Someday is out!

My friends!

Someday is out in the world, a happy sad ode to late night wandering.

Take a listen/watch the lyric video here.

Over the past couple of years, as I’m learning how to live a little smaller, I’ve realized one of the accidental roles of this solo music is to give voice to my younger self - that bewildered bozo stumbling around Tokyo or Stockholm or fucking Omaha, from stage to bar to bus call, in the whirlwind of “making it,” barely keeping pace with his rapidly changing life.

During the temporary stillness of this new chapter, it’s been beautiful catharsis, extending myself some grace and offering gentle apologies to the universe and people I love for having been, more than a handful of times, a nincompoop.

Anyway…

This aforementioned new chapter’s found me in the orbit of some whacky characters, one of whom’s Ben Folds, emo troubadour and punk rock contrarian of the highest order. I’d just wrapped a late night recording session at his studio here in Nashville and, decompressing at his Steinway & Sons Model D, plunked out a sketch of what would become Someday.

Back at my home setup, I recorded some scratch piano and vocal takes, thinking I’d replace everything with “real” takes eventually. But there’s always magic in that initial capturing of an idea, and after weeks of profanity-laden attempts, I just couldn’t beat the demo. So, that’s what you’re hearing, my first passes on piano and lead vocal with a bunch of ambient layers and background vocals to fill things out (I couldn’t help myself).

Thank you as always to Sam Brawner at Blue Dream Studios in LA for his brilliant mastering work and encouraging my enthusiasm for mixing. It’s a joy working with him, and you should too.

Alright, that’s me signing off for 2024. I’m going to settle into winter, finish up a bunch of music for the top of the year, and generally stay out of the way of the world for a while.

Thank you, as always, for listening. It truly means so much.

Solo Show! In New York!

My friends!

Just got the master back for the last single of the year, a beautiful piano tune called Someday, but in the meantime, a solo show! In New York!

Nov 10th at Rockwood Music Hall on the Lower East Side, 6-8pm, no cover, Nashville style writers round with a freaking string section. Most excellent indeed.   

AMAZING singers and artists on this one. It’s a small room and will fill up fast, so if you happen to be in the Tri-State area and would enjoy a solid evening of soulful emo jams, grab a 50lb pastrami sandwich from Katz’s and let’s high five and say nice things to each other and what not.

I’ll be heading straight to the gig from my annual retreat in High Falls NY, posting up in a haunted studio filled with keyboards, maybe running into Daniel Craig again at the local hardware store, the woman behind the counter having described him as a “handsome potato.”

Follow is out!

My friends!

I released a single called Follow last week. It’s jangly and pretty and sad and I think you’re going to like it.

Take a listen and watch the lyric video here.

Myself and Gideon Klein tracked the acoustic guitars live, and Gid improvised the string arrangement on the spot, a magical thing to behold.

We used a FunkBox drum loop instead of a click track (which I ended up leaving in), Andre Zapata of Allen Stone fame sent over a predictably amazing bass performance and - lovely and brilliant all around - I sent off to mastering what I thought was the folk-y shoegaze-y autumnal anthem of ‘23…only to listen back with a resounding “meh.”

The lead vocal was, to use language I’m sure George Martin would approve of, half-assed, and over the next several months I re-sang each section over and over again, experimenting with my evolving voice - an instrument I’ve grown to truly love - until things felt honest and right.

And overall the song needed something. That something, it turned out, was two somethings, tasty keys and B3 work from my Allen Stone comrade Steve Watkins and inspired background vocals from Rachel Horter, one of the best singers I’ve worked with.

I’m glad I took things back to the drawing board, leaned on my friends, and ended up with a song I’m proud of.

And FYI, the next single’s the first of a collection of tunes I wrote on Ben Folds’ Steinway piano a couple months ago…

Diamond Oceans is out!

My friends!

