Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.
Trouper is:
Aaron James Nicolas: Lead vocal, guitar and electronics
Max Dotson: Drums
Nicholas Dotson: Bass guitar
For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Trouper? How long has the band been around?
Aaron was in The La De Les. Nicholas and Max are brothers, they formed a band called Brace. Nicholas also played bass for Christian worship artist Brian Campbell out of Akron, Ohio. Trouper started in the spring of 2013, but has only been a three piece for the last 5 months.
What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?
A trouper is a long-suffering, traveling performer. We liked this idea a lot, because it seemed to fit with what we wanted to do, tour and perform, and also implied perseverance. We debated changing the band name for a while when we went through a significant line-up change, but decided to keep it.
Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?
Our music is written collaboratively. We generally start with a basic chord progression, riff or drum beat, and then jam on it until a song starts to take shape. Aaron generally writes the lyrics, but Max has contributed lyrically as well. All of us go over the lyrics together though to make sure we all have a bit of ownership of the message. Our current set is made up of songs that will be on our upcoming full-length, “All Things Are Shadow”, which will be released in early June. The main theme of the record is a struggle between the apparent meaninglessness of life and a hope for something different. We think the lyrics reflect that.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
Smashing Pumpkins, Interpol, Radiohead, Bloc Party, The Killers, Muse, U2, The 1975, 30 seconds to Mars, T.V. On The Radio, Coldplay, Brand New, Sigur Ros and This Will Destroy You and Mute Math. Aaron has a playlist on his phone full of bands that we want to inspire “All Things Are Shadow”.
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
This coffee shop that Aaron managed in our hometown always hosted open mic nights, and Max and Nicholas played there as a brother drum and bass duo on a regular basis. Those open mic nights had a pretty significant hand in us joining up together.
What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc.?
Aaron likes to take his shoes off to perform. The idea comes from Moses, in the Old Testament of the Bible. God tells Moses to take of his shoes because he is standing on Holy ground. Aaron says that it reminds him that every show is spiritual, in a way. Max does hand stretches. Nicholas does varying finger stretches and occasionally push-ups.
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
We had an opportunity to open for an American Idol contestant, Danny Gokey. We didn’t really fit his sound, but it was a big crowd and a lot of fun. We also loved playing Audiofeed Music Festival in Urbana, Illinois It’s a grassroots music festival that always brings a lot of our great friends and great bands together. On the 1st of May we get to open for My Epic in Columbus. We’re really looking forward to that.
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
Aaron: Brand New & Sigur Ros.
Nicholas: Colony House & Switchfoot.
Max: 30 seconds to Mars & U2.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
As we mentioned earlier, in June, we’re releasing our first full-length album, “All Things Are Shadow.” We’d love for people to give us a like and a follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay informed about that release and to keep in touch with us. We are also launching a Bandcamp subscription in conjunction with the release. We’d love for people to keep checking in at troupermusic.com or through those social media platforms to learn about that.
We just want to thank Kill The Music for the spotlight. It’s been a pleasure. We hope we can keep intouch about the release of our full-length, and offer any kind of support we can to you all for being interested in unsigned and emerging artists.
Posted