RockOm

RockOm August 2008 Featured Article

Musician Trevor Hall's credits include 2006's John Alagia-produced, four-song EP, The Rascals Have Returned, on Geffen Records, a six-track live EP, Trevor Hall Live, recorded at the Mint and Hotel Café in Los Angeles, and his 2004 indie debut, Lace Up Your Shoes, also produced by Alagia (Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Jason Mraz).

Trevor's songs have appeared in numerous feature films and television shows. Most recently his song "Other Ways" appeared on the Shrek the Third soundtrack. He also covered the Band's "Life is a Carnival" for the recent star-studded tribute album Endless Highway: The Music of the Band.

Trevor has toured extensively with Steel Pulse, Rusted Root, Keb' Mo', Ziggy Marley, Stevie Nicks, Matisyahu, and Colbie Caillat to name a few, and has also opened for Jason Mraz, Donovan Frankenreiter and Ben Harper. RockOm's Tom Crenshaw met up with Trevor at Erskine College in South Carolina, where he was performing with percussionist and close friend Chris Steele.
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RockOm: I asked Abigail Washburn a couple of weeks back a long convoluted question and she let me know that what I really should have asked her was summed up in the simple question, "Why do you sing?" and so I'm going to ask you: "Why do you sing?"

T: Why do I sing? I like the feeling of singing. Melodies, they just make me feel good. Singing is a good way of expressing yourself and a good way of talking to other people through song. That's a good question; I never really thought about it. I think it's just a natural thing. I've always sang and keep on singing.

Tom: Tell our readers about your new acoustic CD coming out soon, titled This is Blue.

Trevor Hall: This is Blue is a CD that I just recently recorded with my friend, percussionist Chris Steele. The CD was inspired by a number of things. While recording this record, I was meditating on the simplicity of life and bringing things back to their roots. I have always wanted to record a "stripped down" CD. Over the years, I have written numerous acoustic/folk songs that I have kept locked in my "vault," so to speak, and have never had the chance to play them anywhere. I recorded some of those as well as many new tracks just recently written.

RO: What inspired this CD?

Trevor: Most of the songs are in the theme of rising above and keeping strength. While things may not always go the way you thought they would, I try to remember that everything is the Grace of the Almighty and to keep my strength in the Higher Presence alone. . . the Source of all things seen and unseen.

RO: What's it like collaborating with percussionist Chris Steele- how did you two hook up?

Trevor: Chris Steele is my main brethren. We must have linked up and created some wacky music in another life because we get along too well. I don't think we've ever fought with each other, and that is a lot to say when being with that person 24/7 while touring and playing around the country. We met at an audition a couple of years ago. I was looking for a percussion player to start playing acoustic shows. He was the first guy I saw. After hearing him play, I didn't need to see anybody else. He's been playing with me ever since. It's that simple.

RO: What should listeners expect from This is Blue?

Trevor: I don't know what people should expect. Because no label or producer was involved in recording this record, we had a lot of freedom and really just tried to be true and pure and most importantly... have a great time. Things are more stripped down musically on this record, but not stripped of content. I really poured my heart into these songs and tried to share my thoughts on strength, positivity, life, and the Almighty. I am just happy that I am able to share some new music with everyone. It's been such a long time. It looks like the album will be out late summer or early fall...God willing. Until then...only love.

RO: You also have your debut LP with Geffen out later this year, called The Elephant's Door. It's produced by Abe and Matteo Laboriel; Abe is Paul McCartney's drummer. How did that happen?

T: I met them through Ron Fair, who is the president of Geffen. He introduced me to Abe and his brother and I was asked to collaborate with them for a bit and to see if it vibed and it went really, really well. We did a couple songs and we showed Ron, who said, "Why don't you do a whole album?" We stuck it out and did a record together.

RO: What was the process like working with Abe and Matteo versus what you've done in the past? These are some pretty heavy hitters.

T: These guys were heavy hitters but they came off as teddy bears. When you see them you're like, "Oh, man!" because they're big guys. Abe's got a shaved head and big earrings and you're like, "Wow, these guys are intense," but they're the nicest guys in the world. They have the biggest hearts. This was a lot different because it was more intimate, it was just us three. We had nobody coming in and out of the studio, nobody checking in on us, which sometimes can be a little bit of a distraction. It was really focused. We didn't have many plans, we were like "Whatever comes up today, let's record this song." It wasn't like, "Okay, we're going to record THIS group of songs." It was very free and very: "Lets just see what happens."

RO: It sounds like Geffen is being really good to you, giving you the opportunity to expand and search and find what you want to do. It's kind of opposite of what a lot of labels do now, telling folks what to do, how to do it, how fast they're going to do it, how much they're going to make. What do you feel is different with you and Geffen?

T: I don't know; we definitely have our hiccups. It's not all [perfect]. You just work through it and figure it out.

RO: You no doubt have a very deep spirituality which you communicate through your music and songwriting. You reference one of my heroes, Neem Karoli Baba, and there's a reference to Shiva in a couple of your songs. What's been your spiritual journey? How did you get started down this particular path of spirituatlity?

T: It's all grace, really. I didn't ask for any of it, it just struck a chord. In boarding school, one of my good friends had a picture of Neem Karoli Baba on his wall and his father was with Neem Karoli Baba in the body. I saw the picture and I was really attracted to the photograph and said, "Who is that?" We stayed up all night and he was telling me stories of Neem Karoli Baba. That's how I started and from there it gets deeper and deeper with every blink of an eye. Before I knew it, here I am. I didn't ask to be in this path but when you feel love, you want to give it back.

