Today we’d like to introduce you to Trees Marie.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Trees. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
It all started many moons ago while sitting cross-legged on my bedroom floor; pen, paper, and Fender Strat in hand. I have been a singer and story-teller as far back as I can remember, but I never thought of myself as an artist until I began writing songs.
I was thirteen years old. My mother had grounded me that summer — for what, I can’t remember — and the only thing I was allowed to have other than school work was my guitar that my dad had given me the prior Christmas. I didn’t really know how to play guitar, but somehow, I wrote six songs in one week. On the final day of my grounding, my mother took me to a little studio somewhere in Dallas and paid $100 to record my demo. That was the first time I heard my voice on a recording. I made dozens of CD copies, shared them with all my friends at school the next week, and that was it. I was hooked. I didn’t know it yet, but that was the birth of Trees Marie.
Behind the scenes was an awkward girl who was desperately searching for hope and validation. My craving to perform came from my desire for my own defined personal identity. My need for songwriting came from my need to heal. Music has always been cathartic to me. As I recall my mother, it’s important to tell you; she was a single mom for most of my life. As the youngest child of three, my parents separated before my eighth birthday. The early days of my youth were seemingly picture-perfect on the outside, but reality was not so flawless.
My mother always encouraged me to find my voice; I suppose I took that very literally. I continued to write songs, which slowly got better with practice, and eventually set out to begin performing. I created an email address, began writing to venues, and started paving my way in the local music scene. My first official performance was at The Prophet Bar in Deep Ellum when I was 14 years old.
When I finished High School, I wanted desperately to chase my dream as a musician — but with my mother’s counsel, I decided to opt for the University of North Texas’ music program. After my graduation in 2013, I headed straight for Austin, Texas where I spent the next three years discovering largely what the music business — and “making it” on your own — is made of. Spoiler alert: it’s not easy.
After a bad break-up in 2016, I moved back to Dallas and immediately started my band, Trees Marie and the Heavy Hearts, with my incredibly talented bandmates James Jones (drums), Wes Jett (bass), and Josh Vaughn (guitar). Unlike in Austin, where you can’t throw a rock without hitting an aspiring musician, I know my band today is in it strictly because they love it. Every night, we play like someone told us we’ll never get to play again. It’s by far the best musical thing I’ve ever been a part of.
So here I am today. Sometimes life is confusing, and sometimes, life is hard. One thing for sure: it never stays according to plan. We’re all dancing in slow motion to the rising moon. The faces and phases of my life have changed over the years, but my love for music has always remained the same. Even now, as a grown woman, I write while sitting cross-legged on my bedroom floor; pen, paper, and guitar in hand. Perhaps, if I’m lucky, I always will.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I started off on a smooth road, took a wrong turn, got a flat tire, and now I’m driving in the middle of nowhere. Artists have a reputation of being somewhat conflicted, and I guess in this case, that rings true.
Life isn’t a bowl of peaches, but the truth is, my struggles are all my own doing. For years, I picked a fight with the bottle. Being a musician, living in bars for many nights of my life, my romance with alcohol came on fast and lingered for a long time. I thought, “No good song was written sober” and “all rock stars have to suffer for their craft.” It wasn’t until September 2018 after a series of unfortunate events that I alone caused, that I finally admitted to myself that I had a problem and decided to face the issue head-on.
Getting sober was was possibly the most courageous thing I’ve ever done. It meant finally facing my own bullshit. The drinking went away, but the reasons why I ever wanted to drink are more apparent than ever. Like most of us, I struggle with self-doubt, self-confidence, fear, anxiety — but today I face these things head-on, without any numbing mechanism other than positive influences, self-love, my support group, and of course, songwriting.
There are so many blessings that come with sobriety that no one really prepares you for; the best of all being relationships. My relationship with myself, my loved ones, and my audience. Today, I face life without wearing a veil. What you see is what you get. I feel more fearless and prepared to thrive than ever, and I’m unbelievably grateful for this gift every day.
Trees Marie and the Heavy Hearts – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am a singer-songwriter from Dallas, Texas, and front-woman of local Rock-Country-Americana band, Trees Marie and the Heavy Hearts. You can often find us playing Led Zeppelin and Fleetwood Mac, but we’re better known for our original music — each song with its own story drenched in soul, powerful vocal melodies, and killer guitar work.
As for our musical genre, I grew up listening to strong female Rock ‘n Roll musicians like Heart, Pat Benatar, Fleetwood Mac, Joni Mitchell, and Cyndi Lauper. My interest in Folk, followed by Country, grew after I began teaching myself to play guitar as a child. When I moved to Austin in 2013, I had my sights set strictly on writing, listening to, and supporting all things Country music. But when I moved back to Dallas in 2016, I almost immediately switched back to my Rock roots. I think our environments and cultures have a lot to do with the art and music we create. For me, Dallas has always been synonymous with Rock/Blues. I love Country, Folk, Bluegrass, and will probably always write tunes inspired by these music traditions, but it feels good to be back home in Dallas and to be getting back to my roots.
Lately, Trees Marie and the Heavy Hearts seems to be best known for our energy. We always try our best to deliver highly dynamic performances — leaving the stage with nothing left to give and our audiences with nothing left to wish for. We perform most often at Adair’s Saloon, The Foundry, Twilite Lounge, Armoury D.E., The Rustic, and other great local Dallas venues. We have two original full-length albums available for streaming/download on all streaming platforms, and we’re looking forward to releasing more original music soon.
As for what I am most proud of: representing a woman’s narrative in music, business, and the community. From my song lyrics to how I handle business, my mission is to show that women can and women will. I care deeply about equality and see it as a responsibility to further a message of love and compassion for all people.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is measured by the number of followers you have, duh!
I speak on behalf of musicians when I tell you: we are our own worst critics. With all of today’s televised singing contests, more than ever, everyone has advice to give you about what you need to do to make it as a star. But all of that isn’t any good. There isn’t a formula to follow; if there were, we would all be American Idols. Success is up to every individual to define, and there’s really no incorrect answer when you define your goals.
To me, success as a musician is when someone tells me that my song, or my performance, meant something to them. Success is when someone says, “If it weren’t for your song, I probably wouldn’t have made it through losing my mom last year.” Success is when a little girl asks you to autograph her guitar. Success is when a recently divorced single mother tells you that your show made her feel empowered. Success is when you have cultivated the meaning of music well enough that someone else gets it — and music helps them, the way music has always helped you.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.treesmarie.bandcamp.com
- Email: treesmariemusic@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treesmarieheavyhearts/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/treesmariemusic/
Image Credit:
Oh Jee Nam (Rhombi Survivor), Alexandra Elizabeth Thomas (AETP Concert Photographer), Joshua Vaughn, Tony Casillas, Zac Castillo.
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