Oliver Tree Bio
Oliver Tree Nickell, known professionally as Oliver Tree, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, rapper, filmmaker, and actor. Born in Santa Cruz, California, he is recognized for his eccentric persona and genre-blending music that moves between alternative rock, indie pop, hip hop, and dance. Tree first gained viral attention with the song “When I’m Down” and signed to Atlantic Records in 2017, before releasing his debut studio album Ugly Is Beautiful in 2020.
He reached wider international recognition with the singles “Life Goes On” in 2021 and “Miss You” in 2022, followed by the studio albums Cowboy Tears in 2022 and Alone in a Crowd in 2023. Tree plays vocals, guitar, keyboards, and bass, and often writes, acts in, and directs his own comedic music videos. He has been active in music since 2010 and continues to tour and release new material.
Early Life and Background
Oliver Tree Nickell was born on June 29, 1993, in Santa Cruz, California, in the United States. Santa Cruz, a coastal city in Northern California, is known for its beaches, boardwalk, and long connection to music and the arts. Growing up in this environment gave Tree early exposure to live performance and a wide range of sounds, from punk and rock to electronic music.
As a young musician, Tree sang and played guitar in a ska band called Irony, which marked his first experience performing on stage. He also briefly produced dubstep and performed at music festivals, including Wobbleland 2011 in San Francisco. These early years in Santa Cruz and the broader Bay Area helped shape his interest in blending styles, comedy, and visual storytelling, elements that would later define his public image.
Tree studied business at San Francisco State University for two years before shifting his focus to music. He later graduated with a degree in music technology from the California Institute of the Arts, a respected school in Valencia, California, known for training artists across music, film, and the performing arts.
Path to Music
Tree launched his solo recording career in 2010 under the name “Tree,” self-releasing material and presenting early work to established acts such as Skrillex and Zeds Dead. In early 2013, he self-released an album called Splitting Branches, showing an early willingness to put out full projects on his own. At the age of 20, he signed with the London-based label R&S Records and released his debut EP, Demons, in August 2013.
The EP drew wider attention after Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke approved of Tree’s cover of the song “Karma Police.” Following this early momentum, Tree took a hiatus to return to school and finish his studies in music technology at the California Institute of the Arts. This break allowed him to refine his craft and prepare for a more ambitious return to the industry.
Oliver Tree Career
Early Career (2010–2016)
Tree’s earliest years as a recording artist were built around independent releases and festival appearances across the Bay Area scene. His debut EP Demons on R&S Records introduced his sound to a wider audience and earned a notable endorsement from Thom Yorke, which helped raise his profile. During this period, he also performed at electronic music events and continued to develop his production skills.
After completing his studies, Tree returned to music in March 2016 with a feature on the song “Forget It” by Getter, taken from the EP Radical Dude. In November 2016, he made his first television debut, performing with Getter on Last Call with Carson Daly. Shortly after the October 2016 release of “When I’m Down” by Whethan featuring Tree, he signed to Atlantic Records and graduated from the California Institute of the Arts.
Breakthrough (2016–2020)
Following his Atlantic signing, Tree began releasing material under the Oliver Tree name, starting with the singles “Welcome to LA” and “All I Got” in May 2017. In February 2018, he released his major-label debut EP, Alien Boy, alongside a double music video for “All That x Alien Boy,” which he wrote and directed over the course of nine months. To prepare for the video, Tree spent five months practicing freestyle monster truck jumping at the Perris Auto Speedway and performed his own stunts.
During this period, Tree also built his reputation as a live act, playing major festivals such as Lollapalooza, Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, and Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. He served as a supporting act on tours with Louis the Child, Skizzy Mars, and Hobo Johnson, helping him grow a loyal audience.
Between 2018 and 2020, Tree released a series of singles that would appear on his debut album, including “Hurt,” “Fuck,” “Miracle Man,” “Cash Machine,” “Let Me Down,” and “Bury Me Alive.” His second EP, Do You Feel Me?, arrived in August 2019 and received generally positive reviews. After delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and his own decision to postpone the release in response to the murder of George Floyd, his debut studio album Ugly Is Beautiful was released on July 17, 2020.
Continued Success (2021–2023)
On May 28, 2021, Tree released a deluxe version of his debut album titled Ugly Is Beautiful: Shorter, Thicker & Uglier, which included the breakout single “Life Goes On.” He also collaborated with Russian rave band Little Big and Estonian rapper Tommy Cash on the single “Turn It Up,” featured on their collaborative EP Welcome to the Internet, released on September 30, 2021.
Tree continued his momentum in 2022 with his second studio album Cowboy Tears, released on February 18, 2022, supported by the singles “Cowboys Don’t Cry” and “Freaks & Geeks.” The deluxe edition, Cowboy Tears: Drown the World in a Swimming Pool of Sorrow, followed on December 23, 2022. His collaboration with German producer Robin Schulz on “Miss You,” released as a non-album single on August 5, 2022, became one of his most popular songs to date.
In 2023, Tree released his third studio album, Alone in a Crowd, on September 29, 2023. The album was preceded by singles including “Here We Go Again” with David Guetta, “Bounce,” “One & Only,” “Essence” with Super Computer, and “Fairweather Friends.” To support the album, he launched the Alone in a Crowd World Tour from October 2023 to February 2024, with scheduled performances in Australia, Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Notable Works and Milestones
Tree’s signature works include the albums Ugly Is Beautiful, Cowboy Tears, and Alone in a Crowd, along with the singles “Life Goes On” and “Miss You,” which brought him his widest international recognition. In May 2020, he set a Guinness World Record for the world’s largest kick scooter, an event that matched his playful public image. His mix of self-directed music videos, festival appearances, and touring across North America and Europe has helped establish him as a distinctive voice in modern alternative and pop music.
Oliver Tree Award Nominations
Publicly verifiable information on specific award nominations for Oliver Tree is limited based on the available sources. While he has received generally positive reviews for projects such as the EP Do You Feel Me? and gained mainstream recognition for songs like “Life Goes On” and “Miss You,” confirmed nomination totals and categories are not detailed in the supplied materials. As a result, this section is limited to general notes on critical reception rather than specific award tallies.
Oliver Tree Awards Won
Verifiable information on formal award wins for Oliver Tree is not detailed in the supplied sources. His documented milestones include the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest kick scooter, set in May 2020, and inclusion on LA Weekly’s “The Best (and Weirdest) Fashion at Coachella” list in 2017. These achievements highlight the playful and visually driven side of his career, even as specific music-industry award wins are not confirmed in the available material.
Oliver Tree Family
Publicly available information about Oliver Tree’s parents and siblings is limited in the supplied sources. He was born and raised in Santa Cruz, California, and his family background in Northern California is connected to his early exposure to music and live performance. Beyond his birthplace and upbringing, further details about his parents and extended family are not clearly documented in the materials reviewed.
Personal Life
Oliver Tree is widely known for his eccentric and comedic public persona, often blending music, stunt work, and visual humor in his videos and live shows. He plays multiple instruments, including vocals, guitar, keyboards, and bass, and frequently writes, acts in, and directs his own material. Public details about his long-term partners or children are not documented in the supplied sources, and he keeps most of his private life out of the spotlight, focusing public attention on his creative work.