On this week's podcast episode, out today:
This week's Featured Artist, songwriter Ana Egge shares an interview with RockOm about her new album, what's important in songwriting, why she recorded "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and more.
Also included is the audio interview behind RockOm's article, Trevor Hall: Love of God is the Highest Thing.
CLICK HERE to visit our Podcast page to download this and other episodes of the RockOm Podcast.
There's lots of excellent content coming to RockOm this week, starting with these three posts just released today:
To begin, take a moment and check out our new exclusive Featured Article - Trevor Hall: Love of God is the Highest Thing. RockOm's Tom Crenshaw and Trevor Harden met up with Vanguard Records artist Trevor Hall at his CD release party on Hilton Head Island, SC (pictured) to discuss the spiritual themes on his new album. This is a very insightful interview that you won't want to miss.
Secondly, be sure to read our quick Q&A with Bela Fleck. This multiple Grammy Award-winning artist shares his thoughts on his most recent projects as well as on the "awesome power of music."
Lastly, spend some time listening to this week's Featured Track(s) of the Week by singer-songwriter Ana Egge. Her songs "Bully of New York" and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" are great introductions to Ana's work (if you're unfamiliar with her) and will be sure to draw you in through their depth and emotion.
And as always, interact with the community and keep the conversation going by leaving thoughts and comments on the posts!
By Tom Crenshaw and Trevor Harden
Acoustic-reggae rocker Trevor Hall's new self-titled album (Trevor Hall, Vanguard Records) features guest performances by Colbie Caillat, Krishna Das and Matisyahu. Over its 12 fantastic tracks, he explores themes of spiritual lightheartedness ("Internal Heights"), death and surrender ("Who You Gonna Turn To?"), unity between faiths ("Unity"), the story of Krishna ("Volume"), his accepting of all spiritual paths as one truth ("Many Roads") and more.
RockOm met up with Trevor at his CD release party in his hometown of Hilton Head Island, SC to discuss his spiritual practice, a chance encounter in India and themes from the new album.
RockOm: How does it feel to be in the Vanguard Records family now?
Trevor Hall: Vanguard is great. They’ve really been amazing. They’re much smaller than my previous label but it makes it more of a family vibe. They’ve been very helpful with promotion and hooking me up with some nice people and have been wonderful to work with. I’m really looking forward to seeing the rest of what they do with the record.
RO: One of your classic songs, “Lime Tree”, made it’s way back onto your new album. What was the decision to include that again?
TH: That’s such a popular song and it’s only on one EP from a long time ago so we wanted to formally release it and redo it – I’ve grown a lot since then. We had my friend Colbie Callait come in and sing on it which was great and it just fits the record I think. We only redid that one and “31 Flavors” but the rest of the album is all new material.
RockOm: Let’s get into some of those songs. In “Who You Gonna Turn To” you repeat “Surrender to the Most High; surrender, I say surrender.” For people who are not sure how to do that, what would you say to them? What does surrender look like or mean to you?
TH: Well, I’m trying to do that myself! [laughs] But before we jump into the songs it’s important to understand that a lot of the songs aren’t where I’m at presently. They’re all speaking to me too, you know? I’m singing what I’m hearing so they’re all lessons for me too – speaking to me, teaching me. I’m trying to surrender, too, so I don’t know what I could say to other people. But from what I’ve heard from people above me is that surrender is a very powerful thing. Especially in music - music automatically demands a state of surrender when you listen to it. Or if you’re in a live setting, you can’t dance or let yourself go unless you surrender to the sounds. Music is a very powerful instrument in helping with the process of surrendering, I think.
“Who You Gonna Turn To” is a song that is obviously about dying but it’s maybe not bodily death. Maybe it’s more of an ego death or something. Who you gonna turn to at the end of your life when all this is gone? Are you going to turn to your money or your friends? You come alone, you go alone. It’s a song about death but I think it’s a very positive song because it’s saying “I know who I’m going to turn to.” “My mama’s on her lion and papa's home in Zion” – the eternal Mother and Father, that’s who I’m going to turn to.
RO: On your previous albums, images of the divine seemed to be mostly (though not entirely) feminine - such as Durga and Shakti - but it seems like in this album there are some references to a father/masculine divine who often is referenced alongside Zion. I was curious if that's been a new development in your spiritual journey and/or if your friendship with Matisyahu had some influence in that.
