In the summer of 2003, an Eau Claire hardcore band formed under the namesake “Sky Tree and the Greenery Scene.” In the years that followed, the band became divided on the name conjured up by guitarist Brad Johnson, so they changed it to In Reverence instead. But that wasn’t the end of Sky Tree.

It “hibernated,” as Brad puts it, for about six years until his recent unnamed solo project brought it back. “It’s a night-and-day 180,” Brad says. “Before it was more of the aggressive, hardcore style. Now it’s singer-songwriter folk with heart. … It was night before, and now it’s day.”

Sky Tree and the Greenery Scene is now a project hailing from Costa Mesa, California, and has a four-track EP under its belt. Brad recorded it as a solo project a few months back with Lewis Richards of 17th Street Records (Sting, Mary J Blige, Sublime, and The Dirty Heads). The first track, The Great Perspective Change, is my favorite. It has fun country-bluegrass instrumentation like Mages, then unfurls vocals that recall Plain White Ts, and an unlikely touch of autotuning. I realize on paper this sounds crazy, but it’s pretty fun. The following three tracks (Blue Dream, Whistling Wind, and Captain Oh Captain) slow things down a bit, but are far more than a guy and his guitar crooning. It’s rich and textured, yet minimal, and fans of Death Cab will likely love it.

Now that Brad is planning live shows, he decided to put together a full band to add more energy to the whole experience. And since he still has strong ties to the area, he hopes to eventually play a show in Eau Claire.

“When I moved out to California, one of my goals was to surf,” Brad said. “A lot of inspiration comes from the ocean. It’s where I find inner-peace and my creative juices. It’s kind of the love of my life. … ‘Sky Tree’ really fits the style of the music and the aesthetic of this whole thing, so that’s why I brought it back.”

Hear the music and find more info at ReverbNation, Facebook, or SkyTreeMusic.com. Find the EP at The Local Store and iTunes.