Tops of Trees – Interview – Thanks for Asking

Tops of Trees – Interview – Thanks for Asking – by Liam Sweeny.

RRX: Who are you? Not, like, philosophically, but you know, who are the members of the band, who plays what? Describe yourself in one sentence (it can be a long sentence.)

TOTs: First, we’d like to thank everyone at RRX for the opportunity and for shining a spotlight in such a talented and musical corner of our Earth.

Tops of Trees has been described as- “Funky, Soulful… Fresh – an original eight-piece rock & soul ensemble with a sound is built upon a strong foundation of drum and bass, classic organ, blistering vocals, and an unshakeable horn section, the band brings high energy performances and a modern interpretation of soulful music steeped in early R&B, funk and Blues.”

Damian Ubriaco- Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar

Ken Juhas- Bass Guitar/Vocals

Troy Helmer- Drums/Vocals

Aaron Profitt- Lead Guitar

Alex Miller- Trumpet/Keys/Vocals

Jeremy Gold- Saxophone

Thomas Eaton– Trombone/Trumpet

RRX: Do you have anything out right now that people can enjoy, and if so, what’s the best way for them to get it?

TOTs: Our debut EP was released in April of 2023 called The Treehouse Sessions Part 1 (The Coolside) and Part 2 (The Hotside) is available on all streaming platforms including Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music. We’re also in rotation on WEXT Radio. They have been super supportive spinning our records- “The Grey Ghost (Boo)” and “Frontline” over the past year. So hit them up with a request for one of our songs!

RRX: You sing, you rap, you play guitar, play drums, you have no doubt struggled to learn music. Something probably tripped you up. What was it for each of you? What did you have to overcome?

Alex Miller: “As I continue to grow as a musician I find the mental game to be the toughest to navigate. For a long time I  struggled with equating my self worth to how I sound or  how I am being perceived as a musician. This caused a lot of pain from the ups and downs of the day to day as a musician.  It also led  to bringing ego and baggage to the music instead of being a vessel for what the music needs.  I not only work every day to improve my musical craft, but also my mental relationship with music. Hopefully I come to it with openness, fulfilling my role in making the music as powerful and true as it can be.”

Jeremy Gold: “I play the saxophone. I’ve always loved playing out and freelancing. One thing I’ve struggled with was sight reading difficult charts. I was in the Big Band at SUNY Purchase and that was great for me to keep up my reading chops, but when that ended I didn’t have a lot of reading to do.  Staying up with reading when I haven’t the need became a feat to overcome.  I’ve found the solution in working through classical books and jazz pattern and melodic etude books.  They help me stay with it.”

Troy Helmer: “Being a drummer the idea of dynamics (especially in a group this size) can always be a struggle. Not “over-playing” as many drummers know is a skill on its own to master. Opening up the music to various opportunities to find the right groove or fill,  yet also not just laying in the pocket presents a challenge that- to this day I work on and have to be cognizant of. This is achieved for me by active listening and letting the song [as a whole] guide me to the sweet spots.”

Damian Ubriaco: “As a singer and songwriter my greatest challenge has been not judging myself or comparing myself to my musical heroes. It has been a journey learning to have trust and joy in my own voice and songs all on their own. The main practice has been meditation. A daily practice of noticing what is and gradually learning to accept what is and even appreciating and loving things as they are. Me as I am. Vocal instructor Diana Domingo helped me a lot in this area too. Breaking bad habits.”

Ken Juhas – “I play the bass.  I think the biggest hurdle for me is keeping consistent with working on the basic fundamentals of being a musician/bass player including improving my rhythm, timing, technique, dynamics, etc.  I think sticking to the basics and leaning on core fundamentals is something I try to keep to though I do not always have the time to work towards them.  This is something I have been trying to dedicate more time to lately which I think has resulted in improvements in my overall performance. I will strive to continue to work on fundamentals more routinely moving forward.”

Aaron Profitt – “Playing lead guitar is  the balance of restraint and timing. It’s about navigating the band’s dynamics, blending complexity with melody to captivate without overpowering. Collaborating with Tops of Trees’ brass section introduced a dynamic of healthy competition, pushing us all to excel and enrich our collective sound.”

RRX: What historical era would you like to visit if the sole purpose was to put together a Battle of the Bands? How would you set it up?

TOTs: Not necessarily a “battle of bands”, but more of a kinship or family of musicians gathering to celebrate … think late 60’s/ early 70’s for the ‘Soul purpose’ of bringing music to the people. Everyday people. Choose your city, make it every weekend for 2 months long. Make it free.

RRX: Let’s talk about your next project, your next few. Just not the ones you’re working on now. The ones you have your eyes on for the future. What’s coming to us?

TOTs: We are looking forward to getting back into the studio soon and recording a bunch of new songs we have been playing at our shows. We’ve only been playing together a little over a year, so we are still discovering who we are as a band. It’s exciting. We are also hoping to break into the festival circuit this summer and building relationships with all the amazing musicians in the 518 and by next summer we hope to start hitting some of our bucket list items… KEPX? SXSW? Solid Sound? Europe? Why not? Shout out to the universe!

RRX: In the musical world, there are many supporting players. Recording engineers, sound techs, cover art designers. Who are three people that support the craft that you would like to shine a spotlight on?

TOTs: There’s too many to mention honestly, and forgive us for having to narrow this down (but you know who you are…)

Andy Scullin at Unsigned518. This MoFo has been not just a staple in the Capital Region but he’s been bolstering the local scene and propping up endless artists and bands, creating a REAL & BEAUTIFUL community out here.  We all need more people like Andy. Not just in music but in life- thanks for all you do man, we see you!

Our friends at Jive Hive Live! Another team that’s in lock-step to what it takes to help make a community of musicians thrive! We look forward to working with y’all again- très bientôt!

We would also like to shout out to the gracious folks at High Peaks Event Production– they’ve been stellar to work with,  super accommodating, and keep our crew sounding amazing!

RRX: How can people keep up with you? What’s coming up, soon or eventually?

TOTs: For sure follow our socials:  FB, Insta, Spotify and definitely our website  https://topsoftrees.com & sign up for our newsletter there to keep up on where to find us next!

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