Band to Watch: Treetop Flyers

The (mostly British) quintet offers a stirring take on American folk-rock

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Loose Music

From: London

Members: Reid Morrison (vocals/guitars), Sam Beer (guitar/vocals), Laurie Sherman (guitar), Mathew Starritt (bass/vocals) and  Tomer Danan, the band’s lone Yank (drums/vocals)

Their Sound: A Brit take on American rock-folk. Think: the homey warmth of CSNY, without the sometimes overly-stylized affectations of Mumford and Sons.

3-Minute Bio: It was a happy accident that the members of Treetop Flyers decided to fiddle around together one day in an empty practice room—none of them expected anything to come of it. But in little time it became clear that there was more chemistry than any had anticipated. It was their vintage sound that drew them stateside, and with this in mind, the band moved from London to California.

The band released its second single in 2011—and was invited to play several shows at the famed Glastonbury Music Festival in Somerset, England. In the past few years they’ve appeared on stages at SXSW and the newer Hop Farm festival.

This past April, the band released their first album, The Mountain Moves—an effort packed with sounds reminiscent of The Band’s Music from Big Pink. It should be said that the Flyers are hardly slaves to their myriad influences:  their track “Postcards” features the subtle guitarwork found on the second half of the Beatles’ White Album, many other songs are tied together by (difficult to pull off) four-part harmonies.

Some of their music is emotionally charged;  “Waiting On You” is about the recent death of Reid’s father. Lest anyone think their music is merely a retrograde revival, the Flyers work together to write every song, and don’t sign off until they’ve really made it their own and have imparted part of who they are onto the track.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8ga4xPo1ok]

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