Local band the Breathing Tree, a four-piece group accustomed to playing shows primarily in Western New York, took full advantage of a path-changing opportunity this summer: traveling to Nashville to record with producer Dave Elkins, who doubles as the founder and lead singer of the band Mae.

Using the funding platform Kickstarter, an effective method of accruing financial support for creative projects, the Breathing Tree raised a total of $2,515 from 41 backers from April 1 to May 1 to cover a trip to Nashville to record at Schematic studios, Elkins’ home-base.

Back from Nashville, the Breathing Tree expects to release its new EP soon. In the meantime, the pop band will play a show at 7 p.m. tonight at Mohawk Place with openers Brother Keep and the Temps. Tickets for the After Dark Entertainment show are $5 and can be purchased online here, and while the concert is 16+, admission includes a free drink ticket for those 21 and above.

Here’s the teaser video with highlights from the Nashville trip:

“[Nashville] was a blast and we learned a ton throughout our time there,” guitarist-vocalist Nicholas Stilb said to the Buffalo BOOM blog. We learned how to deal with 106 degree weather on a daily basis. We learned to talk in our southern drawls. We learned that catfish isn’t much different tasting than your standard fish fry. But most of all, we learned about ourselves, how to push our musical creativity to new heights and really shine in the studio.”

Here are a few samples of the Breathing Tree’s work:

(Photo courtesy of the Breathing Tree’s Facebook page).