All Work And All Play For Reggae Rockers TREEHOUSE!

Alternative reggae-rock band, TreeHouse! performs 150+ shows a year all over the Southeast at festivals, conferences, benefits, house parties, and every kind of venue or event in between with acts like The Wailers, SOJA, The Movement, Ballyhoo, Savi Fernandez Band, Hor!zen, Jah Works, and more. Treehouse! are a truly independent unit in every sense of the word. Last year they incorporated the business aspect of the band called TreeHouse Music, LLC. This parent company acts as their label, management, booking, ect., with Jeremy playing most roles. They put out their first album independently and will release the 2nd under their newly formed business label. This three-piece reggae rock outfit consisting of vocalist-guitarist Jeremy Anderson, bassist Matt Link and drummer Trey Moody, recently shared their views with Rick Jamm in an exclusive interview.

Reggae rock outfit – Treehouse!

1. How long have you been doing what you’re doing and how did you get started in the first place?

Jeremy Anderson: I’ve been involved in this continuous process for 17 years. All the singing, songwriting, and guitar-playing that lead me to the point I am currently at started 7 years ago. A good starting point would be when I was 8 years old. I took piano lessons for four years and gained a grasp on the theory of making music. I picked up trumpet, then bass guitar, then guitar, and I’ve been singing and humming tunes since I can remember. I’ve been in some kind of rock band off and on for over 10 years now, so I’m blessed to have had my younger years to figure out most of the do’s and don’ts of this music business. When I was 18, I picked up guitar more often and wrote some of the first pieces that eventually lead to the project I’m doing now, TreeHouse!

Matt Link: I’ve been playing music since I was 14. I am going on 26 this year so, about 11 or 12 years. I was in a car accident that disallowed me to play sports. While recovering in a neck brace I picked up bass and guitar. Falling in love with music I went from there.

Trey Moody: Been playing drums for 12 years, signed up for it in school.

2. Who were your first musical influences that you can remember?

Jeremy Anderson: As a child, I picked up a lot of Golden Oldies from my parents. I used to have a jukebox piggie bank that played “Runaround Sue”! So, Elvis, The Beatles, and The Monkees were my first influences. My older sister, Kelley, exposed me to the indie rock of Pavement. One of my first CDs was the self-titled Sublime album.

Matt Link: My first musical influences were NOFX, Sublime, Grateful Dead, and any classic rock from the 60’s and 70’s. A big, diverse variety.

Trey Moody: Travis Barker, Joey Jordison, Mike Portnoy

3. How do you handle 150+ shows a year and how, when and where do you get time to rehearse and write new music?

Jeremy Anderson: Performing in TreeHouse! is my full-time job, along with managing, booking, and promoting the band. I handle over 150 shows a year because I know this is what we have to do to get where we are determined to be. I want the world to see that our passion in our work ethic is equal to the passion that we put into our music. With this rigorous schedule, our songwriting process is quite unique. We haven’t had a scheduled rehearsal in months, yet we’ve come out with a powerhouse of up to 10 new songs since our debut album was released. Often, when we have a longer set to fill or a more intimate crowd, I will bring out an idea I have been working on with just enough structure to it, and we basically dub it, jam it, and wing it all together. Somehow, after 3 or 4 times of this process, the song fills itself out with nuances, changes, dynamics, and soul. This makes me feel very reverent for our song-writing process, as I feel that we are like conduits receiving and relaying a message from the energies around and within us, divined through a natural process.

Matt Link: I have two of my best friends in the world to handle it with. It is difficult to find time to practice. Jeremy is a genius when it comes to song writing. A lot of our music was written and practiced on the road. We have a talent of stepping up to the plate and just jammin it out till it feels right.

Trey Moody: This is all I do, it’s easy. We don’t have time to practice, we practice on stage.

4. How do you integrate your professional life with your private life? Do you find time for families, partners and friends?

