Trevor Collins – Thanks for Asking!

Trevor Collins – Thanks for Asking! – by Liam Sweeny.

RRX: We all get a little support from those around us. And we also can be impressed by our fellow performers. Who do you admire in your community, and why?

TC: The list is long, the music community in this area is incredibly unique and the talent pool is deep. I’ve met many musicians through the Capital Region Blues Network (CRBN) who I admire greatly.

Jeremy Walz is someone who impresses me not only with his musicianship but with his leadership and grace. He’s always been super supportive, welcoming me with open arms when I first started to attend the CRBN jams. I’m a big fan of the groups he’s involved with such as Dead Man’s Walz, SoulSky, Sly Fox & the Hustlers, and more. He can rip it on the guitar, has a great voice, and commands attention on stage.

I also have to mention Tim Lynch who owns and operates The Recording Company. I recorded my EP, Hidden Variables, with him last year. He was the recording and mixing engineer and always brings a wealth of expertise to the process. He can help you with anything, whether it’s fine tuning the acoustic guitar sound you want, advising you on how to approach a certain take, or giving a fresh perspective to your band’s objectives. He’s also an incredibly talented musician in his own right, he played all the keyboards on my EP and is also a gifted guitarist and singer.

RRX: A band is a business. A business of love, but you got to work for it. Let’s pretend, instead of a band, you all owned a business. What would it be, and why would it be good?

TC: I’m really into data analytics. If I were to create my own business outside of music I’d probably start a data analytics consulting firm. Data-driven decision making is so important, especially in this day and age. I feel that I bring this attitude to my music as well. For example, I collect data on any song that I perform. Keys, tempos, charts, lyric sheets, genres, etc. As a result I have a big repository of music data to pull from. When designing setlists I can easily group songs together based on these factors, and it also has the added benefit of providing additional resources to the musicians I play with.

RRX: Cover art is cool. It shows listeners what the artist thinks the album is all about. Because music can be felt visually. If you had to give the public a visual image that you think they would see and just “get” your groove right away, what would it be?

TC: I can picture an animated outline of an acoustic guitar in psychedelic colors immersed in pulsing sound waves. Something vivid and “jam band-y”. Acoustic because that’s where every song starts for me, and psychedelic due to influences from bands like the Grateful Dead, Phish and Pink Floyd.

RRX: Artists, musicians, we immortalize. We set it in stone. Is there anyone who has passed that you feel you have immortalized in your work? If so, can you tell us a little about them?”

TC: I love all genres, but there’s something about blues that speaks to me. Stevie Ray Vaughan’s guitar playing was otherworldly. I have learned everything I can about him, his gear, his tone, his tunes. It’s impossible to replicate what he did, but whenever I’m writing a song or playing a solo I keep him in mind. Music is funny, sometimes when we try to imitate our heroes it allows us to find our own style in the process.

RRX: Stereotypes are a bitch. I mean, aside from the really bad ones, you have cultural stereotypes about everything, including music.  Would do you think is the stereotype for the music you play, and how far are you away from it?

TC: I play a mix of genres but blues is front and center. Stereotypes are all about oversimplification. I’m not a fan of hearing the same blues shuffle ten times in a row, but I do love how formulaic blues is and how it can easily bring musicians of all backgrounds together to create something truly organic. My approach to blues is to create variety in composition. Adding interesting bridges to standard chord progressions, experimenting with new guitar effects, and using non-standard keys or tempos are all good examples. In my song “Long Way Down” I used a super fast tempo and wanted an almost punk feel on the drums. I feel it can be considered traditional blues in terms of arrangement, but unique in the way it’s executed.

RRX: Our style comes from the extension of our influences. It’s like an evolution. We’re influenced, and it inspires us to influence. What can you say about your influences, and what you feel you’ve done with their influence as a musician or band? Have you extended their work?

TC: I’m influenced by so many great bands and musicians. I’m a huge John Mayer fan. He’s a triple treat with his singing, guitar playing and songwriting. I also love his contributions to Dead & Co. He’s influenced me by turning me on to contemporary blues and incorporating both acoustic and electric guitar playing into his tunes. However, the biggest influence would be the way he approaches lead guitar. His solos are masterful, combining soul with technical prowess. I try to bring that same mentality to songs that I play.

Ben Harper is another singer-songwriter that greatly influences me. I’ve seen him live multiple times and am always impressed. He’s a prolific songwriter, his album Diamonds on the Inside was pivotal in my musical development. It’s hard to pin down in terms of genre, there are reggae, rock, funk and folky elements, along with a killer Weissenborn lap slide guitar tune “When It’s Good” that oozes bluesy swagger. I like his approach of expanding horizons, constantly trying new things, and not limiting yourself in the songwriting process.

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