Treelines

Kelowna has been quite a hotspot of great indie rock lately. Yukon Blonde, Ladyhawk, and We Are the City are just a few of the bands that have been rockin it up across the country. Treelines is the latest in that solid line-up of musical acts to make their presence known. After the release of their self-titled debut last year the band got back to work and put together a sophomore effort which was released on July 1st. This effort is a solid 6 song E.P. called Young Man. Their first album was written primarily by lead singer Matt Lockhart during time he spent in Vancouver after graduating from the University of Victoria. This E.P. is the band's first release as a result of a cohesive effort from the entire band, and the sound reflects that. In a fantastic way.

This album is summer listening at its finest. It opens with a song that just sounds right on Friday afternoons after escaping from work,class, or whatever your business be. Ghost Towns liberates you with lyrics that set you sailing free. Soaring riffs and an awesome drumline make this song an excellent starter for the album. Next to bat is Summer Song. The name is pretty straightforward and it will not be long before this song has crept into every one of your summer playlists. You can practically feel yourself on the beach with lyrics like "the hottest seller is a pile of sand, and layin down is an action plan." Throw in a little brass for the chorus and you can smell the sunscreen streaming out the speakers. Statuette tells the story of love and disappointment in both reality and fiction. Sometimes all you can do is just stand there. The album cools down when you hit Streetlights with lyrics and music so vivid you can practically feel the cold winter street. The two mesh together so well it's very Weakerthans-esque. Young Man keeps the mind's eye moving with more visual lyrics. You can just picture your grandfather's chair that was so sacred you never dared sit in it. This song is an adventure in growing up and leaving behind those things that were so familiar, but still keeping them locked away in your mind for later. The last act of the album is Cowboys, a western rocker worthy of this band's Western Canadian roots, and the sunsets they'll be riding into during their next tour.


And that's it. This album is brief but fantastic. Lead singer Matt Lockhart belts out these summer anthems with a passion seldom heard in music today, and he's not afraid to let his voice crack a time or two to get this music heard. Comparisons with the Weakerthans are well earned and well founded, I can't say enough about how great the lyrics are. Just like you could see yourself in that bus in One Great City, you can see yourself in each one of these songs, whether it be on the beach, on the road, or life(yeah I went there). So go out there and grab this E.P. it'll be cheap cuz its short and oh so worth it. Go to http://www.treelinesmusic.com/ where you can download the title track for free and get a taste of what's in store. While you're there check out their making the record documentary.


If you were lucky enough you went to the Vancover CD release show on Friday, but if not expect more dates to be announced soon. Go out and check out this band for a great high enegy show, and pick up the E.P. while you're there, you won't regret it. Oh, and maybe an awesome Canucks Flying Skate Treelines t-shirt, those are great too.
- NxEW

This Kelowna, B.C. quartet have come a long way in a short period of time. Their 2009 self-titled debut was decent pop effort — along the lines of Andrew Watt And The Glory Glory or Throw Me The Statue — but about half of its songs carried too high a schmaltz factor.

Treelines have solidified their lineup and are writing collaboratively (the debut was mainly penned by band founder Matt Lockhart) for this follow-up EP. The resulting six songs have a noticeably sharper edge. Even the one exception to their new harder-rock formula — the piano-led "Streetlights" — seems more mature and hints at a Weakerthans vibe.

In their band bio, Treelines say they can't shake comparisons to Death Cab For Cutie. Such similarities aren't really evident here. Young Man is much closer to the work of The Mohawk Lodge and Two Hours Traffic. - CHARTattack

"Treelines is an earnest band from Kelowna, boasting a realism that is truly endearing. They play a mixture of songs, some from their self-titled album and some new songs that will be recorded in January. One song is so new that it doesn’t even have a name. There’s something exciting about a band like this, one on the cusp of discovery (provided they keep coming to Vancouver for shows). Lead singer Matt Lockhart has a voice he seems almost unsure of, but Treelines have their guitars, keys and harmonies in place. The drummer has excellent posture and quite a head of hair, and altogether they’re easy on the eyes and ears. The song “Calendar,” one that’s on their record but they don’t normally play live, contains the lyrics, You are someone’s bird, and someone is your tree. “Lions” is another track that most people can and will sing along to, and I’m intrigued by the snippets of lyrics I was able to hear. Their signature track is “Canadian Airlines,” which they describe as a song “about being cold and miserable in November.” They’re on the precipice of nailing a signature sound, one that I would equate to an interior version of The Stills. As they record their album, they’ll be sending out updates through their mailing list. Sign up for it now so you can brag that you became a fan before they became famous, and stay tuned for their updates as I post them on Backstage Vancouver."