Jeremy Anderson: My life is a constant juggling act, and I love it for the time being. Right now, there is not much distinction between my private life and my professional life. I spend most of my time performing, and when I’m not doing that, I’m at home at my command station, booking, promoting, outreaching, etc. I have found that there is never an end to this process, there is always more to be done. Right now, most of my time is consumed in what it takes to get this band and this business up and going on its own, so that’s what I’m focused on. This has taken a toll on my leisure time with family and friends, so instead of hanging out with my friends, I have to pester them to come to another one of our shows just to see me! I still make time to visit my family, though I’m sure they’d like to see me more. My older sister, Jenny, is my right hand in this business, so I get to hang out with her often over business meetings. My girlfriend is exceptionally patient and understanding.

Matt Link: That part of it is really difficult. By being yourself in a professional life and private life helps. Having their 100% support helps me and making them so proud helps with the time that can’t be spent. We all try to make priorities and time to make loved ones happy, but we do this for a living. I think that everyone is happy for us and what we do.

Trey Moody: They’re one in the same.

5. What was the first piece of musical equipment you ever bought and what instrument are you using right now?

Jeremy Anderson: I got my own acoustic guitar when I was 17 years old. I upgraded to an acoustic electric Dean when I was about 20, and I started playing solo cover shows in Charleston and Myrtle Beach, SC. My first electric guitar was a homemade Danelectro-style hollow body guitar I bought for 40 bucks at a pawn shop. The guitar I use now is a Schechter semi-hollow body I got off Craig’s List totally by chance, and I love it.

Matt Link: Fender p-bass 4 string, and a Peavy 115 tko amp is what I first bought. Now I’m using an Ernie Ball music man 4 string and a Hartke 410 with a Behringer head.

Trey Moody: My parents bought me my first kit, but I think the first upgrade I bought for it, was my Iron Cobra double pedal. I’m still using that pedal, along with a Tama Star Classic kit which I bought about 3 years after I picked up the drums.

6. Live gigging or studio work, which do you prefer and why?

Jeremy Anderson: I’m a live musician all the way, just out of necessity and from experience. I’ve been on stage much more than I’ve been in a studio. I like to play producer when I am in the studio, but when it comes to guitar and vocal work in the booth, I personally find it hard to re-create the vibe I get on stage with my band jamming behind me and a rowdy crowd in front of me.

Matt Link: Live gigging! There is just something about the magic that happens when you’re with your best friends playing music in front of crowds. There is so much you can do. Playing a normal riff that you have on the album can be enhanced. Trying new things shows your progress in music.

Trey Moody: I prefer live gigs, because I’m more comfortable with that. I would love more experience in the studio though.

7. Which of the TREEHOUSE! songs do you feel is the absolute “crowd pleaser” at your live gigs?

Jeremy Anderson: I would say “Deja Vu” is our staple crowd pleaser. It gets the crowd going, and many people tell us that they get it stuck in their head at some point. Our new song, “Blessings” is becoming a close second!

Matt Link: Everyone has their flavor. A lot of our listeners love “Deja Vu”, “She Don’t Believe Me”, “Irie Smiles”, and “The Almighty”. Which are our more rhythmic songs. And a lot of our listeners like our faster more melodic songs like “It Is What It Is”, “Wildman Rastafari”, “Call To Arms”, and “Timber”. So it’s a mixed bunch that we do.

Trey Moody: All of them!

8. Which of the TREEHOUSE! songs do you consider your personal favorite, and on which one do you think you delivered your best performance so far, from a technical point of view?

Jeremy Anderson: My favorite TreeHouse! song is usually whatever our newest song is, which happens to be “Wildman Rastafari” at the moment. It’s just a fun one to rock out, especially when I start playing trumpet on it! Another new one, “Call to Arms” has a lot of great nuances that sound great when we all lock into the groove.

Matt Link: That’s a tough one. I love each and every one of our songs. I love our new song “Wildman Rastafari”, it’s just a fun moving song. My favorite song form a technical point of view would probably be “Plateau” for its moving bass line and melodic rhythm.

Trey Moody: “It Is What It Is.”

9. Which ingredient do you think is most essential in making TREEHOUSE! music, sound the way it does?

Jeremy Anderson: Positive Mental Attitude. The act of letting things be, and allowing processes to flow naturally.

Matt Link: Being on the same page really helps. We have plenty of meetings together to talk about what we are doing and what we direction want to go. Everything just falls in place when we are together. Teamwork makes the dream work.