TH: I don’t know, I just think that’s what was coming through. Where the Mother is, the Father is too. Where the Father is, the Mother is too. I don’t know if it was another aspect of my inner life but that was just my meditation at the time. I think I had been meditating on the “divine Family” rather than one parent. I don’t know if there’s anything “secret” there or not – I hope so! [laughs]
RO: In the song “House” you sing “far beyond what you call God.” Do you think we limit ourselves sometimes by holding an image in our head of a personification of God when in reality there could be so much broader of an understanding?
TH: I think it can. But there’s so many different ways to love God. They’re all the same goal to me. I don’t know what other people think, but to me it’s one goal. Some people worship God with form, some people worship God without form. Some people say that worshiping God with form is limiting God, but in my experience I think that all ways eventually lead there. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing as long as you love God. That’s what I think. It doesn’t matter if you’re married or not married, it only matters how much you love God. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the city or town or temple, it just matters how much you love God.
I was watching this movie the other day about one of my favorite singers and they interviewed this fruit vendor in India. She sang this devotional song and it just blew my mind. And she’s a fruit vendor – do you know what I mean? She doesn’t have a garb on; she isn’t a nun. Wherever you are, that’s it. I just think that love of God is the highest thing, so whatever helps with that and keeps you open minded is all right in my book.
RO: On “My Baba” - your tribute to Neem Karoli Baba – you have chant master Krishna Das singing on the chorus. I'm sure that was a joy and pleasure to have him agree to back you up on that song. Tell us what having him on the record means to you as well as how that came to be.
TH: That was big time! [laughs] I was very happy. I had only met Krishna Das one time and the way I had met him was kind of funny. I had talked to him on the internet and we have a mutual friend. He was going to India the same time I was and he sent me an email that said, let me know where you’re going and your dates because maybe while we’re there we can link up. I said I would let him know but I never did just because I was so busy and couldn’t remember. It was my first trip to India so I was a little antsy and so I never got around to emailing him. So one night we’re in Rishikesh, which is a little town in the Himalayas right by the Ganga, that is absolutely gorgeous. We went into this little café to eat dinner and my friend said, “Hey, there’s Krishna Das.” [laughs] I turn and over at the next table was Krishna Das and all these people were around him asking to get pictures. He looked kind of bummed out, like he wanted to get away. So I waited until everyone left and I went up to him and said, “Excuse me, Krishna Das?” and he groaned, “Yes?” I said, “I don’t mean to bother you, but my name is Trevor.” And he was like, “Trevor! Why didn’t you email me?!” [laughs] We talked for a little and found out we were going different directions but we saw each other and it was kind of like Baba’s play. It’s just so funny. It’s the only time I’ve seen him physically.
But with the album I had this song called “My Baba.” I really wanted to do a song for [Neem Karoli] Baba because he’s my biggest inspiration. As the song was coming the chorus happened to be “Hari, Hari, Mahadev.” As we were going into the studio I thought, man it would be cool to get Krishna Das to sing on that. So my manager contacted him and they talked for a while. When he heard the song he thought it was great and said “Let’s do it.” He didn’t come to LA because he was busy but we sent the track to him and he recorded it and sent it back. He’s so awesome; he didn’t ask for anything, he’s such a great guy. It was a big thing for me because I love Krishna Das and he’s part of the Neem Karoli Baba family. That’s probably one of my favorite songs on the whole record.
RO: In "Many Roads," one of the lines that resonated with me most is "Are you made from magic? Are you made from wishful thinking?" As people of faith, those questions still come up, don't they? As much of our life and lifestyle are dedicated to serving and loving God, there's still those moments that we have to ask whether it's all a figment of our imagination. What do you do when the doubt comes?
TH: It seems to come often, doesn’t it? [laughs] You just have to have faith. Baba said that many things go into one's spiritual practice but the three main ingredients are faith, devotion and patience. For me it’s hard to remember it’s not an overnight process. You have to plant the seed, you have to water the seed, you have to cultivate the land and cultivate your mind. You get impatient but that’s where you’re growing. You know, there are yogis in India who have been doing this for thousands of lives. They’re up in the caves chanting God’s name 24 hours a day and here we are – you do a mala in the morning and you’re like, “Hey, where is it [enlightenment]?” It’s just you have to be patient. Baba also says that we may forget, but God never forgets about his devotees. God never forgets about us even if we’re doubting so you just have to believe. I mean, where can you go [away from God]?
RO: In the song “Volume” you talk about the silence that can be found. How would you best tell someone to begin finding some silence amidst all of life’s noise?
TH: Oh God, you’re asking the wrong person. [laughs] My mind is like a freakin’ jukebox and I don’t even know what CDs are inside it.
RO: But you find it onstage at times?