-Lauren Eldridge
Backstage Vancouver
- Backstage Vancouver Blog

On January 12, 2010, our song 'Canadian Airlines' was chosen as song of the day nationwide on CBC Radio 3. Here's what Amanda Putz had to say about it.

"This song is a little nugget of Kelowna gold. Treelines is a perfect name for a Canadian band, since treelines delineate the mostly-habitable spaces of the country from the less-habitable ones. The song itself, well, it says more about the country in three mere minutes than a three-hour Throne Speech could. I love its rambling, countryesque electric guitar line. I love its lyrics that pull up blinds revealing Canadian winter scenes beyond the melody. And I love its sentiment: Grab my coat, put on my toque...brush the snow off of my car, scrape off all the frost with a credit card...if the engine fails to spark to life I wonder what the jumper cords look like...on those Canadian Airlines. So, it's not so much about flying, as not flying. It's about the way we do things here, and the way we live. Listen, and I think you'll hear yourself in this song. You live here, don't you?"

-Amanda Putz
CBC Radio 3
- CBC Radio 3

With muggy 27 degree weather outside and a large crowd packed tightly into the cozy Railway Club, the heat in the room was nothing short of sweltering. Still, that didn't deter the revelers, who had already pushed up to the front of the floor by the time the opening act, City of Glass, took the stage.

The local four-piece got the night off to a high-energy start, delivering a brief set of upbeat post-punk and infectious group singalongs. With spidery, intertwining guitar leads and herky jerky dancebeats, the group's sound was anchored by the rock-solid bass-playing of Georgia Korba. The band wrapped up the set with a cover of "Love Will Tear Us Apart," the brisk tempo and hard-hitting arrangement making it almost unrecognizable until the chorus.

Next up, 41st and Home packed six musicians onto the stage, offering lush arrangements that included violin, trumpet and pump organ. The band showed a flair for the dramatic, with slow-burning ballads that built to heart-pulsing cinematic crescendos. With clear stylistic nods to fellow baroque rockers like Broken Social Scene and Sufjan Stevens, don't be surprised if this Vancouver group continues to build momentum in the coming months.

Treelines were the evening's main event, as they were celebrating the release of their new EP, Young Man. The Kelowna outfit is all about no-nonsense rock 'n' roll, channeling the heartland spirit of John Cougar with a dose of whiskey-soaked Canadiana. With chunky grooves and muscular power chord riffage, Treelines and their fans both sweated buckets, causing singer Matt Lockhart to bring out a beach towel to mop it up. (As BeatRoute's photographer said, "The front row is the splash zone.")

Singer-songwriter Jordan Klassen wrapped up the show with a set of chilled-out folk rock, evoking Simon and Garfunkel with his haunting balladry. He ended the night with a bang, with him and his three bandmates setting aside their instruments for a tribal drum circle and hollered, microphone-less harmonies.
- BeatRoute Magazine

These guys are awesome. Straight up. Their new E.P. comes out on Canada Day. Awesome-er.
Together since 2008, Treelines released their first full length (Self-titled "Treelines") in 2009, a 10 track album that rocks front to back. Distinctly Canadian, lyrically awesome, it's an album you can play skip-free. "Canadian Airlines" one of two songs available free to download from that first album (www.treelinesmusic.com), leaves you wanting more immediately. The song reads almost like a story-book, piano, drums, and guitars colouring in the pages. After purchasing the rest of the album, it's 9 more entirely different story books. July 1st is already a great day to party. Now we have one more reason. "Young Man" the bands newest release, a 6 track E.P. is available Canada Day. If it's anything like the first full length, you can play it directly after the National Anthem. The band was kind of enough to answer some questions for The SoapBox. You're Welcome.

The SoapBox:
Your first album was so good, the listener can really relate with the music quickly, and north of the border, can take heavy Canadian Pride in the music. How do you follow that up?
Treelines:
The intention of the first record was never to come across as 'Canadian' or anything, it just sort of turned out that way, which I suppose makes sense considering all of us have grown up here. Matt's lyrics are something we can definitely all relate to, but he definitely didn't make any specific effort to give the songs a wintry Canadian feel. However, we`re definitely humbled that it comes across that way, and we're happy that our 'Canadian' imagery is something that people seem to identify us with.
Similarly, this EP wasn`t written with an aim to turn out any certain way; we just tried to write what we think are good songs. As a result of having a solid lineup through this whole writing process, it's also more of a cohesive album, rather than just a collection of songs.

SB:
How will it compare to your first album?
TL:
Musically it's definitely a little more upbeat overall, but lyrically it's pretty similar in style. The title track 'Young Man' (which can be downloaded for free on our website) is a pretty good indicator of what to expect.

