ONLY TREE TURN THE JAM INTO A LANGUAGE OF ITS OWN

On The Jenny Tapes, Bellingham's Only Tree stretch psychedelic rock toward funk, folk and the Grateful Dead tradition, finding the sweet spot between composition and improvisation

I hear The Jenny Tapes as an invitation to stay in the room. Only Tree give themselves nearly 55 minutes across six tracks, and the decision to let “Phrase No. 1” run for 17 minutes tells me immediately that this is a band more interested in development than instant gratification.

The instrumental “Dirty Dog” establishes the groove-first approach, while “The Wasteland” brings a more composed shape to the record. The real centre of gravity is the improvisational material. “Phrase No. 1” has the space to let ideas develop organically, and the 14-minute “Scarlett Begonias/Fire on the Mountain” makes the band's Grateful Dead connection explicit without reducing the record to tribute-band territory.

What I particularly like is the balance between looseness and purpose. Psychedelic and soulful, and I also hear funk and indie-rock instincts underneath the exploratory passages. The groove matter and the longer pieces never feel like exercises in endurance.

It is spacious, occasionally unruly and deeply rooted in playing together. I recommend it to listeners who prefer their psychedelic rock to unfold with freedom.

Interview with Elysian Fields

(•)> Why did you want The Jenny Tapes to function as a collection of instrumental recordings and extended pieces rather than a conventional song-focused album?

(•)> What does the “Jenny” in The Jenny Tapes represent, and how did the title come about?

(•)> “Phrase No. 1” runs for 17 minutes. How much of that performance was composed beforehand, and how much emerged spontaneously?

(•)> What are you listening for during a long improvisation that tells you when an idea is worth following?

(•)> “Scarlett Begonias/Fire on the Mountain” is your explicit Grateful Dead connection. What do you think the Dead taught you about improvisation that still applies to Only Tree?

(•)> How did you approach performing that cover without losing the character of Only Tree?

(•)> “Dirty Dog” has also appeared in your catalogue in other forms. What makes that particular song important enough to keep revisiting?

(•)> Your music combines psychedelic textures with driving grooves. Is the groove usually the anchor that allows the more experimental sections to happen?

(•)> You have cited Random Access Memories, Dire Straits and American Beauty among your favourite albums. What do you take from those records as a songwriter rather than simply as a listener?

(•)> How did recording with Woodhaven Mastering Studios shape the final sound of The Jenny Tapes?

(•)> The album sits within a run of releases including Silent Sessions I: The Perry Tapes, The Tree Dance, Around and Surrender Song. Looking across that period, where do you hear the biggest change in Only Tree's approach?

(•)> Now that Only Tree have moved from these extended instrumental explorations into later material such as “Call Your Senator,” what elements of The Jenny Tapes do you still want to carry forward?

(•)> That's all, Folks! Check out Only Tree on the Pigeon Opinion Playlist