TH: Yes, well everybody has a way of finding silence - whether you meditate, whether you sit by yourself and listen to your breath or listen to music. But for me music is very powerful and there’s a place where the sound is coming through and you’re just listening to the sound. When you’re singing you’re listening and you don’t feel like you’re doing anything. It doesn’t happen often but when it does, whew, it’s heavy. Sometimes outside it’s so loud but inside it’s just so silent. Like, I feel that in a lot of places in America, outside it’s silent but inside we’re not very relaxed. But in India it was very different for me – outside there was noise and all of this stuff but inside people have a little bit of silence. So it’s kind of a trick - Mother’s trick, an illusion. You have to be careful, she can trick you. [laughs]
But with “Volume” the chorus is “Close your eyes and hold me and no harm will befall you.” Krishna said that to the gopas, his friends in the field. “That’s what is spoken to me when I turn down the volume.” You can’t hear it until you quiet down.
RO: You’re going to have a lot of young people here at the concert tonight. Some of that is going to bleed over. They’re going to look at you and go, “This cat’s got his act together” – little do they know… [laughs]
TH: Little do they know the TV I watch [laughs] and the things I do in my off time.
RO: But if they listen to the words to that song, it gives them lots to relate to.
TH: The whole song really is about Krishna. “Rain comes down but he holds the mountain; Blue like sky, can you tell me why?” Krishna’s skin is blue and then my favorite story about Krishna is where he holds up the mountain. When he was a young cowherd boy in the fields, his village would pray to Indra, god of rain, to give them rain for their crops. One day Krishna said, “Does Indra accept your offering? Does he come down and eat it with his own mouth? There’s no need to do this. Just believe in me and everything will be fine.” So Indra has a little bit of ego and gets very mad that this little boy is taking away his worship. So he holds the rains and then one day he just lets it flood. All the people in the village are very worried. They think they’re going to drown and that Indra is going to kill them. So they go to Krishna and say, “You have to help us. Save us!” So in Vrindavan there’s a place called Govardhana Hill and you can go there today. And Krishna lifted up the mountain with his pinkie and held it above his head. There are many famous pictures of this. All the villagers come under the mountain and they have a big festival for seven days where they eat and drink and be merry. It really humbled Indra.
So that’s the opening line, but all of the references in “Volume” are about Krishna’s life.
RO: The album’s opening song is “Internal Heights.” What does it mean for you to "maintain internal heights"?
TH: That’s just it right there. That is the goal of my life. Where does your strength come from? The eternal Giver. Maintain internal heights. “To see the transcendent Being, got to keep your hands clean.” Maintain internal heights. Internal heights, always, everywhere you go. It’s hard but this song is a remembering. This is the first song and sets the theme for the whole record.
RO: In last year’s RockOm interview you said, “Everything is meditation.” Is everything still meditation for you?
TH: Yes! [laughs] Sometimes you don’t remember it’s meditation but then it gets you and you’re like. Oh! There it is again – that lesson! Too many lessons!
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On this week's podcast episode, out today:
Sacred sound healer Fabeku talks about "shifting stuff" through sound, singer- songwriter Trevor Giuliani shares about this week's RockOm Featured Track of the Week "Nubian Forest", and a quick review of the new self-titled album by Trevor Hall.
CLICK HERE to visit our Podcast page to download this and other episodes of the RockOm Podcast.
"We are all notes in this eternal song; God plays his flute, we all dance along." So sings Trevor Hall on his latest album - a self-titled release, available today (7/28/09). Trevor is a longtime friend of RockOm, having been featured several times on the site and it's no wonder why. His outstanding music is a blend of the sacred and secular - melding funky, acoustic-reggae jams with deep, spiritually significant lyrics.
Released by the legendary Vanguard Records, Trevor's new album features guest performances by Colbie Caillat, Krishna Das and Matisyahu. Over its 12 fantastic tracks, he explores themes of spiritual lightheartedness ("Internal Heights"), death and surrender ("Who You Gonna Turn To?"), unity between faiths ("Unity"), the story of Krishna ("Volume"), his accepting of all spiritual paths as one truth ("Many Roads") and more.
Despite these heavy themes, however, Trevor's music never comes off as preachy, but rather as humble, gentle and exploratory. The music gently jumps from hard rock to reggae to contemplative ballads and back again. Bathing in these songs of divine love and devotion, the listener is transported both to the transcendent beyond as well as to what lies within.
