Tree Party

Tree Party's third album Iced Over: Thawing Minnesota's Local Lore is a year-long project of researching stories and local history in smaller communities across Minnesota.  MSAB 2013 Artist Initiative Grant recipient Joey Ford found his inspiration in small town museums and historical centers for this album, including songs about “Dorothy Molter: The Root Beer Lady,” “Wrinkle Meat: The 137 Year Old Man" and “Helmer Aakvik: The Old Man of the Inland Sea." Iced Over is a musical tribute to Minnesotans who have come before us and a celebration of their legacy. 

Their first original album, self-titled and hot-iron branded, took on Western motifs and Midwest themes, while their following album evolved over a year collaborating with “The 7-Shot Symphony,” an epic, live cowboy show which was awarded a 2011 Ivey Award for Best Overall Production.

“Tree Party shows it knows how to put its own spin on the desperate pain of early folk traditionals, creating a kind of dark, sparse rock ’n’ roll quality more reminiscent of  Tom Waits  or Nick Cave than Bill Monroe. ...winding a modern sensibility into it all, quickly jumping over the throw-off 'roots music' labels in favor of something different altogether.”  [A.V. Club]