Lost In The Trees’ New Album, Past Life, Out Now

The new album by Lost In The Trees has arrived in stores. The record is called Past Life and finds the group embracing a sparser, modern more rhythmic sound to overwhelming critical praise.

The group has gone from an orchestral six piece to a lean four-piece. It is also the first time they have worked with an outside producer in Nicolas Vernhes (Deerhunter, Dirty Projectors, Animal Collective.)

In conjunction with the album’s release, Spin.com is premiering a performance Lost In The Trees did recently at the MOOG factory sound lab in Asheville, NC. The group rearranged the title track Past Life on the spot to be improvised on three Moog synthesisers and electronic drums.

Lost In The Trees are currently touring North America in support of Past Life.

You can catch Lost In The Trees live on the following dates:
19 Feb New York, NY – The Bowery Ballroom *
21 Feb Boston, MA – Museum of Fine Arts *
22 Feb Montreal, QC – Il Motore *
23 Feb Toronto, ON – The Garrison *
25 Feb Pittsburgh, PA – Club Cafe *
26 Feb Charlottesville, VA – The Southern *
27 Feb Charlotte, NC – Snug Harbor *
28 Feb Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle *
12-16 March Austin, TX – SXSW
18 March San Diego, CA – Casbah #
20 March Los Angeles, CA – The Echo #
21 March Visalia, CA – Cellar Door #
22 March San Francisco, CA – The Chapel #
25 March Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge #
26 March Seattle, WA – Crocodile #
27 March Vancouver, BC – Media Club #
29 March Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
30 March Denver, CO – Hi-Dive
15 April Asheville, NC – The Mothlight
16 April  Nashville, TN – High Watt
18 April  Chicago, IL – Schubas
21 April  Madison, WI – Frequency
22 April  Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
23 April  Omaha, NE – Slowdown *
24 April  St. Louis, MO – Old Rock House
25 April  Hot Springs, AR – Low Key Arts
26 April  Dallas, TX – Three Links
27 April  Austin, TX – Holy Mountain
29 April  Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s
30 April  New Orleans, LA – Gasa Gasa
1 May Atlanta, GA – The Earl
2 May Winston-Salem, NC – Krankies

* with All Tiny Creatures
# with Icy Demons

NPR First Listen Series Premiere Lost In The Trees New Album, Past Life

NPR’s First Listen Series is premiering the new album by the band Lost In The Trees entitled Past Life. The record arrives in stores this February 18. It is the anticipated follow up to the Chapel Hill group’s critically acclaimed record, A Church That Fits Our Needs.

You can listen to Lost In The Trees new album here.

On the record Lost In The Trees have gone from an orchestral six piece to a lean four-piece. The arrangements are more modern and minimalist with a new-found emphasis on rhythm. It is also the first time the group has worked with an outside producer in Nicolas Vernhes (Deerhunter, Dirty Projectors, Animal Collective.)

Lost In The Trees will be touring North America in support of Past Life beginning this February.

You can catch Lost In The Trees live on the following dates:
Feb 17    Washington DC – Rock And Roll Hotel *
Feb 18    Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s *
Feb 19    New York, NY – The Bowery Ballroom *
Feb 21     Boston, MA – Museum of Fine Arts *
Feb 22     Montreal, QC – Il Motore *
Feb 23     Toronto, ON – The Garrison *
Feb 25     Pittsburgh, PA – Club Cafe *
Feb 26     Charlottesville, VA – The Southern *
Feb 27     Charlotte, NC – Snug Harbor *
Feb 28     Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle *
March 12-16 Austin, TX – SXSW
March 18     San Diego, CA – Casbah #
March 20     Los Angeles, CA – The Echo #
March 21     Visalia, CA – Cellar Door #
March 22     San Francisco, CA – The Chapel #
March 25     Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge #
March 26     Seattle, WA – Crocodile #
March 27      Vancouver, BC – Media Club #
March 29     Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
March 30     Denver, CO – Hi-Dive
April 15     Asheville, NC – The Mothlight
April 16     Nashville, TN – High Watt
April 18     Chicago, IL – Schubas
April 21     Madison, WI – Frequency
April 22     Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
April 23     Omaha, NE – Slowdown *
April 24     St. Louis, MO – Old Rock House
April 25      Hot Springs, AR – Low Key Arts
April 26      Dallas, TX – Three Links
April 27     Austin, TX – Holy Mountain
April 29     Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s
April 30     New Orleans, LA – Gasa Gasa
May 1       Atlanta, GA – The Earl
May 2 Winston-Salem, NC – Krankies

* with All Tiny Creatures
# with Icy Demons

Lost In The Trees Premiere Video For Album Title Track, Past Life

SPIN.com has premiered a new video from the acclaimed Chapel Hill group Lost In The Trees this week. The video is for the title track off the band’s forthcoming album Past Life which arrives in stores on February 18.

The beautiful and unsettling clip features ghostly angels, a mysterious hooded man and a burning truck all set amidst a stark night-time dreamscape. It was directed by Dan Huiting and Andre Durand who have previously worked with Bon Iver, Destroyer, Local Natives, Liars and others.

On the album Past Life, Lost In The Trees have distilled from an orchestral six piece to a lean four-piece. The arrangements are more modern and minimalist with a new found emphasis on groove and rhythm. It is the first time the band has worked with an outside producer. Nicolas Vernhes (Deerhunter, Dirty Projectors, Animal Collective) was enlisted to help refine an intriguing new aesthetic that features a framework of soul-inflected guitar lines, throbbing groove and singer-songwriter Ari Picker’s soaring vocal hooks.

