INTERVIEW WITH THE WHISPERING TREE

HELLO, PLEASE TRY TO DESCRIBE TO DESCRIBE THE MUSIC OF THE WHISPERING TREE….

Hi! That’s a really hard question. We strive for honesty in our song writing, playing and production. We want people to be touched in some way when they listen. Our sound definitely has its roots in folk but there are many influences that make it somehow unique.

WITH ALL RESPECT, YOU ARE FROM NEW YORK, BUT IF I LOOK ON THE SLEEVE AND HEAR YOUR MUSIC I’D RATHER ASSOCIATE YOUR MUSIC IN A FIELD FULL OF NATURE….

Yes! When I think of cities I think of concrete and money and ego... and when I think of a field full of nature I think of peace, so thank you!


ABOUT NEW YORK, IT’S THE MOST HIP TOWN IN THE WORLD BUT I GUESS IT’S QUITE IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE TREES IN THE WOOD THERE…

Yes, unfortunately there are no woods. But living here has definitely given birth to a lot of our songs. “The Tallest” was written from the point of view of a tree living in the city. Living so separate from what people refer to as ‘nature’ has definitely created a longing for it which shows up in the music. Also, living in this human-centered corner of nature, which is no less natural, has also inspired us.
As far as New York being the metaphorical forest and bands being the trees, it’s challenging to gain a foothold and get people to listen with such a plethora of artists.


IF I HEAR YOUR MUSIC I HEAR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE FAR AWAY FROM THIS WORLD….

Far away from certain aspects of this world, definitely!

DO YOU THINK IT’S A HEALTHY THING IF PEOPLE USE MUSIC AS ESCAPISM?

Good music provides escape from the mundane, day to day routine but I wouldn’t call it escapism because I think it actually brings you closer to the truth of things. In that way it’s probably the healthiest thing to do. Good music can help you escape from your ego and remember that we are all connected, all experiencing this world together, all emotional beings.

YOU’RE A DUO, AND YOU MET EACH OTHER IN LONDON…
TELL US ABOUT THAT STORY…

Elie is from France and I’m from NY. We met at The London Centre of Contemporary Music. It’s a really small, unusual school and we were in the same performance group and all of the same classes. I was looking for someone to cook for me and maybe play some music... It was only a matter of time before we started working together!

I READ ON THE NET YOU EVEN PLAYED IN CHINA!!!!

We were rowing gondolas along artificial canals in a fake Venice constructed inside a huge casino in Macau, pretending to be Italian and serenading people with cheesy Italian songs...playing our material during our time off.


COME ON, EVERYBODY HAS A WEIRD STORY TO TELL ABOUT CHINA, SO TELL ME YOURS…

If that’s not weird enough... Skewered rats at street vending stalls? Dogs in sacks at the meat market? Living and working with musical theatre people (the Drama!)? I don’t even know where to start...

IF YOU COMPOSE YOUR MUSIc, WHAT IS IT THAT INSPIRES YOU?
I MEAN THAT ALSO MUSICAL WISE…..

Beautiful places, great performers like Jacques Brel, good books, Leonard Cohen, folk art, travelling, strong emotions. Musically, anything that has an honest ring to it.

IN ALL HONESTY, I INTERVIEWED TONS OF SMALL BANDS AND NONE OF THEM (WELL MOST OF THEM DON’T) SEEM TO BE INFLUENCED BY OTHERS…AND I NEVER BELIEVE THEM.
WHAT’S YOUR STORY?

ELEANOR: My biggest influences have probably been The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Simon and Garfunkel, Radiohead. Lately I’ve been listening to Iron and Wine, Antony and the Johnsons, Laura Love.

ELIE: This a tough question. I’ve listened and still listen to pretty much everything from death-metal and prog-rock to straight ahead jazz and classical music... I guess if I had to give you some names I’d say Frank Zappa, Nine Inch Nails, John Scofield, Radiohead...

WHAT DOES MUSIC MEAN TO YOU?

It means there is magic and mystery in the universe.

I ASK THIS TO EVERYBODY….WHAT’S YOUR FAVE RECORD OF ALL TIME….

ELEANOR: This is an impossible question; I haven’t been able to answer that question since I was 14 or 15 and I only had a few albums to choose from. So I will just say that one of the most significant albums for me was “The Wall.” It’s one of the first albums I heard that intensely altered my reality. The first time I really listened to that album I became convinced that I had written it, because how else could someone so specifically communicate what it felt like to be me? That’s what great music does, it blurs the lines that separate us. To this day I couldn’t tell you what the intended concept behind that album is, because what I experienced from it had nothing to do with anything you could compress into language or concepts.

ELIE: As I mentioned, my influences are very diverse, and so are my favourites! Let me just give you a few... Abra Moore “Sing” – NIN “The Downward Spiral” – Marillion “Season’s End”

THE LAST WORDS ARE YOURS……..

ELEANOR : Thanks for listening!
ELIE: Boycott BP!

THANKS FOR DOING THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DIDIER