Prog Live: Interview with Alan Nu, drummer/synthesist for Gravity Tree

USAProgMusic:  Tell me a little bit about your band Gravity Tree. How long have you been together? How did you get started?

Alan Nu:  Linc, the guitarist and co-songwriter and I first played together as part of a support group for a new artist doing a tour.

We worked in other projects together, sessions and things. We finally decided to forego drum machines and what not, and do a live 2 piece that covered bass, guitar, drums, and synths. That was about '92. The first show went well, and we've been together ever since.

USAProgMusic: What made you decide to enter into the progressive music genre?

Alan: Well, actually, we didn't think we were progressive.

USAProgMusic:  Well, progressive has many different definitions depending on who you talk to. How do you now see yourself fitting into the progressive music genre?

Alan:  We would try to get the alternative crowd - especially the Seattle scene - interested, but they didn't much care. We thought we completely fit that - to show you how subjective music is. It wasn't until the release of the CD Life or Dessert? that all of these prog rock fans started finding us and we realized we were just in the wrong camp. Genres are really weird - I mean you don't write music to a genre, you just write. But in retrospect, I can see things in pieces like "Harmonic Indulgence" and "Life or Dessert?" that are obviously connected to this progressive genre.

USAProgMusic:  What are you currently working on for the band? What are your aspirations for Gravity Tree?

Alan:   I'm currently working on a solo project, actually. I've been talking about putting something out on my own for 10 years. We're also doing a music video for one of the songs for Ultimate Backward. We have a massive back catalog. I guess I'd like to see the best of that get out.

USAProgMusic:  Are you currently signed by a record label?

Alan: Nope, no label. It's an odd time to be in the industry. I'm not sure what the labels would do with someone like us.

USAProgMusic:  Do you have plans to try to get signed by a label?

Alan:  No - but you know, never say never. If the right deal came along, and it wasn't you know, a sell your soul kind of thing. I guess it might be good. Too many friends and bands I know have had bad experiences - so I'm very careful. They can obviously help a great deal, but there's also this extra pressure that I'm not sure is necessary. When I write music for computer games - there's that pressure, but it's understood. I see this as writing for myself, for Linc and for anyone who likes what we do.

USAProgMusic:  Are you getting a good response in the U.S.? Have you hit the Europe market more since they are more into progressive rock?

Alan:  The Europe market is certainly responsive. We get reviews there I can't read as I don't know the languages! But we have a very strong progressive community in the San Francisco Bay Area, and they're very supportive. Headshear, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - they're from right here as well. Metaphor… the list goes on. It's a very strong music area.

USAProgMusic:  Well, it seems like many U.S. based progressive bands are all concentrated in certain areas.

Alan: Yeah, there are these little focal points in areas of the country.

USAProgMusic:  That's great! So is your day job writing music for computer games?

Alan:  I used to spend more time doing games, yes. Now my time is more on Gravity Tree and my solo work.

USAProgMusic:  What would your favorite song be off of the album Ultimate Backward and what was your inspiration for that song?

Alan:  That's a good question, for sure...let's see... I guess my favorite is "Conversing with the Dead". It took the longest to get out - in fact some of the track were recorded when Linc and I first started out years ago. As for inspiration... It actually came out of this crazy dream I had. It was so vivid, I walked into practice the next day and told Linc about it, and he said, "that sounds like a song.” So we went at it. Crazy...

USAProgMusic:  You play drums and the synthesizer for the band.  How long have you been playing these instruments?

Alan: Drums were my first instrument. My parents bought me a junior kit when I was 6, just to keep me from beating up the trash cans.

Piano came later, about 12...and I studied formally in college.  So they've both been part of my life for awhile... I bought my first synthesizer when I was in high school, and I was hooked after that.

USAProgMusic:  If you could open for any 2 bands for a show, whether still together or disbanded, who would you want to open for?

Alan:  Wow, never been asked that.... Of course my favorite would blow us away, so maybe I wouldn't want to open for them, but let's see...Probably a modern version of King Crimson, and Gentle Giant. Linc's choices would be different - but I've never really asked him that question!

USAProgMusic:  Are you planning on playing any live shows around the U.S. in the near future?

Alan: I'm sorry to say that I don't think we'll get out immediately. Our fans keep asking, but I'm committed to finishing the solo project first. Then we'll see where we are ...and we still have to get this music video done...which is more complex than I first thought...

USAProgMusic:  What is your solo project going to be like? Do you have a title for it?

Alan: The songs I have so far are very different from Gravity Tree, but there are some others that are similar, so it'll probably be a bit more of a variety of sounds.... It won't be pop!  I'm also fascinated with ambient music, so that's going to take up some space. Hopefully I don't completely alienate everyone. Oh, and I haven't decided on a title.

USAProgMusic: When do you expect it to be finished?

Alan: I’m hoping to release it in the fall.

USAProgMusic: Is it just you playing or do you have any guest artists?

Alan: No guests. I think I'd like to do an album with all of my friends at some point. But I decided to pull a Todd Rundgren / Mike Oldfield and play everything myself. I'll probably get help with the mix, though.

USAProgMusic: That's awesome. Can't wait to hear it.

Alan: Obviously if I take it out live, I'll need musicians - that would be too much!

USAProgMusic: Yeah, a one man band. That's a little insane.  Be more like a side show ...haha.

Alan: Yes...

USAProgMusic: Well that's really all the questions I have. Anything else you'd like to relay to your fans?

Alan: Thanks for all the emails and the encouragement. It's been great and we hope you'll keep liking what we do. And we'll have news on the video next month.  News about the video and everything is always posted at our MySpace page at www.myspace.com/gravitytree

USAProgMusic: I appreciate you taking the time to come in and do an interview for the site.  Good luck with everything!

Alan: Thanks very much.