You can catch Lost In The Trees live on the following dates:
17 Feb Washington DC – Rock and Roll Hotel *
18 Feb Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brendas *
19 Feb New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom *
21 Feb Boston, MA – Museum of Fine Arts *
22 Feb Montreal, QC – Il Motore *
23 Feb Toronto, ON – The Garrison *
25 Feb Pittsburgh, PA – Club Cafe *
26 Feb Charlottesville, VA – The Southern *
27 Feb Charlotte, NC – Snug Harbor *
28 Feb Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle *
18 March San Diego, CA – Casbah
20 March Los Angeles, CA – The Echo
21 March Visalia, CA – The Cellar Door
22 March San Francisco, CA – The Chapel
25 March Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge
26 March Seattle, WA – Crocodile
27 March Vancouver, BC – Media Club
39 Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
30 March Denver, CO – Hi Dive

* with All Tiny Creatures

Lost In The Trees Announce 2014 Tour Dates

Widely acclaimed Chapel Hill band Lost In The Trees have just announced a series of North American live dates in the following months. The band will be playing in support of their new album Past Life which arrives in stores on February 18 2014. The record is the anticipated follow up to the band’s critically heralded album A Church That Fits Our Needs which Esquire called, “…a luxuriantly orchestrated remembrance that ping-pongs between introspection and celebration…” and the Los Angeles Times proclaimed “…stunningly gorgeous.”

When Lost In The Trees set out to record Past Life, they knew they needed a break from the past. On previous releases the band’s singer-songwriter Ari Picker utilised an expanded six-member band to render his classical-inflected songs. For the new album, the band was pared to a lean electronic-rock four-piece. The sound of Past Life evidences more than a band pared down; the arrangements are modern, spare, minimal, emphasising groove and rhythm.

For their latest, the band has also elected to work with an outside producer for the first time. Nicolas Vernhes (Deerhunter, Dirty Projectors, Atlas Sound) helped to refine the band’s new minimal aesthetic. The question while making Past Life became, “How much can we strip away?” With an approach that forefronts beats and bass-lines, Vernhes and the band lifted away the orchestral density of previous albums – leaving a more direct framework of soul-inflected guitar lines, throbbing groove and Picker’s soaring vocal hooks. There is a pop quality, buried but always present in previous efforts, that shines on Past Life; not pop in any trivial, retro sense but the yearning lilt of a Harry Nilsson or Mark Hollis, that floating melodicism that Relix found so “…achingly beautiful.”

You can catch Lost In The Trees live on the following dates:
13 Dec Asheville, NC – The Mothlight
17 Feb Washington DC – Rock and Roll Hotel *
18 Feb Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brendas *
19 Feb New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom *
21 Feb Boston, MA – Museum of Fine Arts *
22 Feb Montreal, QC – Il Motore *
23 Feb Toronto, ON – The Garrison *
25 Feb Pittsburgh, PA – Club Cafe *
26 Feb Charlottesville, VA – The Southern *
27 Feb Charlotte, NC – Snug Harbor *
28 Feb Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle *
18 March San Diego, CA – Casbah
20 March Los Angeles, CA – The Echo
21 March Visalia, CA – The Cellar Door
22 March San Francisco, CA – The Chapel
25 March Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge
26 March Seattle, WA – Crocodile
27 March Vancouver, BC – Media Club
29 March Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
30 March Denver, CO – Hi Dive

* with All Tiny Creatures

Lost In The Trees Announce New Album

Lost In The Trees will release their new album Past Life on February 18 2014. It is the follow up to the group’s widely praised record A Church That Fits Our Needs which was hailed by the Wall Street Journal as, “…the best album of 2012.” The stunning first track from Past Life, Rites is premièring today via Rollingstone.com

When Lost In The Trees set out to record Past Life, their third album for ANTI-, they knew they needed a break with the past.  Front man Ari Picker looked to move beyond the themes of loss that fuelled their previous two albums. He said: “I wanted to reach out and grab the music rather than have it come from some internal place.”

On past releases Picker had used an expanded six-member band to render his carefully composed, classical-inflected songs, bringing them fully arranged to the studio for the band to perform.  For the new album, the band was pared to a lean electronic-rock four-piece and in this new configuration Lost In the Trees took to the road to workshop the songs that would become Past Life. Immediately, the new tracks evidence more than a band pared down; the arrangements are modern, spare, minimal – emphasising groove and rhythm.

The band has also elected to work with an outside producer for the first time. Nicolas Vernhes (Deerhunter, Dirty Projectors, Atlas Sound) endorsed and refined the band’s new minimal aesthetic. The question in the studio became, “How much can we strip away?” With an approach that forefronts beats and bass-lines, Vernhes and the band lifted away the orchestral density of previous albums – leaving a more direct framework of soul-inflected guitar lines, throbbing groove and Picker’s soaring vocal hooks.

Fans that came to the band lured by the lush classicism of earlier albums All Alone In An Empty House and A Church That Fits Our Needs will not be disappointed with Past Life. After all, the band are known for their unique orchestral sound and Church That Fits Our Needs, with its intense narrative of loss, drew lavish praise from all quarters, both as an “exquisite exercise in the seduction of melancholy” (Iowa Press-Citizen) and “a stirring blend of modest rusticity and urbane ambition” (New York Times).  The haunting lyricism of Picker’s voice and melodies has not diminished in the new sparse approach but instead rises to the fore, bringing out that timeless quality of the melodies that is the common ground of folk and pop music. This pop quality, buried but always present in previous efforts, shines on Past Life; not pop in any trivial, retro sense but the yearning lilt of a Harry Nilsson or Mark Hollis, that floating melodicism that Relix found so “achingly beautiful.”

Past Life will be released on February 18 2014.