News
Album Release Sat April 4th at The Earl
News/Press: Single - Shine
The Yum Yum Tree embraces the emotional wildness of life on “Shine” [BPM Premiere]
Beats Per Minute premiered a video for SHINE - the first single off of the new album Turn Down the Noise. They also wrote a great little review. Check it out.
Black Plastic on Shine
"The performance here finds itself pitched right between a sense of yearning and a kind of acceptance — watching someone across the bar, and just being happy you got to experience them."
"A love letter to the golden age of 90's female fronted indie pop"
"Guitar, Bass, drums and a hook string thought to carry the whole room. The Yum Yum Tree prove that timeless songwriting still cuts through the noise."
The Yum Yum Tree Finds Grace in Longing on “Shine”
"Shine" is very relatable, like a thought you had late at night that you finally put into words. This is a strong release that shows The Yum Yum Tree knows how to make music that sounds good and makes you feel good. This song sticks with you long after it ends.
" Relatable storytelling is beautifully conveyed"
Shine is a song that captures one's inner struggle between attraction and instability, being torn between the fear of moving forward and fear of standing still.
“Shine” doesn’t dramatize pain; it observes it calmly and transforms it into empathy.
The Yum Yum Tree translates this inner conflict into an honest, restrained, and profoundly human piece. The song is built on luminous guitars and a vulnerable vocal performance, where there is no reproach but acceptance.
Purple Melon on Shine
Andy Gish explores the mature, uncomfortable space of wanting the best for someone you can no longer have. Channelling the angst of The Breeders and PJ Harvey, ‘Shine’ balances raw vulnerability with self-assured production. It’s a refreshing, honest anthem that cuts through modern noise to find something real.
"Genuinely catchy without feeling forced"
Shine explores the desire for someone who doesn't belong to you, the acceptance of that trust and the quiet decision to stillwish them well.
A well-designed video with interesting metaphors.
'90s Indie Rock Magic from Atlanta's Comeback Queens
"The song channels that golden era of indie pop where everything felt immediate and real, and it's a refreshing reminder in today's polished landscape"
R+ on Shine
They offer a musical and emotional experience that resonates with listeners who have experienced unrequited love or moments where wanting something paradoxically means letting it go.
"There are comebacks that feel like a breath of fresh air, while also plunging us back into the best
With "Shine", The Yum Yum Tree reminds us that it's never too late to be honest, vulnerable and, above all, to make really good independent rock.
Other notes on SHINE
Other Stuff People Said...
Andy talking about Kimono My House on WABE
"On their latest single, “Shine”, Gish and her musical conspirators conjure the spirit of
early 90’s indie rock, a bit caustic but drenched in acres of sticky melodies and prickly
rhythms. It feels as though we’re looking back in time, gazing at the past and becoming
aware of how that time shaped our future. The guitars are chunky but whirl in
impressionistic patterns while Harr’s insistent beat drives everything to its rightful
conclusion. By bridging the past and the present, musically and emotionally, we’re
offered a way to understand how best to move forward." - Beats Per Minute (2026)
"The Yum Yum Tree return with grungy gem 'Shine' – yearning vocals meet raw garage
rock on upcoming album 'Turn Down the Noise.' Honeyed vulnerability at its best." -
Black Plastic (2026)
Shine is a song that captures one's inner struggle between attraction and instability, being
torn between the fear of moving forward and fear of standing still. A song about finally
embracing emotional risk and feeling deeply over emotional numbness." - Caesar Live N
Loud (2026)
“The Yum Yum Tree return with ‘Shine,’ and it instantly feels like a love letter to the
golden age of ‘90s female fronted indie pop. Guitar, bass, drums and a hook strong
enough to carry the whole room. No Excess, no gimmicks, just melody and heart.” - Last
Day Deaf (2026)
"‘Shine’ is a glorious time capsule, resurrecting the guitar-driven magic of ’90s female-
fronted indie pop. Andy Gish explores the mature, uncomfortable space of wanting the
best for someone you can no longer have. Channelling the angst of The Breeders and PJ
Harvey, ‘Shine’ balances raw vulnerability with self-assured production. It’s a refreshing,
honest anthem that cuts through modern noise to find something real." - Purple Melon
Music (2026)
"A damn fine rock outfit" Georgia Music Show January 2001
" The Yum Yum Tree -- "Reverse Engines," [is] the band's snappy full-length debut. The engaging songs of vocalist Andy Gish and her little-girl-with-attitude vocals make this one of the best local albums you're likely to hear this year.
Shane Harrison * Atlanta Journal Constitution * March 2002
Yum Yum Tree Puts Four Gears in Reverse
Creative Loafing
Spring is here, and as dogwoods bud in Atlanta, the Yum Yum Tree has yielded a healthy crop of new songs. Reverse Engines, recorded last fall by Jason NeSmith (the Yeah!, Casper Fandango) at his Magic Foot Studio in Athens, is an expansive, darkly cinematic 11-track collection featuring the fruit of the bands' remarkable growth since its self-titled EP released early last year.
That hastily released four-song album landed the band in heavy rotation on Album 88. "We didn't even have a regular guitar player yet," says Andy Gish, vocalist/bassist/songwriter for the band. "I just sent the disc in, and they started playing it. So there's proof that they actually do open unsolicited mail there."