Diamond Oceans is out today, the dream pop psychedelic agoraphobia anthem of the 2020s. I know I know, FINALLY right?!

This song was a real joy to make and features my first attempt at putting the vocoder front and center after many productions utilizing it for texture/background vocals.

The whole tune’s gloriously bizarre, an orchestral percussion fueled romp through drug-induced existential dread that releases into ambient surf trance.

You can listen here.

I also made a lyric video.

My friend Andrew Hutto, the man behind the beautiful High Falls visuals, is in the process of making a proper cool, artsy video, I’ll let you know when it’s live.

Given all the clusterfuckery in the world, and for a sensitive soul like myself, releasing art can feel strange. I’m reminded of various points in my career when I’ve felt spiritually overextended and adopted a victim-ish mentality - fuck this, I’m going to try to WIN, to figure out the algorithm, to look and act a certain way on stage etc.

Then there have been times when I’ve embraced the opposite reaction and said whelp, I feel helpless in the face of myriad shittiness, so let me just be an artist, lean into that sensibility and discover something new about myself. Every time I put in the work, I’m rewarded with clarity.

Diamond Oceans represents the latter ethos, and I’m proud to have tapped into it.

More updates to follow. Thank you, as always, for listening.

The High Falls EP is out!

The High Falls EP is out!

You can listen to it here.

And you can watch the full High Falls video here. This music always felt like the soundtrack to a short film, and Andrew Hutto nailed the treatment. For me, it’s the most satisfying way of taking in the project. I think you’ll get a kick out of it.

What a beautiful and wonderfully weird little record this is. I really love it. I hope when you listen to this music you're transported to a gentle, reflective place and, in some humble way, inspired towards kindness. We're in this together.

I’m currently posted up at the same studio where High Falls was written and recorded, doing more writing and recording and daydreaming and quiet processing of our turbulent world. Making and sharing art is a joy, and I’m grateful for each of your support along the way.

This one means a lot to me, I hope you enjoy it.

Please Sing is out!

“PLEASE SING” IS OUT NOW!

Take a listen.

Watch the video.

Written, produced, performed, and mixed by me

Mastered by Sam Brawner at Blue Dream Studios, LA

Once again, Andrew Hutto, video maker extraordinaire, is the star of this show, crafting a bold, stark, and utterly beautiful treatment for this haunting little tune.

Thank you again to Bram and Kim at Semperviren Studios in High Falls NY for hosting me in May of this year, and for creating such an inspiring place to make music. And of course thank you to Jasper, our future president. We’re going to be in capable hands in forty years or so.

I wrote “Please Sing” from the perspective of a child who’s passed on, checking in on their parent as they sleep. Uplifting stuff, I know. I tried to represent that story in the production as best I could - lots of tape noise, minimalist instrumentation (just piano, synth strings, and bass towards the end), and a nervous, almost whispered vocal pushed WAY up. Brazen while naive, disoriented while simultaneously accepting. I think I got pretty close (you’ll have to let me know).

But just like with “Shadow,” my interpretation as I’m writing this is less literal. “Please sing, it’s where I’m with you” feels, again, like encouragement from my younger self, that in the face of the unrest in the world and uncertainties in my personal life, just make great art (to quote Neil Gaiman). Fold in on yourself just enough to appreciate how marvelous it is simply to create for creation’s sake, and lean on the people you love.

I hope you like the second single from the High Falls EP. The whole thing’s out mid November.

Shadow is out!

“Shadow,” the first single from the High Falls EP, is out now!

Take a listen here.

Watch the video here.

Written, produced, performed, and mixed by me

Mastered by Sam Brawner at Blue Dream Studios, LA

Additional vocals by Rachel Horter

Video by Andrew Hutto, the real star of this show, who took a shoestring budget and created a gorgeous David Lynch-ian visualizer sequence for the entire EP, four individual videos shot to become a cohesive video when played back to back. The video for “Shadow” I’ve shared via the link above, but I’ve watched the 11 mins complete project every morning since Drew sent the final edit and can’t wait to share it with you.

