The Mountains & The Trees

The Mountains & The Trees are/is Jon Janes, his debut full-length “I Made This For You” was recorded over the winter of 2009/10 in St. John’s, NL, at Henge Studios, the same studio where Janes recorded his praised 2009 EP “Hop, Skip, & A Jump.” With the help of co-producer Chris Kirby, an ECMA nominated blues artist, Janes fleshed out 11 songs, some old, some new, with the sounds of horns, strings, electric and acoustic guitars, and whatever he could get his hands on.

The opening track, “Fear Of Ghosts,” plays upon the experience of growing-up in a small town in an almost confessional way before erupting half-way though the song with an orchestra of sound behind Jane's soft vocals. If you listen, the can hear the low rumble of Great Big Sea’s Séan McCann on the bodhran during the outro. Tracks like “More & More & More,” “Make Amends,” and “Sun’s Low” deal with the idea of moving past relationships, whether they be friendships or more, while also incorporating a new instrument into Janes’ music - electric guitar. It appears again in “Crossing Crows,” based around a childhood superstition, and “Minimum Wage Lovers,” a song bordering on pop and certainly inspired not only by Janes’ job situation at the time, but sonically by artists such as Hayden and Tom Petty.

“Travellin’ Song” is a bluegrass-influenced track that always gets the crowd moving at live shows and is just at home on country radio as it is at an indie-rock festival. Then there are softer, slower songs such as the narrative “Wedding Song,” or “Goodbye Little Town” which was re-recorded with a larger group after appearing on the most recent EP. “Up & Down” is also taken from that EP and not only received consistent radio play on CBC and college radio, but earned The Mountains & The Trees an invitation to perform at the Toronto International Film Festival. Finally, “The Times,” features a chorus composed of audio tracks recorded by people around the world, in many different ways, which were then put together during the mixing process. It truly is a collaborative effort.

2009 has seen The Mountains & The Trees perform at festivals across Canada including NXNE, NL Folk Fest, CMW, ECMAs, and the Toronto International Film Festival, as well as perform with such well-known artists as Hawksley Workman, Amy Millan, and Billy Bragg. 2010 holds an extensive UK tour followed by the same in Canada. both tours will include festivals such as Liverpool Soundcity and NXNE 2010, as well as several Canadian Blast showcases.