Mini Trees - Always In Motion (September 17, 2021)

ItsAndrew · Jul 27, 2021

01. Moments In Between
02. Doomsday
03. Underwater?
04. Cracks In The Pavement
05. Youth
06. Spring
07. Carrying On
08. Differently
09. Numb
10. Otherwise

For better or for worse, life keeps moving forward. It’s this fundamental truth that Lexi Vega, the creative force behind Mini Trees, confronts throughout her debut album Always In Motion. But coming to terms with this inevitability has been a life-long struggle.

The daughter of a Cuban-born father and Japanese-American mother, the uniqueness of her identity has been an ever-present tension in Lexi’s life. She never quite fit in growing up within predominantly white communities in suburban southern California, with few who around her outside of her family to understand the generational scars caused by both exile and internment. When she was only 5 years old, Vega’s father, a professional drummer himself, took his own life. These traumas set in motion an ongoing questioning of Vega’s own self identity - and Mini Trees has provided the palette for Vega to process, to persevere, and to grow.

After playing drums in various projects for years, Vega began writing and recording her own music under the moniker Mini Trees in 2018. She recorded her first solo track in the Summer of 2018 with producer Jon Joseph and was immediately hooked on the feeling of creating something that spoke directly to her as an artist, fully in control of her own vision. Mini Trees debut EP, Steady Me, dropped in 2019 and Vega followed it with 2020’s EP, Slip Away.

Following the release of these two EPs and with ample time to work on music during 2020, Vega both found herself ready to progress creatively and challenging many of her long-held beliefs and notions about her own identity. Originally envisioned to be yet another EP, Vega instead began working on what would become her debut full length, Always In Motion, a collection of relatable indie-pop songs that acknowledge our collective anxiety about life’s improbability.

“Moments In Between,” Always In Motion’s ethereal opening number, was written early on in the process, kick-starting Vega into songwriting mode and reflecting the anxiety and dread she was grappling with as the world shut down around her. That sense of uncertainty pervades the album, although it’s more universal than circumstantial as Vega uses the lyrics to consider how we move through life with a constant sense of unknowing. “Moments In Between” wonders whether spiritual belief can help us accept all types of challenges, although the introspective track doesn’t necessarily find a conclusion.

“When you’re in the midst of something painful you long to get to the other side of it,” Vega explains. “You want to be free from that. Faith can mean that even though life is long and painful, there is hope at the end of it all. I like the idea of there being something better than this on the other side. That possibility acknowledges that while people go through periods of intense anxiety and dread, they make it through.”

“Carrying On,” a pulsating, layered track, was written during a trip to the desert, where Vega struggled to reconcile her sense of the world with actual reality, especially during a time when everything felt so unbelievable and surreal. The lush “Cracks in the Pavement” reflects on identity, with Vega acknowledging and embracing who she is and recognizing that change has to come from within.

Those themes extend into “Spring” as Lexi explores long-term relationships, wondering whether they can withstand one partner’s internal evolution. “It explores that fear of when you care about something so much that you don’t want to lose it,” she notes.

The closing track, “Otherwise,” confirms that there is no easy answer for these queries, but maybe that’s okay. Life, as usual, moves forward.

“I liked the idea of ending on an unresolved note,” Lexi says. “It emphasizes that there’s no certainty until we reach the end. That’s the only truth that seems reliable. You can’t ever know what’s going to happen until you get there. And that doesn’t have to conjure up feelings of dread. Over the course of the album I teeter-totter between having questions and wanting answers, but the resolution is to be okay with not knowing. I think I do find some acceptance along the way, but the album purposefully concludes with no real resolution.”

trevorshmevor · Jul 27, 2021

We were making our threads at the same time — you beat me by a couple minutes! Haha. Very excited for this record, Spring has been on frequent rotation this year and the new single rules

Carrow · Jul 27, 2021

Thank you Julien Baker for introducing me to Lexi in the first place, this is out mad soon and I can't wait.

mattav152 · Jul 27, 2021

very excited for this one, singles have been a nice progression from the EPs

cj · Jul 27, 2021

dis good

ImAMetaphor · Jul 27, 2021

This should be very good

ImAMetaphor · Jul 27, 2021

Love the song

ItsAndrew · Aug 24, 2021

ItsAndrew · Sep 8, 2021

mattav152 · Sep 17, 2021

mattav152 · Sep 17, 2021

This is really fucking good btw. I love that they kept the bass so prominent in the mix. Has a great full sound and honestly these are just all really well written songs I can see myself coming back to a bunch.

Chcurry182 · Sep 17, 2021

Loving this

cj · Sep 17, 2021

i want to love this because instrumentally it is very much my shit. the vocals are nice but are a little too one note for me. the closer is beautiful though.

ItsAndrew · Sep 17, 2021

Have to agree it's a bit one note, but I do like this!

ImAMetaphor · Sep 18, 2021

Man, I really connected with this on my first listen. Pretty much everything I wanted from her after the EP.

cj · Sep 20, 2021

really good summer to fall transition album.

ImAMetaphor · Sep 22, 2021

I've been trying to figure out what this reminds me of, and I think it's From Indian Lakes. There are also some moments where she sounds nearly identical to Aaron Marsh.

Leftandleaving · Sep 23, 2021

Currently on doomsday, which literally sounds like it could’ve been on everything feels better now. So yeah you know I’m digging it thanks jimmy

trevorshmevor · Sep 29, 2021

Was pretty highly anticipating this but it kinda washed over me at first. Pretty cool arrangements and stellar production, but was hoping for something a little... hookier. It’s definitely growing on me though. Sets a really nice vibe

trevorshmevor · Nov 10, 2021

RFC just posted this live video. They sound great

trevorshmevor · Jun 2, 2022

Just caught a set opening for Hovvdy, they did pretty well! She really nails the guitar tones live

ImAMetaphor · Jun 3, 2022

Very much overlooked album imo

ItsAndrew · Aug 17, 2022

Radiohead cover

Elder Lightning · Mar 22, 2023

ItsAndrew · Aug 24, 2023

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Mini Trees - Always In Motion (September 17, 2021)

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