RO: You've toured with some different acts, a lot of diverse groups, but one thing that struck me as interesting is your touring with Matisyahu. You guys are from totally different faith traditions. Where did you find your connection spiritually?

T: 'Matis' is a devotee and I am a devotee. He is Jewish and I am not Jewish, but we both love God. We love divinity, we love singing for the Almighty. I think that connection right off the bat was what brought us together. He's been kind of like my big brother throughout the game, giving me advice and taking me under his wing. He showed me some stuff that just inspired me because it's really quite something that he's doing. We talk about our beliefs all the time, but it's never an argument. It's always a comparison, how things are similar. It's never been an issue of "I'm right and you're wrong." 'Matis' is a very open guy, he's open minded not only in his beliefs, but in his music and new ideas so that's what makes him so much fun to be around. It's not his way or the highway, it's just, "Let's get together and see what happens."

RO: Is it risky being as transparent as you are, as Matisyahu is, in regard to spirituality? Is it risky to do it as blatantly as you guys do with your music?

T: Well I think he's a little more out there (laughs). I'm not, like, going on stage with a sheet around me or anything. But I don't think it's risky at all. At his concerts, not everybody's Jewish, but people feel the love. It starts a core and everybody wants to feel it. He's not up there singing, "My way is the only way," he's singing about love, or his love for his ideal. And I'm doing the same thing, we're all in it together, we're all in it to figure things out.

RO: I've had an opportunity to see how audiences react to what you sing and there's no doubt that what you're doing emanates from the heart and really communicates. Who gives you inspiration musically? Who do you look to that you get that from?

T: I'd say the biggest influence is Bob Marley, not just from a musical standpoint but from the way he lived his life. I've read countless books and biographies and everytime I hear his voice and think about him, he's really a strong presence, even now. His body is gone but I think he's still hanging around. It's really inspiring because every time you hear a Bob Marley song, it's joy, it's happiness. It's so positive, no matter who you are. And he was doing the same thing, he wasn't saying "my way is the only way." He's a big influence and Matisyahu is a big influence, but musically I listen to a wide range of music.

RO: You traveled to India twice recently. What's that like?

T: (laughs) It's the best place on earth. India is a golden bird. She is a golden bird. Everything there is gold. Everywhere you look is just shining, even the poverty. It's just so vibrant. Every minute you are getting cut up - your ego's getting cut up, your attachments, you are getting sliced up left and right. Sometimes it's hard, sometimes it's fierce grace, but it's just a magical place.

RO: You did some charity over there...

T: My teacher's ashram, my teacher's temple, is called the Yoga Vedanta Kutir. It's where they take these young orphan boys and they teach them yoga and religion and send them to school; they're poor boys. I really love kids in general and while we were there, for ten days, I just fell in love with these magic boys. They're divine children. When I got back and thought we should do something so I did a little benefit concert and accepted donations on their behalf. We set up an account for them at a bank over there and we put money in there every couple months, so it's a very low key kind of thing, but it's a great gift.

RO: What do you do right now for practice spiritually? Do you meditate? Do you sit and meditate, do you walk and meditate? Is being on stage meditation for you?

T: Everything is meditation. Everything is the guru's words. Every situation is the guru's situation. When I first started being on the road, I was getting really frustrated because nothing is on time, nothing is where it's supposed to be, what it's supposed to be. At first I got really frustrated and tight and then over time, it's a total practice. Everything is a practice. For me, I've accepted, "Okay, this is my practice." I really had to surrender to everything, where you are, the people. You can't have any attachments on the road because nothing's going to last. Same thing in life, too. Neem Karoli Baba said, " A yogi who's always on the move is like flowing water, no impurities can stick to him." When you're on the road, you meet people but that's it. That night, that's it. Next night, that's it. You can't get attached to anything so it's a good lesson. On the road, I sit. I always sit every morning, no matter if I got four hours sleep, if it's for five minutes, I sit. You gotta sit. Baba said that everybody's highest duty no matter what is to sit. A set offering every day, no matter if you sit for five minutes, say one prayer, or whatever. I have to follow my teacher's teaching.

RO: Do you feel like you're here to accomplish anything in particular?

T: I am an instrument myself. I don't know what there is to accomplish. I have my own goals within myself and in my spiritual life, but as far as musically, this is where I am and this is how I'm being played on the chessboard. I don't really have any goals. I have things I want to do, obviously, maybe some charities once I get more cash flow and set up some things I can do. But it's enough for me to get off stage and someone says a comment, even if it's one person. Some things people tell me are such nice things, but again I have to remember that it's not me, that it's something that's working through me. Because if I take credit for it, I get my head chopped off. You have to stay humble.

RO: How do you see the dance that's moving through you playing out over the next five to ten years?

T: Man, like I said about the road - you always think you know how it's going to go, but you don't. It's truly in some other thing's hands - whether you want to call it God or Jesus or Ram, Sita, Krishna, Shiva, Allah, Love, whatever - something else is going on. For me, until I accepted that fact that there was something else, my life was just miserable. I would get so frustrated. But you have to have faith and devotion that everything will change and everything's alright. That everywhere you are, that's where the action is. That's where the temple is. That's some of the greatest advice that anyone's ever given me. Because when I went on the road at first, I always wanted to be in the temple, I didn't want to be on the road. But a great friend of mine, a great role model of mine, said to me, "No, you have it all wrong. Wherever you are, that's where the temple is. That's where the action is. Wherever you are, that's where you worship." I haven't figured it out yet, but I try to remember that as much as I can. Wherever you are, that's where the action is.

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Photography by Joe Mozdzen - http://mozdzen.com/

[Interview Edited by Andrew Hoogheem]

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