Search - Schooltree :: Rise

Boston-based band Schooltree is a theater of music, from heaven-storming baroque rock to cult adventure-pop. Melodic hooks, harmonic invention, and gritty operatic odyssey characterize their sound, encompassing dark lullabies of the doomed to shredding anthems of the righteous and everything in between. Their music evokes distant flavors of 70's progressive rock, melodic pop, and classical eras. A few points of reference include Kate Bush, early Genesis, and Queen. Rise conjures elements of rock-opera in a highly crafted, dark pilgrimage into the concept of revolution and rebirth. A song cycle of sorts, the tracks of this album function more like suites, with piano-driven, guitar-laden rock arrangements that explore both gritty, melodic riffs and ambient textural detail. The album offers a modern spin on classic 70 s era Album-Oriented Rock, with big, multi-tracked guitars and acrobatic vocal harmonies, compelling lyrical content, subtle humor, and majestic gravitas. At the helm of this project is composer / vaudevillian / audio producer Lainey Schooltree (The Steamy Bohemians, Jerkus Circus, Bent Wit Cabaret), whose emotional intensity, quirky wit, and sophisticated musicality combine creating a larger-than-life master of dynamic shift on stage, capable of delivering animated and passionate performances. Citing influences from Queen to Grizzly Bear, her writing is suffused with unpredictable changes and an unorthodox tonality; listeners often find a Schooltree song immediately recognizable as such. Lainey has performed to sold out crowds in Boston, New York, and Providence, and received press in The Boston Globe, The Herald, The Weekly Dig, The Boston Metro, The Boston Phoenix, The Noise Boston, Northeast Performer Magazine, Comedian Magazine (NYC), Somerville Times, Worcester Magazine, The Worcester Telegram and Gazette, Black Canvas, and others. Produced and mixed by Lainey, who s been lauded for her audio work with other Boston artists such as Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys and Lauren Flaherty, Rise s sonic textures are crafted as carefully as the songs were composed. With delicate spectral balance and rich, analog textures, the music has an "organic-electric" feel, evoking vintage recordings while still being informed by contemporary influence. The album is intended as a continuous listen, with a flow from song to song that spins an atmosphere of odyssey across diverse landscapes, juxtaposing both concept and sound. The album also features the extraordinary talents of Jordan Ross (drums), Brendan Burns (guitar), and Derek Van Wormer (bass).