With a name as interesting and off the wall as “Flamingos in the Tree” the band is bound to make some otherworldly music, which if you check out their music it’s definitely the case.
When moving to a whole new city, officially being on your own can be quite a scary and growing journey, especially during your college years when it feels like the world’s rug is getting ready to be swept out from under you. Music and creating a band can create an outlet for the change you are going through.
Flamingos in the Tree consist of four such members, Daniel Escovar, vocalist and guitarist, Jarvis Humlick, drummer, Spencer Thomas, and James Pizzo. Only Escovar and Humlick were able to show up for the interview.
They have been in a band for four years and started in the dorms of Argenta for their freshman year. They had met in the common space through the dorms. The band formed almost instantly once the members met each other. They decided to unite as a band even though they really didn’t know each other. Most bands, especially local bands, form a tightly bonded friendship then become a band, but this was a counter result. The guys ended up forming this bond through the stressors and environment that are created once you form a musical group.
Each of the members all moved to Reno from different spots around the West Coast to come to school at UNR. Humlick is from the Tahoe area, Escovar is from L.A., and the other two are from Roseville and Las Vegas.
Given that the band didn’t have anything specific to build off of for a name they had to resort to different options. The name was birthed from a random name generator, which first came out as “Hounds in the Tree”. The band knew their music didn’t represent the aggressiveness or high energy that comes with hounds. They knew they had to come up with an animal they felt represented their brand and message the best.
“We were like flamingos, flamingos are cool,” Escovar said. “Pink is a cool color and then we were like alright, Flamingos in the Tree. I mean we have our own meaning, but we want to leave it up to interpretation.”
The band slowly started to form when Escovar and Thomas had this fire of creative energy and wanted to start building larger instrumental compositions. The two lived across the hall from each other and a constant back and forth started to flourish where they would run to each other’s room to share what new creation or idea they had come up with.
“We had a long point where we only played music together,” Escovar said. “But it definitely grew once we started playing more shows and as we started rehearsing a lot more we really started to find a friendship. The friendship and camaraderie really grows through the music as we feel ourselves progress as musicians we feel the friendship grow as well.”
The band had an immediate chemistry that birthed so formlessly that it was inevitable that these guys were supposed to play with each other. The band each recognized their own strengths and how they helped elevate each other to a higher level. They’ve also been supportive of each other as students.
Humlick graduated from UNR last December with a major in biochemistry. Humlick is passionate about two things: music and science, so going to school for biochemistry and being in a band worked perfectly for him. Escovar is currently getting his political science degree because while he also has a passion for music, he has a big passion for learning and writing as well. Both decided to stay in school and graduate because they enjoy it, and to have a safety net if music didn’t ultimately work out financially for them.
“Short term we want to be able to play music and live off the expenses, I like traveling,” Escovar said. “We’re going on tour June 10 and it’ll be nice that we’ll be making money for that and then send it into the tour so we’ll be traveling for free… We don’t really book anymore. People will just text us and ask if we want to play.”
The two said that the release of their first song, “Thorned Rose” was the big leap that helped propel them to a larger audience. They claim that it’s a song that really defines who they are and their sound.
Humlick the drummer is also a Laboratory Technician with the City of Reno. “Performing live is just a blast,” Humlick said. “Not only are you feeding off the energy of the crowd, but also each other. At this point, we’ve been playing with each other for so long that we know each other’s idiosyncrasies. I can just look over at Dan [Escovar] and shoot him a little look or a little wink and then we’ll do something at the end of the song.”
“It is kind of like a therapy you just get to vent and be honest with yourself when you’re creating and you also get to live in the moment like when we’re all playing as a group,” Escovar said. “It’s hard to think about the past or the future while we’re playing.”
The two shared how going to LA was quite an inspiration. It showed them that things were becoming much more real and the idea of making it in the industry started to grow stronger. Playing for a new crowd and a new environment was very refreshing.
The Reno rock/indie scene has a very close bond with one another. Escovar and Humlick shared how they have a good relationship with a lot of the bands and are open to playing shows and recording songs with just about anyone.
“I love the culture that has sprouted from Reno post-COVID,” Escovar said.
The band just released a new single titled, “Toes” which is available on all streaming platforms. They are also set to play at the Biggest Little Festival on April 30. Their tour starts on June 10 with the release of their new album also happening on the same day.