“Children in the Trees” by Pretend Collective: Sensing the Change Around Us
On July 12, 2024, Alt-Rock and Psychedelic band Pretend Collective released “Children in the Trees” the first single released from the upcoming album “Summer’s End Parade.” The song features lead vocals by Mike Reilly, guitar by Aurelien Budynek, and supporting vocals by the notable indie rising star beccs. While the chorus started to take shape in 2020, Reilly says “I’ve been writing a version of this song for close to 20 years.”
Wow, 20 years! This two-decade period allowed the song to evolve slowly over time, capturing the essence of various stages of Reilly’s life and the precision that went into creating the song as a whole. You can hear it while listening.
The eerie guitar heard in the back and the suspenseful harmonies complement the poetic lyrics perfectly. The lyrics focus on a girl who senses change around her leading her to feel that she has to change too. The song encapsulates the feeling of wandering into something unknown, which is a universal experience for so many of us. The “children in the trees” represent a deeper self-understanding by the people who lead and guide us. While there is so much to be discovered within the lyrical content of the song, the bridge offers an epic guitar solo.
Reilly says:
“What do I want listeners to take away from the journey? If they are asking questions about the character, about the story, about how they feel, if they wonder ‘Who are the children in the trees?’ then they are wondering the same thing I am. I want listeners to feel something.”
The song serves as a shared experience that can resonate differently with different people and that is where its beauty truly lies.