Towards the end of May, I posted up at Sempervirens Studios in High Falls NY, run by my friends Bram Kincheloe and Kim Anderson, hoping a change of scenery would spring free some neat ideas. Sempervirens’ got every bizarro synth, thing to bash, and maker of ear candy you could ask for. Nestled against the Catskills, it’s a stunning place to make music.

Each morning, I’d head from the guest house to the studio, make blip-bloop noises all day, then meander through the front garden to Bram and Kim’s place where we’d cook dinner, drink cider, and listen to records until the wee hours. They have a beautiful son named Jasper, and it was inspiring being welcomed into their family.

“Shadow” is ostensibly about family, how something greater than ourselves can recalibrate and provide meaning. “I’ll try because of you” could be a parent talking to their child, or someone talking to their version of God, or the Universe. As I’m writing this, that line feels more like a reiteration of a promise to my younger self, that I’ll keep going after what’s meant and continues to mean so much, doing something artistic with this life.

So here it is, the first single off the High Falls EP. I hope you like it. The second single’s soon on its way.

Sister of Mercy is out!

My friends! I hope you’re all doing fantastically well.

I released a song called Sister of Mercy a couple weeks back!

You can stream it, buy it, etc by clicking here.

I also made a neat little video for the song from footage from a recent road trip through Eastern Washington.

You can watch it here.

The vibe this time around’s sort of Icelandic Jason Isbell - two acoustics panned hard left and right, dobro and bass down the center, and some of the best lyrics I’ve written so far. It’s a beautiful song and I’m really proud of it.

I’ve got an EP and several singles in the can, as well as a bunch of kooky stuff percolating. My plan of dedicating the majority of the year to experimentation and continuing to wrap my head around who I am as an artist’s proving to be a fruitful leap of faith.

Expect a whole lot of releases from yours truly through the end of the year. I sincerely appreciate each of you for continuing to follow along.

"Shadows And Distance" Lyric Video

The 5th and final track off of Let Tears Be Diamonds is a song called Shadows And Distance, a steampunk country ode to learning to trust love.

The lyric video features slo-mo, lo-fi gimbal footage I shot on a recent drive along the Natchez Trace Parkway just outside of Nashville. Simple, yet and meditative lovely.

Watch it here.

Written, produced, mixed etc by me. Bass guitar by André Zapata. Pedal Steel by Gideon Klein.

"Overcome" Lyric Video

Yep!

Track 3 off Let Tears Be Diamonds is a song called Overcome, think if Tim Burton were the music director for Muse and the members of Muse are emo robots. The members of Muse probably are emo robots.

Here’s a lyric video for the song:

Check it out

Written, produced, mixed, other stuff by me, bass guitar by André Zapata, mastered by Tommy Wiggins (Nashville TN).

"Let Tears Be Diamonds" is Out!

Yes!

“Let Tears Be Diamonds” is out, available in all the usual places.

Click Here

As far as futuristic Icelandic Tom Petty, emo-Muse, steampunk country EPs go, this ranks right at the tippy top, and if you thankfully-yet-inexplicably enjoy reading these newsletters, or appreciate my having jumped around with the Allen Stone project over the years, I’m confident this music will hit in just the right way.

And the lyric video for “Alone To Choose,” track 1 off the EP, is also live.

Check It Out

More updates to come! In the meantime, I sincerely hope, in our overwhelming, teeth-grindingly stressful world, that this music makes you happy.

Pre-Save "Let Tears Be Diamonds"

My friends!

My EP, “Let Tears Be Diamonds,” is coming out November 18th.

You can pre-save it by clicking here.

And if you like, enjoy this sneak peak of the lyric video for Alone To Choose, the lead track off the EP.

