San Francisco-based band Tea Leaf Green got their start in the relationship formed between guitarist Josh Clark and drummer Scott Rager, who played in a high-school band together in Arcadia, CA. After graduation, Rager enrolled at San Francisco State College, where he met bassist Ben Chambers. When Clark moved to San Francisco, the three began playing together as a trio. Their first paying gig was attended by Trevor Garrod, a singer/songwriter and keyboard player who had moved to San Francisco looking for other musicians to play with. Garrod met the three others, and soon they were playing together as a quartet. They built a following in Northern California and self-released the albums Tea Leaf Green, Midnight on the Reservoir (2001), Live at Slim's, San Francisco CA (2003), Living in Between (2004), and Live at the Independent (2004).
They issued their first national release, Taught to Be Proud, in 2005 and within a year they were opening for Gov't Mule, Trey Anastasio, Dave Matthews Band and a host of other lauded musicians. In 2007, longtime bass player Ben Chambers left the band and was replaced by Reed Mathis, formerly of Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey. Mathis's stylistic versatility on bass proved to be the perfect fit for the band. In 2008, Tea Leaf Green went on to re-release their first three studio albums as the triple-CD compilation entitled Seeds. Later that year the band followed up with their next studio album Raise Up the Tent.
In June 2010 Tea Leaf Green released Looking West, their first studio album in 2 years. The release is a compilation of road-tested, fan favorite songs that the band has never recorded in the studio. The album marks a new chapter for Tea Leaf Green and represents the artistic and individual growth of the band since their formation more than a decade ago.
In a few short years, these road warriors have built a strong following, consistently filling venues across the country and becoming a warmly received, go-to band on the festival circuit with stand-out performances at Bonnaroo, Wakarusa, 10K Lakes, and The Echo Project, among others. Sharing some of the style and substance of musical contemporaries My Morning Jacket, Wolfmother, and the Raconteurs, Tea Leaf Green conjures the spirit of bands like '70s Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and The Grateful Dead, taking classic sounds and giving them a present-day polish. Tea Leaf Green reminds us at every turn just how alluring rock 'n' roll can be.
