Interview with Visions of Trees

Newfangled Music: We're here with Joni and Sara from Visions of Trees. Firstly, how did you get the name Joni and why is it spelled the way it is?
Joni: My parents gave it to me and they're Finnish, so yeah.

NM: How did the band start up and how do you guys know each other?
Sara: Through a couple of friends and I knew Joni had written some instrumental tracks and was looking for a female singer. We met and kinda hit it off and then never looked back really, just kept going didn't we?

NM: Was that quite awhile ago or is it quite a recent joining up?
Joni: We met about a year ago. Well, I say about a year ago and that's how long the band's been going.

NM: Have you reached a point that you're happy with yet? Where did you expect to be after a year or so and where would you like to be in a year?
Joni: It's been a really good first year. Well, it was a great year for us so I don't think we've got any one thing where we are like yeah that's it - just gonna see what happens. We're just happy to do whatever.

NM: I heard you were due to play with one of our favourite artists jj. How did that come about and what happened?
Joni: It's so weird cos we had just started as well and it was supposed to be their first gig outside of Sweden and then I don't know they just cancelled it. I don't really know the ins and outs - it's just what we were told.

NM: Your sounds aren't completely similar, but you can sort of see the link. How would you define your sound, as I've heard a lot of electro-synth pop and hazy pop boring comparisons? What would you like to classify it as or not to classify it as?
Joni: It's always weird describing it if you have to put a stamp on your music. We take quite a lot of our influences from RnB and dance music and stuff like that. But then I've got a slightly different background, as I listen to a lot of noise music too, so I think it's a mixture of all those things. Oh and rap music as well. Beats are really important to me and the production side of things. Sara brings the pop sort of element I suppose.

NM: Would you say it's something like witchhouse or similar to the type of music Triangle Records put out - seeing as they use a lot of RnB beats? Though, we know the owner of label doesn't consider it witchhouse or a genre like that, but more so like a deviation of pop music.
Joni: Yeah, we know some of those guys. Again, a name like witchhouse - I don't think anyone wants to be labelled as something like that, you know? But I know what you mean. He's put it quite well I think. i consider it like pop music really with modern sort of angles, or whatever.

NM: I agree. You've got bands like The xx that have got such mainstream appeal now and were sort of genreless before, as they were a cross over of lots of differing sounds, which seems to be a key to success now or at least it's seems that way. Your sound is quite Scandinavian, so did any particular Scandinavian artist influence you at all?
Joni: Well, We're both fans of The Knife and Fever Ray. There's a lot of Scandinavian dance music I listen to and there's a lot of good music coming out of there.

NM: So I've read your music has a sort of Rnb twist - would you ever like to do a collaboration with an artist from a completely different genre or an RnB artist - though of course not replacing your (Sara's) vocals or anything?
Joni: Maybe, like a male singer.
Sara: Yeah, that would be quite interesting. We've talked about lots of things - like getting MCs on the tracks and stuff like that. We'd love to do things that branch out a bit and mix it up with some other artists, definitely.
Joni: Someone like Usher.
Sara: We'll see what happens.

NM: You've done a few remixes for other artists, Joni, what sort of songs are you drawn to and what sort of sound do you like to imprint on them?
Joni: Most of the time I just do what I'm asked to do and if I like it I'll do it, so it varies loads. I mean it's whatever I'm into at that moment and what I find myself doing. Like now I've been listening to a lot of 90s rave music and it comes across a lot in the remixes. I think it's slightly easier to do extreme things with the remixes than with your own music. You don't have to change the direction completely, but there's an output for that sort of stuff.

NM: I also read that you are influenced by the wild life and trees. Well, I mean it's in your name, so i've got to ask you whether you've been watching Human Planet? Though, i'm not sure if that's a show you'd enjoy or not.
Sara: No, I haven't seen the Human Planet one, though I am a bit obsessed with David Attenborough - I like his series.
Joni: Watch out David.
Sara: Yeah, watch out David, but no i haven't seen the Human one, that's my next DVD to watch.

NM: It's a real good 'un, but it's John Hurt this time - he sounds kind of similar.
Sara: His voice is good.
Joni: Maybe, we could collaborate or something.
Sara: Yeah, with David Attenborough and get some crazy voice overs.

NM: Like Patrick Wolf and Tilda Swinton which works. Have you got any records coming out soon?
Joni: A couple of weeks ago we released our first single. We're kinda working on the next one, but we haven't got a date yet. I suppose we're looking at April or May sort of time.

NM: Are you playing any festivals this summer? I see you're on the bill for Camden Crawl in May.
Joni: Yeah, we're doing that, also the great escape. We've got some other ones but they haven't quite been announced yet. We did loads last summer and it was great, so we're looking to do some of those again this year, hopefully.

NM: Any famous last words?
Joni: Stay off the drugs!
Sara: Always stay off the drugs.
Joni: No, just give them to me!

Visions of Trees by Visions of Trees