Oliver Tree Talks Shrek, New Album "Love You Madly Hate You Badly," Antartica and "Life Goes On"

Oliver Tree sits down with Zach Sang for a candid, whirlwind conversation that dives deep into his latest album, 'Love You Madly Hate You Badly,' a project born from two years of solo travel across 82 countries and seven continents. He reveals he recorded the entire album in hotel rooms using minimal gear, rejecting traditional studio costs and labels to reclaim creative control. The album, which explores the duality of love and hate, was shaped by personal transformation, self-discovery, and a radical redefinition of success—moving from material wealth to true freedom and authenticity. Tree recounts harrowing experiences like being pulled over by cops, surviving gun confrontations, and living with the Maasai tribe in Tanzania, where he was even crowned a chief. He also discusses his guerrilla filmmaking journey, including shooting his Antarctica documentary and recording songs in war-torn Iraq and banned music zones in Afghanistan. Despite widespread rejection of the album—even by his parents—Tree stands by it as a deeply personal, self-made masterpiece. He reflects on the fleeting nature of fame, the communal nature of ideas, and his decision to leave all his wealth to a foundation supporting young artists, not education. The episode is a raw, poetic testament to art as a spiritual act, not a commodity.