"One Tree Hill gives upbeat acoustic [driven] folk-rock a refreshing variety of sounds - impressively thoughtful lyrics round out their professional act." CCM Magazine

15 MP3 Songs
SPIRITUAL: Alternative CCM, SPIRITUAL: Christian Rock

Show all album songs: The Fruit Of Lips Songs


Details:
One Tree Hill plays a unique blend of styles than can only be described as acoustic-driven Americana. They started out as a trio- acoustic guitar, fiddle and two vocals, and have since added a 2nd guitar (acoustic & electric), bass guitar (upright & electric), and drums (kit & hand) to their sound.

OTH began when songwriter Patrick Lloyd left the practice of law to pursue music. "There is no better way to share the eternal truths of life than in & through music," says Lloyd. "Music has a unique ability to cut to the chase & commune with us in very intimate yet largely unknown ways - the perfect lover because we cannot contain her." After playing solo for three years, Lloyd added a vocalist and fiddle to the mix, and eventually kept growing to their current configuration.

"We clearly leaned more toward the "folk" in our sound during the early days. Brian's guitar work added a rock & blues vibe which has really spiced up our natural inclination toward folk & bluegrass. That's why I think we're authentic Americana. The fact that we don't sit in the middle of any musical genre is fine with us," says Lloyd.

In December '05, the band brought singer Melody Burr into the mix. "Big changes like that are scary," says Lloyd. "The audition process mostly addresses someone's musical ability but can only tell you so much about how that person will ultimately affect the band's personality. It's very emotional--you just gotta hop on, hold on and trust that where He's taking the band is somewhere you want to go. We auditioned several singers and then Melody came to us asking if I could record/produce a demo CD for her in OTH's studio. I said yes & was therefore able to 'audition' her voice & personality without her even knowing it which, quite frankly, resulted in the purest audition possible. After finishing her demo CD, I then told her that we were looking for a singer & asked if she was interested. She was, so we went through the many additional phases of auditioning Melody which culminated in her singing with us live at Higher Grounds Coffee House in December '05. She was a good fit & we invited her to join the band! The Lord stepped up to the plate and went yard on this one, literally bringing Melody to us as opposed to us finding her. In other words, God found a way to keep me from getting in the way! Our sound and new tunes are drifting back toward the folk & country rock aspect of our sound: a simpler, more relaxed feel which is a perfect fit for Melody's folk timbre & style of singing. Simply put, we're excited again. We've settled into our new "voice", just released our 6th CD & look forward to sharing it with you.

The songs continue to be shaped by Lloyd's hard-knocks journey--this thing we call life. Thus it has been said, "[OTH], your music was balm for the soul. Your music is so very important. I was particularly moved by the words in your music."

"We definitely see our music as an opportunity to talk about what matters most in life. We don't hesitate to talk about spiritual matters, but not to the exclusion of the physical and emotional. Our faith is not a magic carpet ride that hovers above the daily grind," Lloyd says. "Oh, sure, we're all occasionally blessed with a respite, and you will hear that in some of our songs. But our music mostly endeavors to embrace the stuggles of life head on."

OTH's unique sound and willingness to speak forthrightly in their music makes for a refreshing experience.