I’m closer these days to a mid-life crisis than a quarter-life one, and through the myriad twists and turns my constant’s been the inspiration to grow and learn through sharing art. At times it’s been clunky and over-earnest, other times it’s looked cool on the internet, but mostly it’s just been necessary, like breathing or being held.

I’ll be sharing a few more goodies as the release date draws closer.

Thanks, as always, for reading and listening.

Play On Words is Out!

Hello again!

Yes, it’s true, Play On Words, the second single from my upcoming EP, is out and available everywhere.

Click here for your digital platform of choice!

And the fun lil video I made for it’s live, too. Check it out!

This song, my Jimmy Eat World took a pill in Ibiza fist-pumping anthem to healing weirdness, is a wonderful bit of catharsis for me, and I hope it makes your next traffic jam more enjoyable, your next dance party more epic, and/or your next literal or metaphorical trip with the top down that much more likely to Influence.

I can’t imagine not sharing art, and I’m grateful for each and every one of you.

Thank you.

"Play On Words" Video

My friends!

The second single from my upcoming EP is called Play On Words. It comes out this Friday, Oct 7th, and is, in the encouraging words of a friend, “the kind of shit I wish you’d been doing this whole time.”

Take an early peak at the lil music video I made for it!

CLICK HERE!

It involves fast cuts, a powerful suit, farmers tans, flamingos, and bunch of DIY’d exuberant nonsense.

If you’re a fan of such things, along with my take-it-or-leave-it face, then you’ll really like this video.

It goes live on Friday along with the tune, and if you dig fun, anthemic rock and roll and the rediscovery of joy through music, then perhaps consider sharing with a friend or two.

In the meantime, I’ll be enjoying a cheap domestic lager on this literal perfect fall day in Music City.

I hope you’re happy and well.

Lover I Can't is Out!

Lover I Can’t is out!

Available everywhere you listen to music.

This is the first single from my upcoming EP, a spacey, anthemic lil offering that I’m confident you’ll enjoy.

I recommend listening with headphones and picturing yours truly, unshaven and in peacock-patterned genie pants, wondering what that button does and clapping my hands gleefully upon discovering it does “a thing.”

Releasing music is exciting, and it’s a privilege to be able to make art however I please and keep the lights on. But it’s also nerve-racking, so today you’ll find my unspectacular corpus in glorious repose in a hammock, with a tumbler of gin and tonic, bewildered (as always), yet proud of myself for trusting my heart.

From said hammock, then, cheers to you, to sharing art, and to being fantastically insane.

Pre-Save "Lover I Can't"

Hi everybody!

It’s been a while, I hope you’re doing fantastically well.

Just a quick message to let you know that “Lover I Can’t,” the lead single off my forthcoming EP, is coming out Aug 26th.

If you’d like, you can pre-save it:

https://ffm.to/lovericant 

The song’s been described as “a spaceship ride to the glassy rings of magnetic pickup planets.”

Someone also called it “the ultimate pan-dimesional Steampunk breakup song.”

It is, I’d like to think, both of these things, punctuated by a chef’s kiss.

I’m releasing my next couple EPs through a wonderful company called Metropolitan Groove Merchants. They’ve done stellar work for artists I love and are outspoken advocates of what I’m doing in my little corner of the world.

Lots of new music coming out over the coming months that I’m really proud of. Thanks for subscribing to this newsletter back when it was daily (!), staying subscribed during its hibernation and, if you choose to unsubscribe, offering your reason as “blinding, and therefore inconvenient, sex appeal” or something similar.

A New Single!

Hi! It’s been a while. I hope you’re doing fantastically well.

There’s a lot to catch up on, but for now I’ll just share that I released a new single called Fear of the Fallen Down. It’s available everywhere:

https://linktr.ee/trevorlarkin

This song is a big leap forward for me production-wise, and I spent many jubilant witching hours making things go bleep-bloop, fleegle-geegle, and boom-boom-thwap. 

