There was this band that has been mentioned on the site since they played at Art Fusion at Mel Lastman Square back in May. Now TROVE, which consists of Aryn Powell (vox/guitar), Alexa Pavao (bass), Matt "Chewy" Chaitram (guitar), and Matt Bellissimo (drums) has since been in the Jamsterdam Radio rotation since last month with their single "Ambition" off their self-entitled album. I got to catch up with TROVE frontman, Aryn Powell. Check it out:
JGIC: What inspired you to get into music?
AP: Personally, I would say
my Dad. I grew up listening to
everything he did, and fortunately for me, he has very good taste! Listening to The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and
The Police, specifically, at such a young age definitely set me on the right
path. He listens to all genres, and
always pointed out the best aspects of songwriting, performance, and emotion in
music. I became very aware of what made
a great song GREAT, and I was obsessed.
90’s music had a massive impact on me, as well. Mostly grunge, rock, and metal...but also
video game music. It was really amazing
back then! As a self taught musician, I
learned guitar by playing along with my CDs, which in my mind was like jamming
with a live band. It also taught me to
play by ear, and over time, how to sing.
After I became a somewhat competent player, I just started writing like
mad. Songwriting is my passion, and the
creation process is what inspires me the most.
JGIC: How did you start?
AP: Chewy, Alexa, Matt, and I
all worked at a record store together and in the process, we became very good
friends. I had actually written the
TROVE album and started recording it before I had a band assembled. I ended up playing the songs for them on
separate occasions, and they all offered to jam with me if I ever decided to
start a band. I stressed that if we were
really going to do this, commitment and sacrifice were huge factors. Fortunately, we were all on the same page.
JGIC: How did you come up with the band name
"TROVE"?
AP: “TROVE” refers to a
treasure trove. Essentially, the band
itself is the trove, and the treasure is the music and friendship we all
share. Also, one-word band names are
more memorable. It’s got a nice ring to
it.
JGIC: What are your top 3 fondest moments being an
artist?
AP: Writing my first song
would have to be up there. I’m sure it
wasn’t very good, but it got the ball rolling for me - It was an incredible
feeling!
Finally, I would have to
go with the TROVE CD Release Party. It’s
a current memory, but it was so much fun!
A lot of work went into that night and we really knocked it out of the
park.
JGIC: What do you find is the toughest part of being
an artist?
AP:There are a lot of things
I can ramble about here, but without a doubt, all the toughest parts involve
money. It’s the sole reason that bands
struggle so much. It can be difficult to
balance things out sometimes, but we’ve been pretty good about making ends
meet. After all, you’ve gotta spend
money to make money.
JGIC: Favorite bands?
AP: My favourite bands of all
time are mostly classic bands, like I had mentioned earlier. But I listen to a LOT of music! Some of my other favs would be Nirvana, Alice
in Chains, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Silverchair, Incubus, Foo Fighters, Big
Wreck, White Zombie, Metallica, Fear Factory, Nine Inch Nails, Korn, Queens of
the Stone Age, Deftones, Tool, The Doors, System of a Down, Sepultura, Red Hot
Chili Peppers, Guns n’ Roses, Rage Against the Machine, Oasis, and Portishead.
JGIC: So, basically you listen to all the good stuff! Deftones is one of my fave bands as well! I have seen one too many musicians with
jealous girlfriends because the stereotype about musicians is that chicks dig
them, so of course, there would be potential for groupies hanging around them.
If you are/were in relationships, how would you deal with groupies?
AP: Well, we all like
groupies...so we just stay single!
Girlfriends break up bands.
Anytime I’ve ever been in a band where “relationships” are involved, the
inevitability of it all falling apart is very likely. I’m convinced that things in TROVE are moving
smoothly because we aren’t tied down, which is a first for me. When I used to play gigs back in tha day with
a girlfriend around, I didn’t have to deal with the groupies...she usually
would. Then I would get yelled at for
being hit on, haha! I definitely don’t
miss those days.
AP: Good question! If we’re talking about bands that are still
rolling, I would love to tour with Queens of the Stone Age, Foo Fighters, Alice
in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Incubus. If
they we’re still together, I’d throw in Silverchair, Guns n’ Roses, and fookin’
Oasis!
JGIC: Any shout outs?
AP: To everyone who’s stuck
it out with us. You guys make it all
worthwhile...thank you for your continued support!
JGIC: Anything else you would like to add?
(Upcoming shows, etc..)
AP: We’ll be playing very
routinely now that the album is out, but one show I’ve absolutely gotta plug is
our Friday Oct 18th opening slot for ANVIL at The Rockpile West. We’re super stoked for this one! Tickets are $25...but for $30, we’ll throw in
a TROVE CD, a button, and a sticker! Get
‘em while they’re hot...It’s gonna be a wild night!!!
Stay in touch! If you’d like to keep up with the band, check
out any or all of the links below:
Thanks again,
Krystal! Hope to see you at one of our
upcoming shows!
JGIC: Thank you Aryn for your time and this awesome interview! To hear TROVE's single "Ambition" on your fave radio station, tune into the Jamsterdam Top 10 countdown every morning at 10 am EST, or midnight EST right here on jamsterdamradio.com!
@JerZGrlinCanada
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