Trevor Douglas – Pressure

By starrymag | April 9, 2018

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) I’d say it’d pop that’s acoustic, but a little funky at the same time! [laughs]

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) Agh there’s so many! Andrew McMahon is one of my favorite writers, Bernhoft got me into using my loop pedal, Ed Sheeran and his story got me to try and do this for a career, then William Singe got me into producing my own stuff and more recently Lauv. He is so good on so many different levels.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Pressure.”

 

A) “Pressure” is about a bad situation that happens in a relationship sometimes where everything just gets too complicated and you wish you could go back to when things were easier.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) I think it’s the honesty. When I write I really try to be honest with myself, how I’m feeling and just let myself be vulnerable and I think that’s why people have been connecting so well with it.

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

 

A) Oh, I haven’t released a video for it, but if any aspiring directors out there would like to film one…feel free to hit me up on Twitter! [laughs]

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

A) Generally, yeah, I need to at least have a general idea of where the song is going music wise in order for me to write lyrics for it. Chords help to provide emotion, so I need those pretty early in the writing process for me to be able convey lyrics that correctly express how I’m feeling.

 

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

A) All of it! [laughs] I recorded and produced “Pressure” in my closet back home in Texas. It’s most sound proof place I have. Then, I had my friend Paul Flint in Paris mix the track for me because it’s generally a good idea to have someone other than your self mix your song.

 

Q) What can fans expect from a live Trevor Douglas performance?

 

A) Oh, they’re fun! [laughs] I use my loop pedal so it’s just me, but it sounds like there’s a whole band on stage and it’s pretty different. I also talk to my audience a lot because I always hate going to a show where the artist doesn’t talk. Every show I do is different for me though, because every audience it different.

 

Q) Is a full EP or album in the works?

 

A) YEAH!!!! It’ll hopefully be out this year!

 

Q) Fans enjoyed getting to watch you throughout your journey on “American Idol.” What did you take away from your experiences on the show?

 

A) I learned a lot about myself and what I needed to do to differentiate myself from all the other teenage boys with guitars out there. [laughs]

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

 

A) Open mics will always have a special place in my heart as will a local park in Dallas, Klyde Warren Park. I also played a really fun show at Fingerprints. It’s a music store that sells vinyls and such down in Long Beach. I’m waiting till my EP release to try and book another show there. Also, getting to play at my local House Of Blues in Dallas! That was a big milestone for me.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) Agh! I hate this question because there are SOOOO many people [laughs] So, I’m just gonna go ahead and list them off: Daft Punk, William Singe, Ed Sheeran, Childish Gambino, Troy Sivan, Major Lazer, Khalid, Julia Michaels, Arianna Grande, bülow, Zara Larson and Rachel Platten. There are just so many good artists out there! [laughs]

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

 

A) Well bülow is really good. Then, I’m almost always listening to 80s music. [laughs] I’m also always listening to whatever is most popular, so I can let it influence me and I can become a better writer and producer.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) Well, for starters, I just love the Internet. I love memes, being informed and just everything great that comes with social media. But connecting with my fans is so important – like they’re the ones buying my merch, streaming my songs, paying to see me live. I literally cannot do anything like this without them supporting me like that.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH!!!!!!!! I really appreciate you guys. I cannot get over how well received my song “Pressure” was, it just really means a lot to me.