Local yokel rising crust folk singer, whatever that means. Described as a "hootenanny" by mother. You decide.
The Mountains & The Treesare/is Jon Janes. He plays guitar, banjo, mandolin, ukulele, harmonica, bells, drums, and sings.
After spending most of his musical career behind the drums, Janes finally came out of hiding (it was a large drum-kit!) and embraced the singer-songwriter inside. Shy at first, he adopted the stage moniker The Mountains & The Trees and has been loving it ever since. Originally a two-piece, it shrunk to a solo act, then grew to a 3-piece, 4-piece, shrunk again to a 2-piece, grew again to a 3-pie... you get the idea. The size of The Mountains & The Trees changes with the weather and, often, with whomever in the crowd is brave enough to step on stage to play and sing along.
Genre-wise, Janes has too many effects pedals for folk, too many banjos for rock-n-roll (if you're wondering how many banjos are too many - it's one). He playfully describes himself as Folk-Pop or Folk-N-Roll. Recordings contain a variety of instruments, such as guitar, banjo, mandolin, harmonica, bells, and drums. Live, Janes backs himself up with the help of some looping-pedals, some deft footwork, and a little luck.
The Mountains & The Trees have released two recordings thus far - Paper Or Plastic EP [2006] and document&183; The former is a 5-song disc recorded on a shoestring budget and delivered in creative packaging (will that be paper or plastic casing?). It features Janes in a variety of roles, instrumentally and vocally, as well as guest appearances by Rick Lambe and Louis MacDonald. The latter is a full-length 15-song acoustic effort, recorded over three night-sessions at Park St. United Church in Corner Brook. Featuring Janes on vocals, guitar, and mouth harp, this disc is an effort to capture a moment in musical form. It comes in a hand-printed case with a photo-postcard and a package of dirt and seeds (please plant them). All this is contained in a vinyl case, hand-sewn with help (and love) by grandma. Document is also a limited-edition release of 90 discs. Both discs have received airplay on CBC and College Radio.
As well, to coincide with the 2009 ECMAs in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, the "Hop, Skip, & A Jump Promo EP" was released. It includes 4 songs featuring Janes accompanied by the Valleys & Seas Orchestra and is currently sold-out, but more copies are expected Sept 09.
With work on a new full-length album starting this summer and appearances at the East Coast Music Awards, Trails, Tales, & Tunes Festival, North By Northeast, and the NL Folk Festival, 2009 is shaping-up to be a mighty fine season for The Mountains & The Trees.
Sounds like...?
...a log cabin deep in the woods with a lake out back, filled to the brim with horns, strings, and other odd instruments, enough time to learn them all, and a 4-track to record the resulting sounds.
Old Bio{circa 2006}
Within the community of Corner Brook (and, indeed, the province of Newfoundland), there are, at any given time, dozens of musicians willing to get together and play a show for the love of playing music, with nothing expected in return. They are all welcome to join The Mountains & The Trees. Formed by Jon Janes, The Mountains & The Trees started with a few phone calls to friends and the simple words "Wanna be in a band?" At any given moment, the make-up of The Mountains & The Trees could be 1 - 100 (well, probably not that many, but, it could be!) and no two shows promise to be alike. Willing to give any type of music a try, The Mountains & The Trees promise to entertain, whether it be 1 or 100 (there's that number again). Are you a Mountain? Are you a Tree? If you find yourself humming along or tapping your feet at shows, you're both, and we thank-you for contributing!
The purpose of life is not to be happy – but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you have lived at all. Thank u for the friendship. Hope your day is going great, if u can follow me on twitter (http://twitter.com/ladytina86). Much love. Xoxo Lady
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