For eight years, Tree by Leaf has been building a castle on a three-legged stool. The world is crowded with singer songwriters and enthusiastic ensembles with various gifts - a pretty voice, or virtuosic musicianship, a good hook, insightful lyrics, or a melodic talent. Rare is the group with all of these. Tree by Leaf takes them into something near to alchemy and brings forth music like a bell, heard long before, half remembered.

Tree by Leaf has always been a band with a voice. Their discography is the sound of growing up, from the tentative and haunting Evening Treatises (2000) to the Americana adventure of Works of Mercy (2001) to the contemplative Postcard from Rome (2003) through the dark and dangerous night Of the Black and the Blue (2005) to the present.

Tree by Leaf is the unique synergy and musicianship of  Garrett Soucy, whose songwriting taps at the pulse of the soul of human experience, but never dips into journal-entry pathos, Cliff Young, whose keyboards slide from roaring command to a mere hum of electricity, and Siiri Soucy, whose voice could draw a heart right out of its body.

Eric Sanders has added the primal rhythm to the latest cd, There is a Vine, as well as to the live shows this year. Migrated from New York, he left the world of the stage and nightclubs to become the backbone of the new TBL sound.

Tree by Leaf has chosen to work as a band on the fringe.  When the natural time came to move to a major city and shop for a label, Cliff, Garrett and Siiri decided to become human beings instead.  Later on they made that choice again.  And again.  Clinging to life of the edge of American culture, Tree by Leaf avoids the constant mirror checking of an artist's life.  Self absorption and fatuousness simply do not exist this far under the radar.

So you will not see Tree by Leaf on MTV, or in heavy rotation on Clear Channel, but when you hear them, it might strike you dead with longing, or sorrow, or hope.  And when it happens, you'll remember.