We were lucky to catch up with Binnie Klein recently and have shared our conversation below.

Binnie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you wish you had started sooner?

I’ve been a writer since I was a child — mostly writing poetry. In adulthood, the writing included essays, a memoir (BLOWS TO THE HEAD; HOW BOXING CHANGED MY MIND, Suny Press, 2010), and short prose. I find that I’ve come to songwriting somewhat late in life, and it’s been absolutely thrilling. I’ve been collaborating as a lyricist with Australian singer/songwriter Tartie, and we recently (2024) released our debut CD, “The Quiver” under our recording name In These Trees and Tartie. It’s gotten some wonderful attention and critical praise. Why do I wish I’d started sooner? I would have had more potential opportunity to develop a network of musicians with whom I might collaborate. I would have probably studied music theory to augment my ability with lyrics. I play piano, and could always have benefitted from more study there. But there are the old adages: “Better late than never” – “It happens when it’s supposed to happen.” I take comfort in those!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started a creative duo, In These Trees and Tartie. It is an indie/pop collaboration that began before the pandemic, and has involved remote work from singers, musicians and producers. The album, “The Quiver,” is streaming everywhere and on Bandcamp. The music industry is, of course, challenging for non-marquee artists. We are trying to gain exposure on radio stations and music publications, and are grateful to all who appreciate our music.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Sometimes it feels a bit pretentious to label myself a “creative” and then posit a category of “non-creatives.” Be that as it may, I would endeavor to explain how vitally important creative work has been throughout my life. Like other creative people, we find that we can fall into depression without a creative focus. It’s like a nutrient that we must ingest regularly! We also like to keep a lot of our time available to ourselves for those endeavors, so we can seem anti-social at times.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I was a bit skeptical of social media initially. But I knew as a writer and would-be music/maker, I would need to expand my network. I began to build up a friendship group on FB, and I now find it to be a tremendously rewarding source of support and guidance. When Instagram became popular, particularly for indie music-makers, I was resistant, again. “How will I ever learn or master this new form?” I turned to some generous mentors to help me, and now I’m building a presence on Instagram as well as FB. I’m amazed at what I have learned, and daunted by things I still need to explore.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.inthesetrees.com
• Instagram: @inthesetrees.com
• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits

Personal photo by Scott Shapleigh