#6. TRVSS - All The Bugs (Live)
Arguably my favourite interview I did in 2020 was my first Zoom excursion, with the Cleveland-based quartet TRVSS. It was early on during the first Ohio lockdown, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a band that was both hilariously clever personally and fiercely talented musically. The unfortunate downside of 2020 is that I haven't actually had the chance to meet most of the bands I've interviewed, or even see them live. All I have are these interviews and whatever recorded music the band has to offer. Fortunately for TRVSS, they released their first EP at the end of last year and I caught that wave early on.
Without being told explicitly, you might not even realize that the EP was recorded live, albeit in a music studio. The band told me that each song was essentially done in a single take, which is a fantastic feat considering they had only ever recorded 1 song prior to the excursion. There's a good amount of polish and finish on each song, but the band felt it accurately captured what they "should" sound like by recording it as such. All told, it's 4 originals and a cover of "Rebel Yell" by Billy Idol. All four of the originals are solid, and I spent a lot of time jamming to "Reset My Head" as well.
As for "All The Bugs", the band said it was the final song they wrote for the EP. The song starts off with a light guitar riff that coaxes the listener into a false sense of security. Singer Hannah Crandall says she was in a Rage Against The Machine phase when she wrote the song, and it shows in the lyrical content. The song is about finding your individuality, not being brainwashed by the world around you, and not getting lost in the flow of nothingness. It turned into a protest anthem for me in the late spring months, with punching cymbals a shrieking guitar solo late in the song. It was one of those songs where every time it popped up on my Spotify, I turned the volume knob up a few notches. It's definitely a showcase track for the band - where they can say "this is our best offering". Cleverly, the group also recorded a video for the song with each member recording live in their own personal quarantine areas. The video is slightly different from the recorded version of the song, due to each member recording their part separately before editing.
If this album is a sign for what is to come, then I truly believe 2021 with be a huge year for the band, pandemic-willing. They are one of the reasons that I love what I do!
Favorite line: "Go and put your mind to rest again - clear your dispositions"
(official video)
(album recording)
Title: All The Bugs (Live)
Artist: TRVSS
Album: Live at Weird Music Studios
Previous #6s
2019: Rammstein - Radio
2018: Turnspit - Walk Away
2017: Assemblage 23 - Bravery
2016: Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown - Loaded Dice and Buried Money
2015: Lamb of God - 512
2014: Lo-Fang - When We're Fire
2013: Tegan and Sara - Closer
2012: Lamb of God - King Me
2011: Nine Lashes - Anthem of the Lonely
2010: Them Crooked Vultures - Mind Eraser, No Chaser
2009: Kelly Clarkson - Already Gone
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