SB:
How does the band feel about music sharing, and the availabilty of music online these days? From the outside looking in, with free downloads and $2 CDs, it would appear that Treelines has embraced this culture. Do you think it results in more fans, both at home and at shows?
TL:
I definitely think that it does. These days, as an artist I think you pretty much have to accept that people will be getting your music for free no matter what, and I think that if artists stopped fighting it, it could work in everyone's favour. I've always felt that anyone who wants to buy an album, either to support the artist or just to add to their collection, is going to buy it regardless of whether they downloaded it or not, so I don't see the 'risk' of offering it inexpensively or for free. Although I believe that recorded music is a valuable form of art, I'm such a huge fan of live music that I see a recording as more of a vessel for getting people out to live shows to connect with them that way. It's cyclical, especially for newer artists. If no one has heard your music, who will come see you play, if no one sees you play, who will support your next album, etc.

SB:
Canada Day seems like a great day to release a record, how did you guys choose to do that?
TL:
Well, originally we were talking about a June release, but as I'm sure any artist can relate to, production of the record kept getting pushed back. We really had no specific date in mind, and more than anything didn't want to rush into it for no good reason, so we just figured that July 1st was a logical choice. That being said, we also just thought releasing it on Canada day would be pretty sweet.

SB:
I’ve noticed a few shows posted after the album drops, can Treelines fans expect more tour dates to follow?
TL:
Absolutely. Right now we're just finalizing the details of CD release shows all over BC, but they will be posted on our website within the next couple of weeks.

SB:
Not everyone could sit in a van for months on end with the same dudes, how do you guys manage to do it?
TL:
Matt and Steve are brothers, so they've pretty much got it figured out. Those two and I all live together, and Ryan is just the most easy-going dude ever, so it's really not hard. We've all been friends for years so getting along just comes naturally.

SB:
What is the food of choice on the road?
TL:
It depends who's behind the wheel. Ryan likes candy, Matt likes McDonlads, Steve's pretty much down for anything, and I like vegetables and am not huge on fast food, and I get mocked for it at every opportunity.

SB:
How do you find touring BC and Canada?
TL:
We always have fun, we've been fortunate to play with some great artists and great friends and to have met many great people so far. That being said, Canada can be pretty cold in the winter... Matt had to get the inspiration for the song 'Canadian Airlines' from somewhere.

SB:
Best/Worst part of being on the road?
TL:
The best part of being on the road is first and foremost just having the opportunity to play music. Being able to share your music with others is definitely something very special. I personally have always found it funny when artists have much to complain about when it comes to being on the road. The second I step into our van knowing I get to drive somewhere, spend time with the best group of dudes ever, meet new people, and play music, I just feel overwhelmingly fortunate. I suppose if I had to pick one thing to complain about, it would be the occasional lack of an opportunity to shower in the morning.

SB:
If you could open for any 2 acts right now, who would they be?
TL:
There are countless artists that we'd love to play with, but The Weakerthans or Sloan would be unreal.

SB:
What does the band like to listen to on the road? Some of your fav artists?
TL:
We all have somewhat different taste in music as far as what we listen to while driving, to name a few of our favourites:
Matt L: Spoon, The National, Joel Plaskett, The Hold Steady etc
Matt K: Attack In Black, Gaslight Anthem, The Weakerthans (the other dudes aren't around to answer but I can definitely say that Ryan loves Mew, and Steve loves Strung Out)

SB:
Who would the band consider influences?
TL:
The Weakerthans, Sloan, Attack In Black.. again, we all sort of come from different musical backgrounds, so it's difficult to pinpoint one specific sound that we draw influence from.

SB:
What are you looking forward to most this summer that is non-music related?
TL:
Cliff jumping, camping, boating, no socks, cut offs, barbecues, pilsner, hammocks, hanging out at our house.

SB:
My girlfriend and I only just moved to BC last summer, where is the 1 spot we absolutely have to check out?
TL:
If you're in Victoria, grab swim shorts and drive out to the Sooke pot-holes. You won't be disappointed.

SB:
What do the Canucks have to do? :)
TL:
Hire Matt Lockhart as their GM and try again next year.

You can stay up to date on Treelines very easily, they update their www.twitter.com/treelines often, as well as their website www.treelinesmusic.com where you can find all their merchandise and music (currently their are 3 free tracks available). You can listen to their entire first album on the website as well. If you do, make sure you have a couple bucks available, you will want to buy it. So on July 1st, in between back bacon breakfast and moose meat poutine for dinner, I suggest cracking your beer in one hand, and "Young Man" in the other. Raise the beer to your friends "Happy Treelines Day". - Island Soap Box