Interview: Jeremy Butler of Between The Trees

February 22nd, 2008 by The Editor

Florida pop-punk youngsters Between The Trees just got home after their first tour over here in the UK.

The Dreaded Press caught up with Between The Trees bass player Jeremy Butler to ask him how the tour went, about being role models, and about the difference between being a Christian in a band and being in a Christian band.

TDP: Hi, Jeremy. Where are you right now, and what have you been doing today?

Jeremy Butler: I am sitting on the couch in my living room. Today I did a little afternoon lunch with the fiance, then went out to a Sherwood show here in downtown Orlando.

TDP: How did the recent Between The Trees UK tour go for you?

Jeremy Butler: It was amazing! The kids were all incredible and the shows were great!

TDP: What was the most exciting moment for you?

Jeremy Butler: The most exciting moment was probably during the Manchester set with the tons of kids that were just going crazy. We loved it!

TDP: How would you define your sound – if you had to do a Hollywood-style ‘elevator pitch’ to an A&R guy right now, how would you sell yourselves in a few sentences?

Jeremy Butler: Well… luckily, we’re signed to Universal, so I wouldn’t have to do that thank god, BUT! I guess I would just say we’re a super energetic pop/rock band with songs that will leave you singing them for days on end.

TDP: What do you feel is your biggest limitation as a band?

Jeremy Butler: Limitations are what you make them, so we have none!

TDP: What do feel is your best piece of work, from a personal perspective as opposed to critical acclaim or fan popularity?

Jeremy Butler: I’d say our best piece of work to date would honestly have to be “White Lines And Red Lights” even though it does have fan popularity. Maybe that’s why it does have that popularity? It’s got everything that makes a great pop/rock song…as well as just a song in general. The lyrics, the progression and changes…I love it.

TDP: You’re on the road touring a lot – what’s the worst aspect of touring?

Jeremy Butler: The worst aspect of touring, aside from being away from friends and family, is having to eat a lot of fast food. We’re all southern boys and enjoy a home cooked meal. So not having that is terrible!

TDP: What’s the best aspect of touring?

Jeremy Butler: The best aspect is playing music everyday and doing it for a living! You get to be in a different city every day and see the world … what’s not to love?? We get to play in front of our fans who are our most important asset!

TDP: What are the ingredients for the perfect Between The Trees gig?

Jeremy Butler: An amazing sounding venue, a packed room of die-hard fans, our instruments, and some bottles of water. That’s it. Red Bull never hurts either, but not sugar free!

TDP: On the flipside, tell us about the worst show you ever played.

Jeremy Butler: Haha, worst show we’ve ever played was in the place called the Oasis in a small town near Orlando, Florida … it was at the beginning of Between The Trees.

We were trying to impress a guy to be our manager (David McKenna, who is our current manager, thank god). He must have seen our potential because we had to stop several songs in the middle and restart…there were probably 3 people other than him there, and one was the bartender…I don’t even think that there was even a recognizable PA system…It was baaaad.

TDP: How does it feel to be ardent Christians working in an industry that, in the UK at least, is predominantly secular in outlook?

Jeremy Butler: Well, we’ve always put ourselves in the light as not being a Christian band. We’re all Christian guys that play music together. We write about our experiences and everyday life, and if that’s what comes through, then it does. So to answer your question, it doesn’t feel any different, because we don’t feel that it affects us to that extent.

TDP: What will it take to heal the growing rift between rationalism and faith groups?

Jeremy Butler: Honestly, whether that gap will ever be healed is tough to say. We’d all like to think and hope so, but it may never happen. Rationalists are always going to think faith in the unseen is unrealistic, and people of faith will always say that rationalists just need faith to see. It’s a disagreement that will always be there, unfortunately.

TDP: How have you used your music to discuss your beliefs with listeners?

Jeremy Butler: Really, we let listeners take our music how they want to. It’s their perception that makes the music what it is, and we like that. To push our beliefs on someone else isn’t necessary. Music is music and it is what they make it.

TDP: What is your attitude towards atheism?

Jeremy Butler: To each his own. I’m not going to treat someone different based on their spiritual or personal beliefs. For me to persecute or downplay a persons atheistic view or belief, would be for me to go against anything I’ve ever been taught or stood for in my own faith.

TDP: Do you see yourselves as role models, and if so how do you decide where to draw the lines with your own behaviour and that of others?

Jeremy Butler: I definitely see ourselves as role models. We’re put on a pedestal when it comes to being in the public eye, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing..but as weird as it is to think, some people might actually look up to us. However, we will not let others views of us govern our lives. I can only say that we use the judgement that we were raised with. That’s it.

TDP: What aspects of popular culture are you trying to counteract by doing so?

Jeremy Butler: I can’t really say we’re necessarily trying to counteract any part of popular culture. As the band Between The Trees, we’re enjoying playing music and hoping that it helps someone if they need it. It’s that simple.

TDP: If you could go back in time and visit yourself before you decided to become a professional musician, what’s the most important piece of advice you’d give yourself?

Jeremy Butler: Enjoy playing the music you love, and take everything you hear in the industry with a grain of salt.

TDP: Philosophical moment - will the human race survive the next two centuries, and does it deserve to do so?

Jeremy Butler: Who knows? With all of the worries the world has, all the way from global warming, to the depletion of Earth’s resources, to the threat of nuclear war…who can ever predict how long the human race will last….and yes, it does deserve to last, however long it is meant to. Everyone and everything deserves the same chance we were given to make this a better place.

TDP: Finally, if you could list a handful of songs and albums that you were listening to a lot while you were touring, that’d be great.

Jeremy Butler: