The Tree Streets: on the outside looking in
By Josh Kolm
Lance Writer
February 4, 2009
 Coming from Sarnia to Windsor, a place where bands are quick to praise the virtues of its music scene, The Tree Streets can’t help but note how often they feel like they’re on the outside looking in.
“Sometimes we feel like, because we’re not from Windsor, we’re not part of the music ‘clique’ that we see in the city,” said lead singer and bass player Dave Russell. “Sometimes we’re the outsiders.”
That statement is hard to compute for those of us from the city who are used to musicians being excessively supportive of each other. Perhaps it can, at times, lead to an impenetrable group dynamic. What The Tree Streets prove is that success comes when you are honest about what is important to your music finding its place.
“We have found the bands in the city with sounds that complement ours,” said guitarist Brenden “Frase” Fraser. “There is certainly support for live, independent music in Windsor. We’re fortunate to have venues that are totally outfitted for bands like us to play.”
For Russell, Fraser, and drummer Colin Jolly, 2008 was a year filled with opportunities. They played bigger shows, put away memorable festival performances, and gained recognition from radio across the province. The tail end of last year was spent recording and putting the finishing touches on their full-length debut, Right to Stand.
Fraser noted how they took the natural route to recording. “The process was most enjoyable. We had the opportunity to do all the base tracks live off the floor [instead of multi-tracked], and that was really important to me. I think you get a much truer cohesion of the band.”
Many bands, when having their first opportunity at a full-length release, opt to include material from more limited releases. Whether that is from laziness or simple sentimentality, it doesn’t apply to The Tree Streets.
“I don’t think we were reluctant to leave [any older songs] off the new disc,” said Fraser. “We didn’t think they would add any substance to it. We felt like the disc had plenty of substance as it was.”
Not that they’ve abandoned their old numbers for good. “We still incorporate them into our live sets,” said Jolly. “They fit in nicely as part of what we have when we play.”
Added Fraser, “The way they were recorded, they just would have felt tacked on if we made them part of the album. We didn’t think that they would gel.”
The band finished the two and a half month recording process in mid-October and have had the discs ready for some time now, but have been waiting to pull the trigger on its release.
“We’ve been trying to get some buzz out there about it,” said Jolly. The band has put planning for future performances on hold for the time being, trying to make the release show as impressive as it can be, although they continue to look ahead.
“A decent sized tour would be really nice,” Russell revealed in terms of goals, although it is not much of a surprise coming from a newly career-driven band. “We’re going to be doing a few festivals in the summer. Hopefully we can get some more exposure playing with some bigger acts. And, eventually, record another CD.”
“We’re working toward the point where hopefully we can sustain ourselves solely through our music,” Russell continued.
The release party for Right to Stand takes place on Saturday, Feb. 7 at The Chubby Pickle, featuring support from Time, Hello Bella and Kid Skeleton. Doors open at 9 p.m., $5 cover, 19-plus only.
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