Oliver Tree's 'Love You Madly Hate You Badly' album cover is a testament to the artist's fearless and dynamic nature. The cover, photographed by Jacob Frazer, is a heart made of scrap metal in Afghanistan, a country where music is outlawed. The heart is a symbol of Oliver's desire to connect with everyone he meets and to inspire others to become their highest version without feeling the need to be someone else.
The process of creating the cover was a challenging and dangerous one. Frazer was invited by Oliver to fly to Afghanistan and hire local artisans to build the heart. The location was chosen to be a place where the music it was built for cannot be played, and where the Taliban's extreme interpretation of Sharia law has silenced creative expression. The build was already underway when Frazer arrived, and the local guide had them dress in local clothing to avoid suspicion.
The journey through Afghanistan was a land of contradictions, where extreme hospitality flirts with intense brutality. The Taliban would stop them at checkpoints, check their passports, and apologize for the delay. Some waved them through with an invitation to tea, while others said it was good to have Americans in the country during a time of peace. The locals were fascinated by Oliver, and his playful magnetism didn't need translation.
One of the most striking aspects of the journey was the contrast between the ancient history and vast, raw landscape of Afghanistan and the harsh reality of the country. The Taliban's turn toward isolation reads almost as a stance against modernity itself, and the women in the country were mostly not there, covered head to toe in the burqa. The evasion of the Taliban's policies on girls' education was a stark reminder of the challenges faced by women in the country.
The heart itself was built in a backstreet metal workshop in Kabul, in the hands of the local welders hired by Oliver. Oliver was in the middle of all the action, not directing from a distance but in the workshop, in the heat, cracking jokes with the crew. The final picture was taken amidst the rubble, in a field that can still kill you, with Oliver sitting inside the heart.
The heart is still standing today as a sculpture outside Kabul, a symbol of Oliver's message of love and connection. Frazer reflects on the experience, saying that Oliver inspired him to become the highest version of himself without ever feeling like he had to be someone else. The heart is a testament to Oliver's fearless and dynamic nature, and his desire to create something that would challenge the status quo.
