Having already established himself with a wealth of rich and vibrant delights these last few years, Arkansas-based artist Trevor Phelps is back once again with his shimmering new single 'All My Life'.
Capturing a wonderfully bright and sun-kissed pop-rock direction throughout, 'All My Life' makes for an incredibly charming listen. With its light and airy textures, sweeping atmosphere, and his own captivating vocals at the helm, he is certainly looking to get us ready for summer with this one.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with him to find out more about his background and what has inspired him most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
The first instrument I fell in love with was guitar. My grandpa had a couple and could play them so well. I've always loved how they sounded, and I could just play one for hours.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
When I was little I really liked garage rock or indie rock. I would just listen to Cage the Elephant or The Black Keys. As i've grown up I strayed more to like Alternative Pop and Indie but still like rock.
What was the first album you remember owning?
The first album I ever owned was Nickelback's “All the Right Reasons”. I had this boombox my mom gave me and I would listen to that album a lot, along with guns n roses and the black crowes. The first album I ever purchased myself though was Cage the Elephants “Tell Me I'm Pretty.”
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
I’d have to say Jon Bellion’s “Mah’s Joint” . The song is so powerful and has one of the best verses i've ever heard. It's a song appreciating his mother showing how strong she is taking care of her own mother who has dementia.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
I bet a lot of songwriters or artists have cool things that they do, but I literally just clean before I write to help me not have a messy head if that makes sense. I'm not OCD or anything but I need my environment clean and organised for me to be comfortable. I used to write a lot at night when I first started and I always had to have it dark with candles lit.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
At the moment my favorite artists would have to be Noah Kahan, Still Woozy, Noah Guy and Joe P. I keep having all of them in my rotation lately!
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
It would hands down have to be Twenty One Pilots or Half Alive. I also feel like my music would appeal well to their crowds and they got some die hard fans.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
I think the most rewarding part is being able to have people relate to your music and experiences. Being able to help people feel like they're less alone in a way. Music is such a universal language, and it's brought so many people to my dms who say they relate so much to my songs and we don't even speak the same language or live in the same place. It's just a very cool feeling that we’re able to communicate through music if you know what I mean.
And what is the most frustrating part?
Probably the creative block I feel sometimes. I hate not being able to write or create anything, sometimes I either just put too much pressure on myself and I hate everything I make and other times I can't even think of anything to write about. I just enjoy making music so much that it sucks when I'm not able to even create anything, but we all need breaks sometimes. It's hard to write without experience.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
This sort of ties in with the last question. There was a clip I saw of Kenny Beats talking about people experiencing a creative/writer's block, and he said if you're dealing with that just take a walk outside. It's so simple but so helpful. Take a walk and breathe, take a break from creating so much and something is bound to hit you.
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Trevor Phelps' new single 'All My Life' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.