For seven people, there’s now one sound. Led by the fearless Gabriel Rodreick on vocals, Treading North is an amalgamation of experiences, genres, and sounds, with contributors including Nick Meza (drums and percussion), Miles Jamison (guitar), Doug Loll (guitar), Jack Stanek (bass and backing vocals), Elena Hansen (keys and backing vocals), and Tyler Croat (saxophone). Each member has made possible their recent EP, Canopy, and a freshly realized cohesion that can only lead to better things.
Echoing the feelings of his fellow bandmates, drummer Meza points out that, “Since there are seven of us, we want to make sure that each member has an impactful presence.” This collaborative effort from the start has paid off not only in creative end-product, but in the social scheme of things. Truly knowing the people in one’s band is difficult enough with say, a four person lineup. When it balloons to seven, it takes as much effort to get to know who you’re playing with as it does to fit on a stage. Although most of them have known each other through family or friends for years, for this release, Treading North worked on stronger musical and social bonds. So while Rodreick may be the original brains behind the operation, he admits that “…we’re learning how to work with each other and what each of us needs so we can be successful in what we’re trying to accomplish.”
And an accomplishment it is. Recorded at The Terrarium in Northeast Minneapolis, Rob Oesterlin guided Treading North through a smooth process of capturing the best of these seven on tape. Or mp3, rather. This Canopy EP is more lighthearted than previous endeavors, embodying a feeling of height above the stories which the tunes address. Opening with “Long Legs,” Canopy spends a good deal of time out of the gate focused on women who both confound and entrance the singer. The “girl of my bad dreams” however, inspired a jazzy and soulful song, with playful guitar, and a tempting dance beat. The riff shared between guitar and saxophone towards the end is seductive and catchy, and makes quite a complimentary pair to the melody.
“Julia” comes out with no regrets, admitting, “you make me sick.” A sense of longing, mixed with a dark side, explores a smoother form of jazz that echoes like the desire in the refrain. The dense instrumentals make for a lush sense of sound, but not a crowded one. This and the former tune dive into blues, some funk, and a mix of notes that shrug off labeled descriptions. But for the next track, “Minor Threat,” Treading North moves immediately into an indie rock-centric sound, with a brighter, sunny set of riffs and a more carefree attitude. The synths come out to play and the whole thing feels very spot on with what indie rock is doing these days. “Tree Stump” ends the release on a chiller note, consistent in three and with a hint of alternative rock. There’s no filler on this EP, but four tracks of purposeful partnership and innovative sounds.
Curiosity led me to ask how such a thing came about with Treading North. Meza elaborated on the subject: “The EP was born out of a desire to write more collaboratively… With Canopy, one person would introduce a riff or an instrumental loop and it would be the jumping point towards a serious attempt to write music together, each of us fine tuning our own parts to try and best suit the song. Everyone had input on song structures and dynamics. It is the way of working we find to be the most fun and successful. There’s a tangible sense of excitement when songs start as small musical ideas that expand when each individual piece begins to magically fall into place… The best part about creating Canopy was discovering that we were starting to fall into ‘our’ sound.”
Minneapolis has been a strong influence on Treading North, not only for finding its members, but for sharing in the excitement of the scene. “We are influenced a lot by other local Minneapolis bands not necessarily by sound,” Hansen explained, “but just by the pure energy and drive of other groups.” And this week, Treading North embarks on a six-show tour with fellow locals Pseudoubt, ending in Chicago.
With such a definitive time for their present – a cohesive lineup, their best release yet, and a tour – what is Treading North thinking next? Rodreick admits “…we’re just trying to make music that we like and hope upon hope that others will like it as much as we do.” Hansen, however, is already looking forward to the future, as she states: “Canopy is only the beginning.”
https://treadingnorth.bandcamp.com/
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