Comment on this story What: Soul Tree When: Tuesday, Aug. 3, 10 p.m. Where: Downtown Grill and Brewery Cost: $3

Soul Tree takes it to the limit and beyond

by Clint Casey

When the meat and potatoes of a band’s repertoire ranges in length from five to seven minutes, cultivating a following can be excruciating. Three-minute ditties require less attention than epic songs that meander between composition and improvisation, and being branded a jamband can be the kiss of death before even taking the stage. Local five-piece rock outfit Soul Tree (a play on the word “sultry”) has been steadily picking up steam by performing regularly around town and slowly becoming a fixture in the local music scene.

“We definitely hate the term ‘jamband.’ Most of the music just boils down to rock ‘n’ roll,” guitarist and vocalist Josh Cole says. “There’s definitely a lot of jazz influence, but there’s also a lot of funk. Part of our music is incredibly structured, and part of it is improv.”

The challenge of bouncing between arranged movements and winging it musically lies in capturing the attention of a crowd and charming it purposefully. “There are certain songs that every time we play them, we play them same way. When we improvise, there’s an idea behind it—a certain chord pattern or structure,” Cole says. “The important thing is to bring the people listening to it back to a common point. We try to establish an idea and use it as a launchpad.”

The energy of the crowd and interchanges between Soul Tree and its audiences affect the direction and, as a result, the quality of the songs. “If there are people dancing, we’re going to play that much harder. At a lot of the shows that we’ve played, the crowd has been pretty mellow,” Cole says. “But if you’ve got people up and moving, or even yelling, it’s valuable to us and the music.”

The band is in the process of recording an official album, but it’s been circulating live recordings and studio tracks at its performances. However, Soul Tree’s members seem conflicted about the importance of even having recorded material. “We might play one song that sounds like the album, but I could care less if we sound like the album the rest of the night,” Cole says. “We could be playing the best stuff of our lives, and it might sound completely different than a disc. It’s a paradox, because you want people to recognize your songs, but at the same time even if it’s just a lick or a single lyric, we hope they recognize our overall sound.”

For a band relatively new to the music scene, landing that first gig can create entry into a vicious cycle. Music venues prefer experienced bands, but bands can’t get experience without getting booked. “Knowing someone at a bar might seem like an easy in, but it isn’t. It’s really hard to get your foot in the door. It takes persistence. You drop off a CD at a bar and follow up to a certain point,” Cole says. “I was talking to Cruz [Contreras of Robinella and the CCstringband] and asked, ‘You can play out anywhere you want; what does it take?’ and he mentioned that ‘being on a record label helps.’ So, it’s tough in a lot of ways.”

Being pigeonholed as a jamband can prove tiresome for a band on the make, but Soul Tree welcomes its challengers. “Because someone says something is wrong or bad, it doesn’t necessarily make it so. I think of it as inspiration. People have so many choices to make about music that may or may not be right. You fight for change,” keyboardist Tim Campbell says. “People make assessments of us as musicians because of how the band is classified. You can call us a jamband, I don’t care. We jam.

“Our intentions are nothing but good—to make music, to play music, and connect with the audience. Nothing else matters, as long as we’re doing what feels right and not trying to impress people.”

July 29, 2004 • Vol. 14, No. 31 © 2004 Metro Pulse