Trey Moody: Jeremy.

10. If you were forced to choose only one, which emotion, more than any other drives you day after day to stay in this tough business. Is it joy, anger, desire, passion or pride and why?

Jeremy Anderson: Passion. I was told that my mantra is, “I unify to beautify.” and “I am guided by my power doubled.” I believe this means I live to create and to see the fruits of my labors unfold, and my passion for this aesthetic appreciation is a driving force behind my determination.

Matt Link: Passion. A wise man once told me if you stay passionate about the things you love. Then passion is going to take care of you. All my life I’ve given a 110% at what I love, and it’s always taken me further in life.

Trey Moody: Passion. I love what I do.

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11. What aspect of being an independent artist and the music making process excites you most?

Jeremy Anderson: What excites me most about making music as an independent artist is that we decide all of our interactions and affiliations, so we end up meeting the most unique, original, inspiring, and down-to-earth individuals. We have developed our own network of like-minded, good-vibin’ peoples and it feels so right when we all get together and do our thing as one big family!

Matt Link: The people you meet along the way. We have acquired a lot of friends that have bands on the road and it’s become a family. We’ve met a lot of people who have helped us out along the way. Also, getting to open for great bands like the Wailers, SOJA, Steel Pulse, and The Movement have been a huge boost for us and it’s all been really exciting.

Trey Moody: Everything

12. What aspect of being an independent artist and the music making process discourages you most?

Jeremy Anderson: I guess I would say this never-ending mountain that we love to climb. It’s a fun challenge, but it can tend to get overwhelming when several separate aspects of the business fall on me all at once. I end up having to book a string of shows for the next month, follow-up with correspondence to shows on hold, promote a show for next week, budget the business books, and take care of general maintenance of our online presence and our connection with our fans, etc. all in one night. I get spread a little too thin, but I still agree to take it on.

Matt Link: How hard it is to get into different regions and letting people there, know who we are. I know people will love us, given the opportunity. That’s always difficult but it’s getting easier.

Trey Moody: When you roll up to some new city (or state) and play a whole set to the bartender and their one friend, only to leave with 5 more dollars in your pocket.

13. Tell us about your recording, producing and mastering processes. How much do you handle and which tasks are outsourced.

Jeremy Anderson: We recorded our debut album with Ocean 10 Studios out of Myrtle Beach, SC. I produced this album and Ocean 10 recorded, mixed, and mastered our project. We brought in friends and local musicians to add saxophone, trumpet, keys, percussion, harmonica, and slide guitar. The project took us up to a month, off and on, to finish.

Matt Link: It’s fun! All the ideas, and watching Jeremy at work on the vocals and guitar, Trey laying down the beats, and myself moving the bass line. It’s like building your own castle. Taking our time and really making sure that we are happy with it is what it’s all about.

Trey Moody: I just play the drums. But seriously, I just lay down the drum tracks first, and let the rest of the band do their thing. I’ll usually have more input once all the tracks are down, but I try to focus mainly on my own playing when we record.

14. The best piece of advice in this business you actually followed so far, and one you didn’t, but now know you should have?

Jeremy Anderson: You have to BE professional before you ARE professional. I’m pretty good at taking good advice! This business, and life itself, is a constant learning process. Advice I wish I would have taken more is broaden your musical horizons and practice.

Matt Link: Be passionate and to give it your all. I’ve lived by that all my life. One thing I didn’t realize that I do now is that these guys are my family and if I’m not there it hurts them. So my effort is to be there every time. TreeHouse! needs me.

Trey Moody: I have no idea.

15. This time in your career, as independent artists, which is the one factor you desire most (increased music distribution, better quality production, more media exposure etc…)?

Jeremy Anderson: We need better quality production of our newer songs, and we need quality music videos. Our debut album is good, but in our opinion, it doesn’t represent us as accurately anymore. We have developed our performance abilities and our songwriting extensively since that album, and we would love to get that out to our anxious fans because that’s what we’re all about now, our new jams! We are continually developing our brand and building an online presence. Right now, we’re working on throwing our own 2-day music festival in Charleston, SC, booking our Florida/Virgin Islands tour in October and November, coordinating a winter tour with fellow bands Of Good Nature & Sun-Dried Vibes, recording our new album for release next Spring, and recording a music video or two in the meantime. All this coming from our own funds is definitely a challenge.

