Mysterines announce their new album Afraid of Tomorrows, the highly-anticipated follow up to their critically-acclaimed Top 10 debut album Reeling. Alongside the announcement, they have shared the lead single “Stray,” which premiered on BBC Radio 1. Watch the Matilda Har...

VIDEO AGE Releases New Album 'AWAY FROM THE CASTLE' Photo VIDEO AGE Releases New Album 'AWAY FROM THE CASTLE'
by Blair Ingenthron - October 28, 2023

VIDEO AGE has released their new album 'Away From The Castle'. Check out the latest release from the band and catch them on their headline tour....

Federico Aubele Shares New LP 'Time Drips On My Bed' & 'Silent Film' Single Photo Federico Aubele Shares New LP 'Time Drips On My Bed' & 'Silent Film' Single
by Michael Major - October 13, 2023

Discover the meditative sounds of Aubele's latest studio album. Brooklyn-based Argentine singer/songwriter Federico Aubele shares his meditative seventh studio album Time Drips On My Bed out everywhere now. Alongside the full project, Aubele shares Spanish guitar-driven track and video 'Silent Film'...

Citizen Reminisce on Old Memories on New Track 'When I Let You Down' Photo Citizen Reminisce on Old Memories on New Track 'When I Let You Down'
by Michael Major - September 12, 2023

Citizen take a trip down memory lane on fast new single “When I Let You Down.” “When I Let You Down” is the third release from Citizen’s forthcoming LP Calling The Dogs. It follows the band’s previous singles 'If You're Lonely” and 'Hyper Trophy.' Citizen’s world tour in support of the new record ki...

Out Of Space and Winnetka Music Festival Reveal Lineups For 2023 Photo Out Of Space and Winnetka Music Festival Reveal Lineups For 2023
by Stephi Wild - May 16, 2023

Evanston, IL music venue Space announced the lineup for their annual summer performance series, Out of Space, and unveiled a new partnership with Valslist Music and their Winnetka Music Festival, now programmed with the talent buying team behind Out of Space, Space, Thalia Hall, and Salt Shed. ...

Frore Releases New Album of Tribal Psybient Music BIOME Photo Frore Releases New Album of Tribal Psybient Music BIOME
by Chloe Rabinowitz - April 21, 2023

Frore's new album of Tribal Psybient music, Biome, features a series of simple and powerful percussive forms that become a universal heartbeat, a powerful hand drum beat, and a complex sounding rhythm machine that magically dances along forever...

Hannah Grae Releases Brand New Single 'Jaded' Photo Hannah Grae Releases Brand New Single 'Jaded'
by Michael Major - April 06, 2023

Merging nostalgic elements of No Doubt, Alanis Morrisette, and The Bangles and modern storytelling lyrics inspired by the likes of Phoebe Bridgers, Paramore, and Taylor Swift – Hannah’s self-taught musical education seats her firmly in the lineage of cross-genre women making musical waves....

Moon Fever Has 'Nothing Left To Lose' With New Single Photo Moon Fever Has 'Nothing Left To Lose' With New Single
by Michael Major - March 10, 2023

The active rock outfit consists of Triston Bracht (vocals), Mitch Micoley (guitar), Dave Orton (bass), and Troy Wageman (drums). Moon Fever is a band that seamlessly combines classic rock influence with screaming guitars and modern vocals that packs a dynamic punch. Check out upcoming tour dates now...

Benjamin Dakota Rogers Announces New Album 'Paint Horse' Photo Benjamin Dakota Rogers Announces New Album 'Paint Horse'
by Michael Major - November 09, 2022

Rogers’ unvarnished sound began receiving attention on TikTok earlier this year where acoustic videos of songs from the upcoming album, 'John Came Home' and 'Blackjack County Chain,' have amassed well over 12 million views. He has also shared a new single from the 13-track set, “Arlo,” which is avai...

Eszter Balint Releasing New Album Based on Her Anti-Musical Co-Written With Stew Photo Eszter Balint Releasing New Album Based on Her Anti-Musical Co-Written With Stew
by Michael Major - September 26, 2022

Singer / songwriter / violinist / actress extraordinaire Eszter Balint is releasing her long-overdue fourth album, I HATE MEMORY! The album was recorded by Andy Taub at Brooklyn Recording with additional recording by Kato Hideki and Bryce Goggin at Trout Recording, produced by Balint and Hideki....

Jason Isbell & John Paul White Join Paula Cole on 'For The Birds' Photo Jason Isbell & John Paul White Join Paula Cole on 'For The Birds'
by Michael Major - September 21, 2022

Grammy-winning songwriter and producer Paula Cole has released For The Birds, a new set of songs recorded with fellow luminaries and Grammy award winners Jason Isbell and John Paul White. Lead single “Mother, Son and Holy Ghost” is a collaboration of three iconic singers and lyricists. Plus, check o...

Taylor Acorn To Embark On First Ever Tour Supporting Real Friends Photo Taylor Acorn To Embark On First Ever Tour Supporting Real Friends
by Michael Major - September 06, 2022

Beginning Wednesday, September 28th in Pittsburgh, PA at Spirit Hall, the tour will be visiting over 25 cities across North America including stops in Toronto, ON, Philadelphia, PA, New York, NY, Pomona, CA and more before wrapping on Tuesday, November 1st in Minneapolis, MN at The Garage....

Atta Boy Shares New Single 'Spring Seventeen' Photo Atta Boy Shares New Single 'Spring Seventeen'
by Michael Major - August 25, 2022

LA indie-pop quartet Atta Boy share nostalgia-tinged single 'Spring Seventeen,' out everywhere now. Another peek into what's to come from the band, the gentle track feels like getting lost in a daydream as memories begin to fade into the wind of a new day. Watch the new music video now!...












Videos


Recommended For You