Interview with Trevor James

Trevor James is a multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter from the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania.

Trevor’s love for music arose from his time playing in high school bands with friends (initially with the sole intent of trying to impress the ladies), though he soon found himself feeling a genuine passion for writing, recording, and performing music. Upon graduating, Trevor put music on the back burner to focus on college studies. However, in 2019, Trevor rediscovered his love for music after trying his hand at solo acoustic style music. Starting initially with cover videos, the success of Trevor’s talents saw him quickly amass an impressive social media following, which inspired him to have a go at writing his own material.

Trevor’s first EP “Breakthrough” was recorded entirely in his makeshift bedroom studio and was released in late 2020. One track from that EP (“Rendezvous”) then went on to feature on local radio station 97.9x Rocks, as well as popular Philly station Alt 104.5, where Trevor was also interviewed and performed live in the Spring of 2021.

Trevor released his much anticipated single “Again” in June 2022, followed by “Comfort” in August – both of which he got the opportunity to perform on the Wish USA Bus in Hollywood, CA that same month. Look out for more to come from Trevor later this year!

Who would you most like to collaborate with?

This is really tough, but I’d say that right now a dream collaboration for me would be Hayley Williams. I’ve had a ton of respect for her since first listening to Paramore way back in high school, not just as an awesome singer/songwriter, but as an incredibly magnetic performer/front-woman as well.

Which famous musicians do you admire?

There are definitely a good amount of famous musicians that I admire, especially because my musical influences vary a LOT – from pop-punk heavyweights like Blink 182, Green Day, and The Offspring, to older legends like The Beatles, Billy Joel, and Elvis Presley, to contemporary talents like Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, and Bruno Mars. I admire all these artists for various reasons, for example Ed Sheeran for his impressive success as a pop-acoustic solo artist and ability to captivate an entire arena full of fans with just his voice and a (mini) acoustic guitar. And I admire a band like Blink 182 for their uniquely fun approach to music, which has served as a reminder for me to not take myself too seriously.

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

The best advice I’ve been given might sound cliché but it’s to always believe in yourself. Especially when just starting off, you need to hold fast to that inner confidence & belief in yourself, and brush off any unhelpful criticism or negativity. I specify “unhelpful” because a crucial component of improving is learning from people – whether that be other artists more talented or knowledgeable than you, or fans whose feedback you should value immensely. You need to stay humble, recognize that you don’t know everything, and remember that every new experience can be an opportunity for learning and growth. (Okay I guess I snuck in a couple pieces of advice lol)

If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?

This might sound cheesy but it’s my honest hope that the music industry, or maybe the music world more broadly, would evolve to shift away from glorifying destructive “lessons” in our songs. While I fully understand that music at its core is art and should mimic/represent the vast human experience, in my personal opinion too many songs glorify destructive behaviors instead of lifting up good & positive values. Pop music in particular has such a strong influence on culture and younger generations, and so I sincerely believe that artists in this position of influence should feel a duty/obligation to be better (myself included, if I ever get to that level of notoriety).

What about your music is rebellious, unconventional, or unusual?

This is a really cool question. I would say that what makes my music slightly unusual or unconventional is the variety of music styles I’ll often write my songs in. While most of my songs have an acoustic-based focus or foundation, this isn’t always the case; a song from my first EP called “Rendezvous” has a heavy alternative rock influence/style, and my most recent single “Comfort” blends emotional acoustic vibes with a kind of talk-rap flow in the verses.

How do you go about writing a song? Do you have a melody in your head and then write the other music for it?

My process for writing a song almost never changes. I nearly always start with the music, by figuring out which chords I want to use for the song, and then I’ll pull up a voice recorder app on my phone to record the basic layout of the song using those chords. Then I’ll play that music back non-stop, over and over (while driving in my car, walking around my apartment, etc.) to come up with the best vocal melody for the song. And then finally I’ll settle on a theme for the song and use that to ultimately shape the specific lyrics for the song, which typically is the longest part of the whole songwriting process for me.

What is the most useless talent you have?
My most useless talent is probably the ability to walk on my hands. I was part of a travel gymnastics team for a couple years when I was younger and still carry over a couple of those random acrobatic skills.

Do you sing in the shower? What songs?

I actually don’t sing in the shower as often as I probably should, but when I do my go-to song is ALWAYS “A Whole New World’ from Disney’s Aladdin lol. I’m not exactly sure why, but I do think it’s the best Disney song of all-time.

What would be the ideal food to have cooked for you on a date night?

Ooof, this is tricky but I think I’d have to say that my ideal date night meal would be ol’ reliable: A nice steak (preferably filet mignon if we can afford it) with hot rice and some kind of healthy vegetable.

As a kid were you ever frightened of a monster under the bed or in the cupboard?

Absolutely! And don’t forget the monster in the basement, the monster in the attic, the monster in my bedroom closet, the monster in the dark hallway,…

Are you a valuable asset on a Pub Quiz team?

I’d like to think so! My dad is a HUGE trivia buff (he was actually a contestant on “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire”), and so trivia books and random facts have always just been a part of growing up in my household lol.