Tree Adams

I write music for a living. Typically, a composition forms in my head before I even pick up an instrument and often, the center piece of an idea will evolve by experimenting with a sound or a piece of gear in my studio in the initial stages of the process. Although my primary skills as a performer are as a singer and a guitarist, I employ a much more expansive palette for my adventures in film, games and television.

I’ve spent a lot of time on the road as a touring musician and still perform. I draw a great deal from that experience and from the context of ensemble recording. While I enjoy the mad scientist/alchemist side of being in the studio and manipulating soundscapes by myself, I am also a big believer in collaborating with other musicians and the magic that comes from that dialog: air being pushed in a room through a particular tube mic pre, the distinct and unique character of a performance etc. It has been a wonderful adventure so far and I still get excited as I embark on each new gig.

The musical style of my recent projects run the gamut: an epic scifi score for Jason Rothenberg’s ‘The 100’ (CW), which is rife with dark soundscape, Middle Eastern colors and orchestral themes. Warner Bros/Water Tower has released 3 soundtracks of my score for ‘The 100’. For ‘NCIS: Hawai’i’, I layer traditional ensemble elements, contemporary high energy procedural pulses and textures with Ukelele, Lap Steel and Polynesian drums. For ‘NCIS: New Orleans,’ it was that same procedural format again infused with the regional elements of a blues/jazz ensemble featuring horns and a pinch of voodoo percussion. The Freshman series ‘Lethal Weapon’ called for me to score hip-hop-driven car chases, comedic cop banter and tender moments underscoring a range of relationships. Ken Biller’s international espionage thriller, ‘Legends’ (TNT) featured a more minimalist approach combining solo celo and electronic soundscapes. For John Hertzfeld’s redemption film ‘Reach Me’ (Millenium Films), a traditional orchestral score. A gritty rock score for ‘Californication’ (Showtime), an urgent cerebral score for the crime drama, ‘Perception’ (TNT) a high energy electronica score for action/thriller ‘Run’ (Millenium Films.) A dusty western score for ‘Swelter’ and gritty hip hop grooves for Denis Leary and Bob Fisher’s comedy ‘Sirens’ (USA).

I've done gigs in every style imaginable: thrillers, comedies, dramas, horror, action, electronica, hip hop, rock, jazz... you name it. I've done a great deal of work writing and producing songs, recording actors and dealing with pre-records. Bottom line, I cover a lot of ground with these different projects and in the process, I get the opportunity to make music with some incredibly talented individuals.

I wrote my first song when I was 7 years old, it probably sucked but the point is that I’ve been writing music for the better part of three or four decades. Early on, I had classical training, then somewhere along the way I heard Hendrix at which point I decided this music thing might be fun. Nowadays I spend a great deal of time collaborating with filmmakers and so I deal with music as it applies to storytelling.