Question 1: In three sentences or less, how did you guys meet? What were the circumstances?

Andy: I was accompanying my wife to her church. She marveled at the piano player and kept nudging me to pay attention to how good he was. After endless accolades, I eventually got to talking to him and eventually asked him if he wanted to play on some music I was working on.

Bobby: It may not be the most rebellious place for a rock and roll story to start, but Andy and I met in a church. We had many great discussions about music, and eventually Andy asked me to work on a little project of songs for his wife’s birthday. The rest, as they say, is history. 

Question 2: What was the greatest compliment you ever got? And the worst feedback ever?

Andy: The positive one that stands out is: “You guys make me feel better than any coke I’ve ever done.” …… The way I see it, anytime you can beat out narcotics in the great endorphins challenge of life, it’s a solid win……….As far as the worst, someone literally wrote: “I’d rather die in a fire, very slowly, than listen to this band for one more second…” That sticks with me somehow. 

Bobby: My greatest compliment was when my good friend, Vinnie, said I was a “master of my craft.” Wow. That meant a lot…. Worst insult? A person commented online that my singing on the song “Honey Feet” sounded like an alien mating call…..To date, I’ve been unsuccessful at attracting any UFOs, but if we ever discover intelligent life on other planets I know one earthling who is going to get a lot of action..

Question 3: Describe the color yellow to somebody who is blind. 

Andy: Not really a question, but okay…Have the person sip lemonade while a very light heat lamp shines a touch of warmth on his or her face with the song “Good Day Sunshine” playing.

Bobby: Now that’s a good one. Yellow is sweet as a banana. Or maybe sour as a lemon. Depends on which fruit you choose to eat… Or… Yellow is warmth on your face. But please use sunblock. Don’t be a damn fool.

Question 4: You can use only one sentence to describe Elm Treason music. You say what?

Andy: Guitar-based riff-centered hook-rich bluesy alternative soulful rhythmic pop rock n roll with an acoustic twist. Rolls off the tongue, right?

Bobby: Guitar-centered, riff-heavy, hook-laden rock with melodies you’ll be repeating all day and harmonies that will make you melt like butter on an Arizonan August afternoon.

Andy: We like to speak in commas.

Question 5: Top 5 Influences?

Andy: So many more than five…..how about……Beatles… the great pop songwriting teams (Goffin-King, Leiber-Stoller, et al)… Jimmy Page, the riff-master… just about all non-operatic, non-hip-hop based music… Beethoven…

Bobby: Prog Rock, like Rush and Yes…….Beatles………Blues Rock like Cream and Zeppelin………Metal like Sabbath and Maiden……Classical, like Bach, Beethoven and Schubert. Others…but you said five.

Question 6: How did you get the name Elm Treason?

Andy: Bobby.

Bobby: It was wordplay…or rather, letter play. Anagrams. I played the “last name shuffle” on a snowy January day. Nothing real deep about it. The letters of our last names rearranged. We actually have a real short and funny video that lays it out.