Matt Link: One factor I desire most is the exposure. Because more exposure equals more fans. If we get those we won’t have to worry about how much it is for production or distribution.

Trey Moody: I want to release a quality, full length album. I feel that the music speaks for itself; that’s really all it comes down to is whether or not people want to listen to you (again and again)

16. Which is your favorite distribution platform ( Tunecore, Audiolife, CD Baby, Bandcamp, Your own Website, etc…) and why?

Jeremy Anderson: iTunes has just been our default distributor. I still owe the others a solid review.

Matt Link: I love our website! Treehousetheband.com has helped us with music mp3. Reverbnation has helped us with letting people know where we are going to be next.

Trey Moody: We’ve been fond of ReverbNation. They allow us a great central hub for just about all of our needs as a band. Our website (as well as other online profiles) is setup to pull our music from ReverbNation, allowing us one place to update various spots across the web at once.

17. How do you handle criticism and who has been your worst critic up until now, if any?

Jeremy Anderson: I handle criticism well. I know you can’t please everyone, but I fully realize that there’s an unfathomable amount of people in the world. Not everyone is gonna get down on your same vibe, BUT there is a whole world in itself of people who dig what ya do. It just takes searching them. I love bringing a group of good-vibin’ people together!

Matt Link: I handle criticism very well. If there’s any advice about how or what I should do to make it better, I’ll take it.

Trey Moody: I’m all for positive and critical criticism, but as far as our worst critic, I wouldn’t know. I don’t have the time to worry about people like that.

18. Is going platinum or winning a Grammy important you? Where would you like to see your career within 5 years?

Jeremy Anderson: Neither of those is the most important thing to me, because they don’t necessarily represent our people, and those things wouldn’t be an accurate measure of our success. The fact that none of my favorite bands have won Grammy’s means that those judges have a different taste in music and a different idea of both what music is supposed to be and what music is supposed to do. I honestly have no bearing of who has won Grammys or went platinum. I just know which bands play the biggest festivals, travel worldwide, create their own network of fans, friends, family, and associates, etc. In 5 years, I would like to see my career fully expanded into: worldwide musician, studio musician, booking agent, festival promoter, event coordinator, band manager, collaborator, and more. I would like to be performing with my favorite bands. I would like to be performing at Bonnaroo, SXSW, All Good, Wakarusa, Coachella, Hangout, and every other festival. I would like to have sold out shows, and live webcasts, and songs of the week, and several albums and videos for our fans.

Matt Link: All that would be cool I guess. In 5 years I see TreeHouse! across the world bringing smiles and irie vibes to people who need it.

Trey Moody: Obviously succeeding is the ultimate goal, but really all I want is some roadies and maybe a drum tech.

19. What do you think is the biggest barrier you have to face and overcome as an indie artist, in your quest to achieve your goals?

Jeremy Anderson: Funding. I believe we have our whole business model set in place and ready to roll. We just don’t yet have the funds to grease all the wheels of this machine at one time. We want to expand our merchandise, record our next album, distribute it on every format, finalize our business aspects, shoot our music videos, build our brand, expand our marketing and publishing, and more. The real challenge is trying to juggle all of these tasks while also trying to juggle ways to fund these tasks and keep us all afloat at the same time.

Matt Link: Not letting the petty things bother us. There is a lot of people in this world who try to bring you down. If they don’t like us then we move on to the next town. Regions can be very tough to hit if it’s not your own. I feel that we are taking the right direction about handling this and not giving up is what we are all about.

Trey Moody: Having no money, and being hungry a lot.

20. If you were not a musician, what would you be doing today?

Jeremy Anderson: I have a degree in Philosophy, so I would probably either be a philosophy teacher or I would be a band manager.

Matt Link: I have no idea just like the rest of America. I have no clue what I would do if I couldn’t make music with my best friends. I’m truly blessed!

Trey Moody: Either some sort of art (paint, drawing, animation, etc) or possibly some sort of architecture.