The Giving Tree Band | |
---|---|
Origin | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
Genres |
Americana Indie Folk Alternative Country Banjo Rock |
Years active | 2004 - present |
Labels | Crooked Creek Records |
Associated acts | Stone Samadhi |
Website | TheGivingTreeBand |
Members | E Fink Todd Fink Norm Z Charlie Karls |
Past members | Patrick Burke 2004-2011 Justin Forsythe 2010-2011 Andy Goss 2009-2011 Philip Roach 2009 -2013 Woody Woods 2009 -2013 |
The Giving Tree Band is a rock & roll band from Yorkville, Illinois. The band is known for their live shows, which cover a vast array of genres. The current lineup consists of brothers Eric "E" (Guitars/Lead Vocals) and Todd Fink (Banjos/Guitars/Lead Vocals), Karl "Charlie Karls" Kieser (Bass/Vocals), Zachariah "Z" Oostema (Percussion/Vocals), and Erik "Norm" Norman (Keys/Mandolin/Guitars/Vocals) who is recognized for adding elaborate solos. Though the group uses an instrumentation largely associated with bluegrass and Americana, their sound often drums up comparisons to such classic rock icons as The Band, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, and The Beatles.
The Giving Tree Band was started by brothers Todd and Eric Fink in 2004. They released their first full-length album - a double disc, entitled Unified Folk Theory - in 2007. The album features 33 songs of original material. In 2008, the band set out to record a carbon-neutral album, which was done at the Aldo Leopold Legacy Center in Baraboo, Wisconsin. The album was released in 2009, and was entitled Great Possessions, which was the working title of conservationist Aldo Leopold's book, A Sand County Almanac.
On September 21, 2010, the band released their third full-length album, The Joke, The Threat & The Obvious. The album spent multiple weeks on various Americana radio charts, peaking at number 15 on the Roots Music Report and number 40 on the Americana Airplay Chart. The album also received critical acclaim, including a spot on Acoustic Guitar Magazine's "Best Acoustic Albums of 2010" list, as well as garnering positive reviews from such publications as Relix Magazine,The Huffington Post, and American Songwriter.