Treephort Biography
The members of Treephort like to describe their sound as "nerdcore" (as opposed to hardcore, metalcore, grindcore or emocore), which is a way of saying that their melodic but forceful and hard-driving style of punk-pop is quite different from much of the punk-pop that was popular in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. Unlike many of the punk-pop outfits that emerged during the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush years, Treephort doesn't play emocore--a popular style that combines punk-pop exuberance with lyrics that are introspective and confessional. No one will mistake Treephort for emo groups like blink-182 and the Sloppy Meat Eaters; they totally reject emo's introspection, and some of their lyrics have been quite critical of the emo scene. Nor is Treephort a punk revival band--that is, a band that was formed in the ‘90s or 2000s but tries to emulate the old school punk pioneers of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Nonetheless, Treephort does have a lot of old school punk influences, including the Ramones, Fear, the Dead Kennedys, the Clash and Black Flag. But not all of Treephort's influences come from hardcore punk; lead singer Lee Satterfield has also cited Camper van Beethoven and Oingo Boingo as influences. Satterfield has claimed Huey Lewis & the News as an influence, and there are even hints of Bruce Springsteen in some of Treephort's material. Lyrically, Treephort brings a wacky sense of humor to the table; quite often, their lyrics are as goofy as they are irreverent. When a band has song titles like "I Was Born in an Abortion Clinic," "Why Do Fat Kids Like Metallica?" and "Good Things Come to Those Who Sleep with Me," it is obvious that its members have a taste for over-the-top humor.
Treephort was formed in Atlanta, GA in 1997. Their albums have included Touched by an Uncle on Interpunk, And the Streets Will Run Red with the Blood of The Nonbelievers on Asbestos Records, Kill ‘Em All on Asbestos and 2003's Buy This Album or the Terrorists Win on Brand Name Records. Along the way, Treephort has had different lineups; in 2003, the band's lineup included Satterfield (b. May 18, 1980, Marietta, GA), lead singer Kyle Knight (b. Mar. 26, 1980), lead guitarist Jimmy KC Wenthol (b. May 6, 1982, Blue Island, IL), bassist Oscar Velez (b. Dec. 29, 1982, Mexico City, Mexico), drummer Sonny Harding (b. May 6, 1982, Atlanta, GA) and keyboardist James Abercrombie. Before joining Treephort, Harding and Wenthol had played together in a band called Tastes Like Burning; Satterfield is an ex-member of the band Crystal Shit, and Velez' resume includes a group named Shattered Life. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
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