Tea Leaf Green members stay true to traditional rock

Courtesy Tea Leaf Green

Tonight, Tea Leaf Green will perform in the Classic City for the first time since 2007. The band also has a new member in its ranks.

A circus of performers that possesses a near-extinct set of talents will grace the 40 Watt stage tonight. This circus is rather a band whose last album “Raise Up the Tent” expresses its endeavor to travel the country like a circus and deliver old-fashioned entertainment to audiences.
Whereas a lot of bands now rely on computers to play backing tracks as compensation for their lacking live instrumentation, Tea Leaf Green performs organically, much like its rock ‘n’ roll predecessors. The band formed in 1998, when the name spawned from a brainstorm session.
“Somebody said ‘tea leaf this,’ another said ‘tea leaf that’ – I think I was the last one to blurt out Tea Leaf Green!” guitarist Josh Clark said. “And then years go by, and as I’m trying to think of logos, I’m thinking, ‘Man! I wish we named ourselves something different.’”
In 1998, music was progressing into the digital age, where rock bands began to decline in popularity in favor of more modern hip-hop groups and solo artists.

However, the band’s decision to stay true to a traditional rock sound wasn’t as much a strategic move as it was a dedicated effort to make music that sounded like what the members loved.
“I grew up in Los Angeles and would go out to the desert, where somebody would throw a generator down for bands like Incubus to play,” Clark said. “I loved to see musicians playing their instruments, creating sound for me.”
The group has played in college towns and music festivals such as Bonnaroo and High Sierra. However, the band does not find the large crowds intimidating; in fact, Clark finds smaller venues scarier.
“I’m probably more nervous when I’m about to face an audience of, like, 10 people, ’cause then there’s no fooling anybody and you actually watch the guy walk out of the door if he doesn’t like it.”
Athens hasn’t seen Tea Leaf Green since 2007. Since then, its bassist and co-founder Ben Chambers left, which has spun the band in a new direction.
“It’s provided an opportunity to reinvent ourselves a little bit,” Clark said. “Everybody might not be thrilled about that, but I am. I’ve been trying to move towards a rock sound for a long time.”
Chambers’ replacement is former Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey bassist Reed Mathis who fits in just as well with the band.
“[Reed] has always been a great fit, but right now we’re especially gelling and getting to a point where we’re surprising ourselves.” Clark said.
Fans of the band’s previous jam concerts won’t be disappointed: “I put in some of our oldest songs and some of our newest songs, trying to make the most interesting, entertaining show,” he said.