{"title":"Mini Trees","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"burn-out-2","title":"Burn Out","description":"\u003cp\u003eBurn Out - the latest release from Mini Trees - is a defiantly euphoric EP with the sonic and emotional bandwidth of a full-length record packed neatly into five new songs from Los Angeles-based songwriter Lexi Vega. Inspired by a relentless touring schedule that followed the release of her 2021 debut album \u003ci\u003eAlways In Motion\u003c\/i\u003e, the songs of Burn Out confront questions of identity, exhaustion, and how to navigate creating art in an industry fixated on commodifying it. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA month away from music sparked Vega’s creativity and inspired her to return with long-time friend and producer Jon Joseph. Together they determined to push the limits of Mini Trees’ “bedroom pop” description, opening the door to a number of new collaborators - keys from Zac Rae (Death Cab for Cutie, Lana Del Rey), arrangements from James McAllister (Sufjan Stevens, Taylor Swift), and even bass from longtime family friend Jimmy Johnson (James Taylor, Phil Collins). These songs shimmer in production, even as they’re saturated with the pervasive sense of fractured identity, disillusionment, and otherness that has shaped much of Vega’s sense of self. The overwhelming weight of these disparate identities is reflected in the EP’s cover art - a bed cluttered with clothes she’s chosen not to wear, familial heirlooms and mementos strewn at her feet. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSongs like opener “Shapeshifter” exemplify the new, determinatively pop sound Lexi and her team pushed for in these sessions. On the song, Vega contends with her tendency to change herself to blend with her surroundings, ultimately leaving her feeling like an empty shell over pulsating synths and buoyant drums. “Cave” is another album highlight, featuring Medium Build’s Nick Carpenter and little more than an acoustic guitar and some keys. “You’re never going back there” the two singers belt throughout the song’s build, a lament for life’s unlived trajectories despite satisfaction with the one she chose. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe irony of Burn Out is that as vulnerably as Vega grapples with her insecurities, this is Mini Trees’ most assertive and intrepid work yet. Gritty guitars rip through polyrhythmic backbeats, Vega’s voice pressed tight to the listener’s ear, dripping often with the gleam of autotune as it flips into breathy falsetto. These are hooks meant to be belted in loud rooms, and arrangements that sparkle as if they were crafted in million-dollar studios. But these songs came mostly out of the same rooms in which Vega made Always in Motion — a testament to the profound artistry and talent that keeps developing despite her fear that at any moment it could all go away. And a sign that perhaps she has a firmer grasp of herself than even she knows.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Run For Cover Records","offers":[{"title":"Orange 12\"","offer_id":50442003087691,"sku":"2178652","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/RFC263_b5e7ecbd_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726990086"},{"product_id":"always-in-motion","title":"Always In Motion","description":"\u003cp\u003eThere’s a fundamental truth that Los Angeles musician and songwriter Lexi Vega embraces on Mini Trees’ debut album \u003ci\u003eAlways In Motion\u003c\/i\u003e - time keeps moving forward, for better or worse. The consequences of this perpetual motion spark this latest collection of relatable indie-pop songs that acknowledge our collective anxiety about life’s improbability. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLexi began writing and recording her own music as Mini Trees in 2018. It was a natural evolution for Lexi, who grew up in Southern California surrounded by music - her mom sang in a Japanese pop fusion band and her dad was a touring and session drummer who was often on the road with James Taylor. She grew up taking guitar and drum lessons, always aware that music would be her path. After years of playing drums in other bands, she recorded her first solo track with producer Jon Joseph and was immediately hooked on the feeling of creating something that spoke directly to her as an artist. Mini Trees debut EP, \u003ci\u003eSteady Me\u003c\/i\u003e, dropped in 2019 and Lexi followed it with last year’s Slip Away EP.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMini Trees began playing around the West Coast in early 2020, and then the motion paused for Lexi and the rest of the world. Suddenly she was home, with endless time to think, and the pause made her begin to reevaluate her own identity and beliefs. She had initially planned to write and record a third EP in 2020, but Lexi quickly realized she had the time and inspiration for an album instead. Last summer she went into the studio with Jon for several recording sessions to create what would become her first full-length record.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs a whole, \u003ci\u003eAlways In Motion\u003c\/i\u003e is a snapshot of Lexi’s frame of mind while creating it. It’s about the past as much as it was about the present moment, and Lexi’s ability to look inward and ask questions extends outward to the listener as well. Mini Trees posits that there is no easy answer to these queries, but maybe that’s okay. Time moves forward - always in motion.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Run For Cover Records","offers":[{"title":"Clear | LP","offer_id":50483160056139,"sku":"1128466","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50483160744267,"sku":"1128465","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/c7f48ea1-ac0b-4537-a9ee-d260ceaa4a7f_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727562042"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/mini-trees.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}