Itās impossible to describe what genre Āé¶¹AV band Meteor Tree belongs to.
A mix of the metal sounding Tool, the vocals of Amy Lee from Evanescence with a little bit of Portishead, lead-singer Theresa Bishop said the band has always been stumped when asked to define their genre.
Meteor Tree formed officially two years and will be performing at the female-focused Metalocalypstick Fest at the in Lone Butte B.C., July 1 and 2.
Āé¶¹AV members Bishop, guitarist/saxophonist Corey Bornau and drummer Rob OāDay connect through their passion for nature, which is at the heart of Meteor Tree.
āI think individually we have that connection and we experience that differently from each other. I think thatās one of the reasons we bond together so well,ā said Bishop.
She draws from her own experiences to create the music.
ā(Thereās) a big connection to community and healing, so thatās kind of where I draw from as well as my own personal journey,ā she said, adding she also draws from her aboriginal heritage.
Bishop never experienced the same challenges aboriginals struggled with in the past but feels her generation is the one to focus on healing.
āI feel it so intensely though I was never raised in it,ā she said. āEvery time I hear that drum or the powwow, Iām home. Iām so drawn to it; itās like spiritual food and that canāt be taught.ā
Bishop doesnāt focus on lyrics with her vocals, believing her vocals are like an instrument.
āWhen a person wails or they cry, they create a sound thatās completely connected to emotion. I find with certain (songs) pull out of me rhythmic melodies⦠but certain pieces pull out raw emotion that canāt be expressed in words, only felt.ā
She developed the form of singing through meditation.
āWhat really pulled me into melodic chants was I used to sit and drum and breath deeply and get in touch with my spirit, and started exploring (myself) through sound,ā she said.
Not all of Meteor Treesā pieces are āinstrumental,ā as lyrics are added occasionally.
Bishop described a piece as a canvas, some parts of the painting need to be defined, while other parts donāt.
As a woman in a heavier-sounding band, Bishop said people didnāt take her seriously when she first started. While performing at open mics, announcers described her appearance rather than the music.
āI think what Metalocolypstic is doing is shining a light, or taking a magnifying glass and amplifying women in the genre. They are there, but because theyāre less heard of (the festival) is definitely pinpointing them and I think itās a great way to say āthey are here, there are chicks who rock.āā
Bishop said you can expect to dance during Meteor Treeās performance, but also feel a connection to the environment.
The band is currently working on their debut album, The Budding, which does not have a release date yet.
For more information on the festival visit the Metalocalypstick .