Folly Tree - Remedies | Dark & Dreamy

Folly Tree is the solo project of Canadian-born and Middle Eastern-raised Alex Moshe. The idea to name her project came to her when she dreamt of the biblical Tree of Knowledge. She has stated “What’s the opposite of the Tree of Knowledge? Something more intuitive, unjudgmental, celebrating foolishness. A folly tree.” Alex has released her latest album, Remedies which features 8 lovely tracks and has a total run time of 26 minutes.

We start the album on We’ll Be Alright, a track with a rather interesting intro that already plays tricks on your ears. The automation immerses you into the track as you hear Alex’s mellifluous voice cut in. The Folly Tree sound is so distinct and authentic. The track has a strong Jazz Pop vibe going for it while it takes on variations. The dreamy synth only adds to how heavenly the vocals are on the track. Similarly, on Mad Is the Beast, the track takes things a little easy, while the synth adds textures to the track. The piano and vocals are sublime and when the track breaks down into the main melody and rhythm it feels surreal. The lyrics are dark, and grim, really touching on the themes that most people won’t really talk about.

Chew It has a similarJazz Pop feeling to it. The fast-paced drums along with the synthesizer are absolutely heavenly. I can’t explain how great this Folly Tree project is to hear. The track seems to get the depth right and contrasts the warm, dark textures with more balanced ones. This track does talk about dark themes as well, but it seems to have some semblance of self. On & On features some similar features to Chew It. The pain and anguish in the song are visible and out there for all to see. Alex does such a brilliant job and moreover, iogi complements her vocals supremely. The harmonies dance around each other with lead and backing countermelodies.

The titular track on the album, Remedies, is such a vibe. It feels like the kind of song that you’d play when you need to escape the world for a bit. While it expresses wants of belonging, it also delivers my favourite line from the album, Can you teach me how to disappear? When I heard it for the first time, I got actual goosebumps because that’s just how great it is. The strings and synth samples add so much depth and emotion to each and every track. In contrast to this, we have I See You. This track is less phrasal and seems a little jagged at times (for lack of a better word). I love the fact that the Folly Tree sound isn’t just one singular theme. It incorporates so many different elements that just work together brilliantly.

Sail Us Back feels like the most Dream Pop kind of track out there. It seems to get everything from the surrealness to the hyper-realistic elements right. I love all the intricate little additions with each and every instrument chiming in to create the overall atmosphere. The chorus can be a real tearjerker for anyone that resonates hard with their dream pop. I certainly feel overwhelmed by all the emotions I’m feeling. Bones feels like an acoustic track that achieves a similar feeling. While it isn’t as full as Sail Us Back, it seems to tug on your heartstrings just as much. It feels like the perfect end to the album, with what feels like a lonely, empty finale. However, it’s just the end of this chapter, with so much more to happen.

Folly Tree is a brilliant project that is currently all over Tel Aviv, Israel. You can probably catch her live shows if you’re around the area. However, there is a little more seeing as we’ve managed to score an interview with her! Read on down below for more.

How has your return to music been since your hiatus in 2017?

I’ve actually never stopped creating music during that time. In 2017, after releasing my first album, I needed to take a break from being out there with my music. It felt only natural to crawl back to my “cave” for a bit and get reconnected with what I had to say, and what it is I really needed to express in my new music. Releasing this album now after this long introverted period feels really good. I feel like I’ve fulfilled this need to create music by myself and I now feel very eager to share this creation, and soon live performances as well, with people out there.

What has been the best part of creating Remedies?

I guess the best part was meeting myself in ways I haven’t experienced before. The first good part was that I got to create the exact music I had in mind in a very non-judgemental environment. It was a combination of an amusement park and the best therapy I could ask for-all at the same time. For the first time, I really gave absolute freedom to my ideas and creative world.

Another good part was that I had to deal with a lot of obstacles and barriers, both technically and mentally, and overcoming them through this process really made me grow.

What have you been doing in the 5 years since your last release?

During all this time I never stopped making music. Part of that time was dedicated to creating “Remedies”, and another huge part of my time was my work as a guitarist for other artists. I played for a lot of different artists and projects, mostly live. This is something I really love doing. I have also produced some stuff for other artists. Alongside making music under all those different hats, I also got my training as an Iyengar yoga teacher, which took several years of training and I’m really happy to have it as a part of my life.

How important has it been for you to make your comeback this year?

The album was finally ready, and just in time, I had Raw Tapes join in on that for its release. So once everything was ready I started feeling very eager and excited to put it out there. Despite the fear that is always there when you are about to expose a part of yourself, especially with this album that is very personal, It was really important to me to release it the best way I can.

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With so many great tracks on the album, what was your favourite one to record?

Each track has its story, but I guess I have to say I enjoyed recording ‘Bones’ the most. It’s the simplest song in the album and I recorded it last. I actually had a ready version of it already, but it didn’t feel quite right. So one night when I was at Alon’s, my boyfriend, studio, he just got a new amazing sounding mic (Mybourg M1) and we wanted to try it out, so I’ve done about two or three takes of the song, guitar and vocals, and it Immediately felt like that was the best version of the song.

Where do you see yourself going from here?

One of my dreams is to be touring around the world with my music and my band, meeting music lovers around the world. I’m really hoping and aiming for that to happen.

But in a more general view, I really hope that my music will touch people, and that the audience for it will grow in a natural and real way and will allow me to continue doing what I love the most. I’m already in the process of making another album, and I really just hope to continue creating music and putting it out there, playing live, collaborating and creating more and more valuable music while continuing to grow.