Jake Swamp and The Pine: The Soundtrack to Your Life’s Movie

Jake Swamp is not a person. It’s a pine tree. The tallest tree in Massachusetts. And Drew Zieff doesn’t blame you for making this mistake.

“Everyone assumes my name is Jake, but it’s Drew and it’s very confusing. The Jake Swamp Pine Tree is the tallest tree in Massachusetts and I, as an outdoorsy person, wanted something representative of the outdoors and Massachusetts where I’m based out of. So the Jake Swamp Pine Tree became Jake Swamp and The Pine.”

Jake Swamp and The Pine is unapologetic, real, and your gateway to a new folk obsession. Simpson and Banks is Zieff’s first release with a new sound and direction, blending traditional folk with modern sounds. “Drive, Drive, Drive” opens the album with vocals and acoustic guitar which transforms as the song progresses adding the band and organ in. It is a symbol of where Jake Swamp and The Pine started and the path that it will follow. These 10 tracks are snapshots in time, whether that is helping a family member move (“Moving Day”) or that one time Zieff smoked too much weed in his friend’s basement (“Empty Stomachs and Blood Shot Eyes”). 

This album is a product of freedom and creativity not only for Zieff, but for all of the musicians involved. He was joined by Josh Gold, Rachael Wolff, Jonathan Ulman, Don Mitchell, Auyon Mukharji, and Corinna Smith – to name a few. It was Zieff’s goal to give the musicians an opportunity to interpret the song in their own ways with limited direction. Although he enjoyed working with each and every musician in the studio, he recalls the session with Wolff as one of his favorites.

“Watching her play was mesmerizing … I didn’t want someone to come in and shred, I wanted someone to write tasteful parts.”

While listening to Jake Swamp and The Pine, you can hear stories come to life and they start to blend with your own. Zieff is not only influenced by the events in his life, but by other artists like Brandi Carlile. The genre bending, singer-songwriter has been Zieff’s North Star in music and as a human being. With powerful undertones in their songs and intentional voice cracks, Carlile is a dream collaboration with Jake Swamp and The Pine. Zieff noted the amazing harmonies Carlile and the Hanseroth twins have in their band, but didn’t fail to mention, “if they're ever looking for a fourth harmony, and I’m sure there is a long list of people, but I hope to one day at least be last on that list.”

Zieff has yet to hear from Carlile about joining the band, but in the meantime he is out on the road for the Simpson and Banks Tour. While he’s touring New England and beyond, he continues to work on writing his next stories. 

“I always like to think about music through the lens of: if this were a movie, what would the soundtrack be?”

Drew Zieff wants you to have the best experience possible with his music. Go on a hike in the woods while listening to Simpson and Banks or venture out to see him performing at venues like the Word Barn in New Hampshire. Just remember not to call him Jake. 

Simpson and Banks is available on all streaming platforms now.