Fans of spiritually-significant lyrics and up-beat acoustic rock owe it to themselves to pick up a copy of this album. And even if those labels don't fit you exactly, it's nearly impossible to not be moved by this landmark musical accomplishment. Purchase your copy of Trevor Hall today at iTunes, Amazon.com or other retailers.
In addition, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for an exclusive interview with Trevor Hall, right here at RockOm.net in a few short weeks.
We couldn’t let the week go by without briefly mentioning that it’s RockOm’s first anniversary. A year ago we set out with an intention to serve others through music and along the way we discovered something extraordinary - the music we were presenting began serving us, changing us for the better in ways far beyond our wildest expectations.
Our very first interview was with bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs wherein he spoke about the power of music to change people. There is no other force like music that can reach out, create unity among different people and cultures, and heal souls as music does. In that way, music is quite literally prayer. Thousands of years ago prayers were sung so they would be remembered and passed along to future generations. The music we’ve been fortunate enough to present to you over the last year has found its way into our being and has become part of our prayer and our meditation.
We want to thank the many gifted musicians and artists we’ve worked with over the past year. To those artists such as Ricky Skaggs, Zakir Hussain, Abigail Washburn, Ram Dass, Krishna Das, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Steven Halpern, Futureman (Roy Wooten), Chuck Leavell of The Rolling Stones, Trevor Hall, Jai Uttal, David Newman (Durga Das), the late Ms. Odetta, The Wailers’ Aston "Family Man" Barrett and so many others who have opened their homes and their hearts to us we say thank you. To each of the "break-out" artists we've help introduce in our Featured Track of the Week spot, we say thank you. We also want to acknowledge the support and management as well as the PR people behind the artists who allow us to connect and bring each new feature and interview to you. Finally, we can’t leave out the many guest writers who have lent us their reviews, interviews and stories making for compelling reading on matters of music and spirituality each week. We want to thank our families as well for supporting our many long hours of work and believing in our love of the power of music.
Lastly, we want to thank you - you who are reading these words right now. We created RockOm for you and we hope, perhaps in some small way, you have been blessed and changed for the better through the power of music.
Thank you for being here now,
The RockOm team
RockOm alumni and singer/songwriter Trevor Hall has self-released a new album entitled This is Blue and is currently on tour with Matisyahu and K'naan (see full tour schedule here). To provide some insight into This is Blue, Trevor shared with RockOm some thoughts about the album, including the history and inspiration behind each of its 14 new tracks.
Giri's Song
Giri was a friend of mine who passed fighting cancer. I recently stayed in his home because I was in between places and one night I sat there with his picture and said, “Alright Giri, why don't you write me a song?” So I sat down, looked at his picture and it just kind of came through. I like to call it “Giri's Song” because I feel like he wrote it.
Mirror of the Sky
“Mirror of the Sky” is actually the title of a baul song from the Bauls of Bengal who are wandering minstrels who sing these love songs to God. It's a song about looking for that inspiration. It's a remembering song, trying to find your home again.
House of Cards
“House of Cards” was the song that I wrote after I found out that I got dropped from the label (Geffen). I thought, that's not going to stop me. I'm not going to give in; I'm going to keep on moving. It's a song about keeping your strength and continuing on the road.
The Love Song
“The Love Song” was actually a super old song from my senior year in high school, inspired by the relationship I was in. We had a nice relationship but went our separate ways. We still talk a lot, though I don't think she even knows the song's about her. I don't want to tell her, I don't want to weird her out or anything! (laughs)
Times Like These
“Times Like These” is another song about when you're at the bottom of the well and it just seems like everything is going wrong. It is a song about time as a healer. Whatever happens, everything's going to be alright.
The World Keeps Turning
That's one of my favorites on the album. Neem Karoli Baba said, “You can go a thousand miles in the blink of an eye.” I thought about everything going on in the world and the journey of life and the world turning, and was really inspired by that line.
Well I Say
“Well I Say” is about being a little fed up, I think. The first part is a little dark - this illusion of the world that's going on and things are going wrong - but the second half is about overcoming darker forces and standing up for righteousness.
Lady Love
“Lady Love” can go two ways. It could be that you're really in love with somebody and they've got you hypnotized. But I was writing it from the standpoint of a divine mother - that motherly love, lady love - while trying to disguise it in a way that was approachable. “Lady Love” is a song about being so in love that you can't see straight.
My Beating Heart
There's a saint named Ma Jaya Bhagavati, she's a Western saint, I'm looking at her picture right now. She is a devotee of Neem Karoli Baba and the divine mother Kali. She has a beautiful ashram in Florida, is an amazing poet and wrote this one little book titled She Who Rides the Lion Rides My Beating Heart. When I heard that line, I was like “Oh my goodness!” That song is about fierce grace - “My mama is a great dark cloud coming to rain down.” No fear, she's just going to cut through all the mess and rain down.
