Jun 8, 2007

Shark finds refuge in Trees

Player trades hockey stick for didgeridoo

By Paul Freeman / Entertainment Writer

A pro hockey player forms a rock band? I can hear the skeptical snickers now. But San Jose Sharks forward Mark Smith will surprise you with his extraordinarily engaging Bay Area-based band, the Vinyl Trees.

Smith has been singing, strumming guitar and writing songs since his teens. He approaches music the way he does hockey - with ferocious fervor and a commitment to excellence, as well as a sense of fun. He also displays tremendous curiosity, which has led to the band's eclectic, sophisticated sound.

The trio, originally called the Talking Trees, was forced to alter their moniker after discovering a U.K. band with the same name. Joining Smith in the group are Newark's guitarist/bassist Alek Dorian and the drummer, Santa Cruz resident Larry Brooks.

"I went through the process of searching for guys, jamming, ever since I got to the area, six or seven years ago," Smith said. "I finally found some chemistry with these two guys."

Last summer the band toured Western Canada. Upon their return, they worked on a CD, now available through www.thevinyltrees.com. The album reflects a global influence. The title, "Pura Vida," was inspired by a trip the adventurous Smith took to Costa Rica.
"The locals use that phrase ('Pura Vida'). It means 'a pure life.' I thought it tied into the whole theme of our album, with its variety of instruments."

A multi-instrumentalist, Smith plays ukulele on one of the album's tracks. "I was in Hawaii and a friend bought me (a ukulele) in a gift store. I went home and wrote a song within 20 minutes, the last song on the album, 'By Chance.'"

One of the newest additions to Smith's lineup is the Australian didgeridoo. During the NHL lockout a couple of years ago, he was introduced to the instrument.

"Probably the only good thing to come out of that situation was that I discovered the didgeridoo. The first ten seconds I heard it played, I said, 'That's the best sound I ever heard in my life. I think that would be a perfect fit for some of the songs that I write.'
"I made one out of a PVC pipe, which is pretty easy to do. Put a beeswax mouthpiece on it. Five bucks later, I had myself a homemade didgeridoo."

With an athlete's lung power, it didn't take long for Smith to emit droning sounds from the instrument. "The hardest part was learning how to do the circular breathing. That took me a couple months," he said. "Still, I by no means call myself a 'didg' player. We use it as more of an accompanying instrument."

On the CD, you might also detect an African balafon, akin to a wooden xylophone with gourds underneath for resonance. While visiting Peru with a Peruvian girlfriend, Smith found a traditional drum called the "cajon." He brought one back and handed it to drummer Brooks.

"It's exciting to see someone excel at something totally new," Smith said. "It's so raw. Larry adds a gringo flair to a Latin instrument and it works. The way we play our instruments, with a certain ignorance, we develop a style of our own. When I hear it click, all come together, it's an amazing feeling."

Smith draws from diverse inspirations, pulling together sounds that don't really go together. "Anything from Smashing Pumpkins to Jack Johnson," Smith said. "I try to find some common ground."

He plans to remain based in San Jose this summer and hopes to play shows throughout California. "We've got a nice niche and it's fun to jam live, change the songs up a little bit. I've never liked to go to a concert and see a band play a song exactly as it is on the album. I like to hear new little subtleties.

Smith says he keeps Brooks and Dorian on their toes, because he is always making up different lyrics. "If I feel something, I go on a tangent and they've got to follow me," Smith said. "They've got a tough job, but they handle it really well."

In March, the Vinyl Trees performed at the Fillmore. "I was a little nervous. There are all those classic posters, all the ghosts of greats who have played there. Such a rich history," he said.

Adding to the significance of the evening was the fact Canadian rock icons the Tragically Hip headlined the show. "I grew up listening to their music and now I'm opening for them. That's something that I'll take with me forever," Smith said.

"They're down-to-earth guys. You'd never know they were rock stars. They're huge hockey fans. It's funny, they want to meet you as much as you want to meet them."
The Fillmore gig came while Smith was sidelined for two months with a groin strain. "When you're injured, you're sitting around driving yourself crazy, wanting to get back. So it's nice to have music.

"If I didn't play the guitar, I don't think I would have made it as far as I've gotten in hockey. I'm not one of those guys who can eat and breathe the game 24 hours a day. I need to get my mind off it, so when I do come to the rink, I can totally focus on hockey and it stays fresh."

The Eyebrow, Saskatchewan native says that being a pro athlete has polished his performing. "They're similar in that people are focused on you," he said. "It can get tense.

"Having learned how to handle adversity in hockey definitely helps with the music. If you're onstage and somebody yells, 'You guys suck!,' you've heard it all before," Smith chuckled.

And he understands skepticism toward his music. "'Oh, that guy's an athlete. He can't possibly play,'" he said. But added, "A handful of people actually can do both. ... If you like it, you can listen. If you don't, you can ignore it.

"I've had people come up and say, 'I really didn't expect much and I'm blown away.' That's nice to hear."

For Smith, making music is joyful. "I never want to make music a job. Once that's the situation, you can lose the passion. To me, music is all about passion.

"If I could do anything with my music, it would be to take it on the road, travel the world, seeing different cultures, having new experiences. If music could give me that, I would be fulfilled."