The main riff is an idea I and my Allen Stone comrades worked on for a bit during the Building Balance writing sessions in 2018. It didn’t make the cut, but I knew it belonged in a song when the time was right. Thank you to my old pals for encouraging me to give this gentle lil’ loop a home.

Thank you to Josh Blaylock, Mack Longpre, Casey Wasner, and Tommy Wiggins for lending your time and considerable talents - I can only dink around on a laptop for so long before real musicians need to intervene. Check out their credits below.

Thank you Sigmund Washington for your inspired animation and Kate Connelly for designing the Greatest Coat in the World. You’re both brilliant. I’m grateful you chose to work with me.

And most importantly, thank you for listening. I’m proud to share my love of music with you all.  

Ok that’s it for now, talk to you soon…

Trevor

A Song Called Madeline

Friends! 

I hope you’re doing well. I am, as off three hours ago (at time of writing), fully vaccinated and cautiously optimistic about the future.

I released a song called Madeline a few days ago. It came together in a supremely pleasing way and I’m proud of it.

• For Spotify users, click here.

• For non-Spotify users, click here.

• And I’m releasing lots of video content to accompany the tune, which you can find here:

Thank you Steve Watkins, Tyler Carroll, and Jon Lampley (all buds and bandmates from the Allen Stone universe) for lending your time and considerable talents to a song that’s 50% “doo-doo-dups.” 

Thanks as well to my Nashville bud Alex Bachari for playing some tasty slide, a skill still beyond my Jedi powers.

In the on-going COVID reality of having more time than money, I’m continuing to mix, edit, and produce everything myself, which is fun, and I’m bizarrely inspired by my fingers-crossed-temporary-yet-none-the-less-inarguable lack of mainstream popularity. 

Which means, naturally, I’m going to quadruple my artistic output and continue doing whatever the fuck it is I want to.

And to thank you all for being there, and believing in me. 

"Hiraeth" and updates

Ok, the main points…

• About a month ago, I released a single called “Hiraeth,” featuring my wonderful friend Megan Slankard on lead vocals. It’s my most-streamed solo release ever and I’m very proud of it. Here’s the Spotify link, or click here to listen on your platform of choice.

• I also made a fun little video for the tune, which you can watch here.

• The MoaT used to be a daily newsletter, but it’s now more of a “hey I’m doing a thing” Bat-Signal. You’ll be hearing from me once a month or so.

Now, the slightly more expanded version…

“Hiraeth” is a Welsh word that was introduced to me early during lockdown. It means to mourn the loss of a home to which you know you can never return.

Over the song’s four-ish minutes, about a minute of which is saxophone solo, I indulge lonely what-ifs, cautiously celebrate the potential of the unknown and, I suppose, give myself permission to let some stuff go. Thankfully, I’ve been able to process a whole lot during this surreal time, healing my little Trevor heart, grieving and accepting and moving on.

Last year stunk, this year will likely stink, but I’m still standing, still here, committed as I’ve ever been to sharing art and proffering both middle fingers and ass cheeks to the sham of a god who green-lit this unpardonable nonsense. 

As I march towards middle age still of little to no practical use to society, I’m confident that the world has enough accountants, that someone has to write the songs, and dagnabbit why can’t that someone be me?

Hang in there, friends.

Stillness

For the first time since mid-March, I’m packing up my humble mobile studio, whacking a few pairs of socks in a duffle bag, and getting the hell out of dodge. 

This Hiraeth project I’m undertaking was born from a lonely place, isolated and contemplative, but that’s only part of the story. Next chapters, foreboding as they can seem, also represent celebrations - of who we are, where we’re going and why, and it’s time to ruminate on these queries and more out in the socially-distanced world, where, over the past decade in particular, the best parts of myself coalesced into something resembling a rad human being.

It is, I suppose, a pilgrimage of sorts, to places I’ve spent time, places that shaped me, to sit in stillness with some memories, letting these songs tell their full stories.