The Lion's Mane
I had an experience in India in the Himalayas, coming back from the temple. I had some food in my hand and there was a beggar on the side of the road. I offered my food to the beggar and when he didn't take it, I got a little annoyed with him like, “Why isn't he taking my food?” When I was so fed up that I was just about to throw the banana into his hand, one of the members of my party said, “Oh, he's blind.” And I just lost it – it was a really intense teaching. “The Lion's Mane” was inspired by that day and that scenario.
As far as the dream imagery in this song, the deeper you go into the Himalayas, the more it just feels like a dream. In a dream, you're not really aware of time and during this day, time just wasn't there anymore. It just felt so magical. We're all kind of asleep to that divine energy, whatever you want to call it that's in all of us. We're just sleeping and I think that state of full awareness - being fully awake - is just waiting inside of us. It's that place where you're there and you're consciousness, you're divinity, you're atman, you're God - it's within every heart, but you can't see it. I feel like I'm asleep to this divinity, and a lot of yogis say that the dream is even more real than your waking state. There's a verse in the Bhagavad Gita that says, “What is day to all living beings is night for the yogi. And what is night to all living beings is day to the yogi.” And what that means is that what we think is day and lightness and pleasure is not. It's actually night and so I don't really know where I'm going with this, but sometimes you feel when you touch that place within yourself, you feel that similarity of being in a dream - there's no time, you're not really aware of your little self, you're kind of in the Supreme Self. I don't know what that feels like so I can't really talk about it, cause I haven't gone anywhere near there. But I feel that sometimes if you think about it enough or sing about it enough, talk about it enough, then slowly it will make its impression on you. Really, if you want to know the truth of it all, these songs just really come through. I feel like I don't really write them, I feel like they just come through. I'm learning from the songs too. I'm a listener too. If people saw my private life with the TV shows I watch, I'm not that special, I'm just a normal guy. But I think that something that's coming through me, I think that's a little special. This thing that's coming through I feel is coming through everyone, just in different ways.
Jago Ma
Jago means “Wake Up” and there's a song, a bhajan, a kirtan song that goes: “JAGADO DHARINI MATA DURGA, JAGO JAGO MA, JAGO JAGO MA.” It means “Come alive, Ma! Come alive! Wake up in my heart!” It was a song saying, “Wake me from this dream. I want to see you, I want to feel you.”
Stinky's Song
When we were in the studio, [percussionist] Chris Steele was like, “Hey man, what would you think of just doing a drum track?” I was like “Ya, let's do it, do a drum track.” We had a lot of fun with it, as you can hear - just being funny in the studio. But we didn't really know what to name it until a friend of mine text messaged me and said, “Hey, I ran into Stinky at this rehearsal space.” I had never heard that nickname for him before, so it just stuck. We just called the song “Stinky's Song.” I don't think Chris wanted to name the song “Stinky's Song,” but he had no choice.
Om Shakti Om
Shakti is the divine mother, the power, the creative energy of the divine. This was inspired by a woman here who founded a temple that I am affiliated with. She has a very funky personality – very full of Shakti. She said she wanted to write a song about Lord Shiva, so she came up with the line “My mama rides a lion, my dad wears ash and snakes. My mama is a warrior...” We kind of wrote that song together and it's just a fun song about Lord Shiva.
Once in a While
I don't know what the song is about really. Sometimes you have songs that just come out and you don't really understand them until later on in your life. I like the song a lot; it's very mysterious to me. It's also kind of relaxing. But I really don't remember how it came about or when I wrote that song.
Trevor is on tour with Matisyahu and K'naan currently. For a full tour schedule, ordering information and more samples of This is Blue, see www.trevorhallmusic.com.
[By Tom Crenshaw, tom@RockOm.net]
Today we're happy to announce the launch of RockOm's August content including some brand new Featured Interviews from Trevor Hall, Abigail Washburn, Ken Block (from Sister Hazel) and part II of RockOm's interview with Futureman.
You'll also want to check out our new Featured Track of the Week from Shahram Shiva (on the homepage). We'll keep this short and sweet so you can spend some time reading and exploring. Leave some comments and get the conversation going!
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.
Giri's Song
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.
Listen to Trevor Hall on 
Photography by Joe Mozdzen - http://mozdzen.com/
[Interview Edited by Andrew Hoogheem]
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