Almost immediately, the band was invited to open for national touring acts, often presenting a more unified and professional show than the headliners. Their mix of spiraling guitars -- tempered in the tradition of the Pixies, with the sparkling yet slightly menacing psychedelia of Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd -- proved to be varied enough to mesh well bands as diverse as Pontius Co-Pilot and Eleni Mandell.
In her native Texas, Gish was a member of prog-rock band the Lost Episodes for eight years before moving to Atlanta to form the Yum Yum Tree in the fall of 2000 with Georgia residents Matt Harr (drums) and Kent Honea (guitar). With the addition of guitarist Scott Lewis, the quartet has solidified a pleasingly tight presentation of catchy, crunchy pop songs with a slightly creepy, mysterious edge.
"Mystery is good," says Gish. "We don't have to spell out everything, and I think that people who enjoy us are able to fill in some lines here and there.FULL ARTICLE HERE
"Ear candy: The Yum Yum Tree glam it up on their new 11-song CD Reverse Engines, dolling up their endearing femme-pop with a dark undercurrent of switchblade guitars, shadowy textures and singer Andy Gish's alluring air of mystery. The best cuts are the sparest and most direct, where her seductive vocals draw you in the deepest."
Jeff Clark Stomp and Stammer April 2002
Rock Stars in My Living Room (Story from Past-Imperfect)
"The Yum Yum Tree [are] still riding high on the recent release of Reverse Engines, a sometimes-scary thrill ride into Cand Land." Creative Loafing April 2002
The Yum Yum Tree -- The YYT offers up "sultry vocals, crunchy guitars and melodic catch, which we haven't heard the likes of since Hole's Live Through This," says the press release. Yes! Whether because of 'ol Kurt or not, that album belongs in the best 50 or so albums of the 90s. Vocalist Andy Gish is no Courtney Love, so don't expect any half-naked stage diving. Do expect lots of songs off the band's excellent semi-new Reverse Engines. With 4th Ward and Honey Child. Tim Davis CreativeLoafing Charlotte, NC
Left Off the Dial Review of Reverse Engines
"See, hear, recall CL's critics revisit 2001's live music highlights Too busy reading the newspaper? Well, look at all the great shows you missed this year.
To name just a few: The Yum Yum Tree (Nov. 16, Smith's Olde Bar). Andy Gish's evolution has been played out over the past year on stages across the city. Her efforts to find a platform for her bitingly sardonic observations have been, at times, uneven. This show seemed like the culmination of all her hard work. Now a four-piece with a dynamic guitar player, the band proved that it's as good as any of those slightly creepy, often oblique 4AD-type acts with national followings. And they have a ton of catchy songs, too. (LS) " Creative Loafing Dec 2001
"Texan Andy Gish begins her second year of deceptively sugar-coated mayhem as leader of the Yum Yum Tree, a candy machine of considerable potential, rapidly emerging as one of Atlanta's brightest lights in the foggy pop underground." The Earl - Creative Loafing Jan 2002
"The intense caffeine rush of Crybaby anchors the second of five Wednesday residency shows tonight. Prog and proud of it, 3d5spd open with a heady set that's likely to feature material from its Radial Quartet album. Confectionary sweetheart Andy Gish and her defiantly hard-rocking pop band, The Yum Yum Tree -- one of Atlanta's best live acts this year -- should be the pure cane sugar in this strong black coffee evening"
Creative Loafing Dec 2001
"The Yum Yum Tree led by the mysteriously haunting presence of sultry bassist Andy Gish - recalls the best moments of late 80's pixies and Throwing Muses without borrowing directly from the source."
Creative Loafing Sept 2001
"The Yum Yum Tree's delightful orchard of understated angst is accentuated by the refreshing sensual delivery of Andy Gish" Creative Loafing May 2001
"The Yum Yum Tree offer breathy grrrl rock that's equal parts
bitter, sweet and bittersweet." Greg Nicoll Creative Loafing March 2001
"The Green Lantern Showcase kicks off on with The Yum Yum Tree, an Atlanta-based (by way of Texas) trio fronted by lead singer and bassist Andy Gish - a vibrant lady whose vocal style has been compared to that of PJ Harvey and Mazzy Star."
Ballard Lesemann Flagpole (Athens, GA) Oct 2001
"A great sampler of some of Atlanta's most promising acts... Album 88 favorites The Yum Yum Tree are a trio led by bassist Andy Gish, a great pop songwriter. Be sure to ask her for your official Yum Yum Tree candy. It's like the band: sugary, but not too sweet, leaving a pleasant and lingering aftertaste."
Creative Loafing Aug 2001
"Pontius Co-pilot join Atlanta's Own punk-pop confection The Yum Yum Tree for a double bill of catchy guitar rock." Roni Sarig Creative Loafing Sept 2001
"The Yum Yum Tree offer electric pop in the Liz Phair mold, with vocals that range between appealing cuteness and alt-rock anger."
Greg Nicoll Creative Loafing March 2001
"The Yum Yum Tree is the a local outfit led by Andy Gish (formerly of the Texas band the Lost Episodes) that does a good job with catchy, and sometimes challenging, indie pop." Greg Nicoll Creative Loafing November 2000
"Atlanta-based pop trio fronted by ex-Texan Andy Gish. The group's odd, trancy sound has been compared favorably to PJ Harvey, Magnapop and Mazzy Star."
Flagpole (Athens, GA) Sept 2001
