A Conversation with Trevor Hall – HuffPost 8.19.11

Mike Ragogna: We’re very glad to have Trevor Hall here with us today to discuss his newest album entitled Everything Everytime Everywhere. Trevor, how are you?

Trevor Hall: I’m doing well, thanks for having me.

MR: My pleasure. Your music is so eclectic and this album is no exception, was it your goal to have this album come across as a sort of music cycle?

TH: Not really, no. Usually, when I get into the studio, we just kinda lay down whatever song we come up with. Then somehow by the end, it all just kind of flows together. I did have the idea this time before going in to make this album more of a story with segues and everything. I had a rough outline, but I didn’t plan it out too much because I like to give the music the freedom to do what it wants.

MR: This is your second album with the label, right?

TH: Yeah, this is my second with the label. The album is being released on August 23rd, and we’re on the road promoting it right now.

MR: Great. Let’s talk about a few of the songs. Can you tell me the story behind the song “Brand New Day”?

TH: That’s kind of a funny story, actually. (laughs) I was writing songs and doing demos of them for the label, and they kept telling me that they needed a single that was going to be a radio-friendly song. I was like, “Oh, man.” (laughs) So, I remember staying up late one night and at around two or three in the morning, I started writing “Brand New Day.” I went in and did a demo thinking that I just needed to get them an upbeat song and something that people would really listen to. That previous day, I had been reading the words of some ancient mystic from India, and I came across that phrase, “Don’t fall asleep in the snow…” And so I kind of based a whole song off of that idea. It’s about waking up, shaking off your ignorance, and rising to a new day.

MR: Kind of along those same lines, you have the song “Good Rain.”

TH: Well, a lot of time when I’m writing, the music will come first. The music really gives me the vibe and then I kind of write the words based off of that. That one was written with the producer Jamie Messer. After we got the music down, I went home with it and I knew it felt like a really simple song, and I felt like the lyrics should be the same, just really simple and honest. Those lyrics mainly just came about from hearing the tone of the song and recording it that way.

MR: Nice. Another one of your songs showcases a fun play on One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, called “Dr. Seuss.”

TH: Again, that was a song where the music was written first, and the sound was kind of fun…almost psychedelic, you know? And the producer just brought up the idea for the song because he had just read the book to his kids the night before. I’m actually a big Dr. Seuss fan, and I’ve collected those books for a little while, so we decided to make a song about the variety of life. There are so many different kinds of people, attitudes, and emotions that we wanted to showcase that in a song. We wanted to show that at the end of the day, none of that stuff really matters. Let’s all just laugh and have a good time, you know? That’s kind of the theme of the song.

MR: Recording this song had to put a big smile on your face, didn’t it?

TH: Oh yeah. We had a great time recording that one. That was probably one of the most fun songs to make and record.

MR: Let’s talk about what is, in my opinion, the most beautiful song on this album and that is, “All I Ever Know.” Can you tell us about where that song came from?

TH: “All I Ever Know” is a song about, not necessarily another person, it may even be an idea. It’s about knowing once you’ve found that person or belief or rock, no storm or disaster can tear you down because you’re rooted in the firm foundation. It’s like you’ve become a mountain–nothing can move you. That song is about having that foundation of love, you know? Whatever happens it doesn’t matter because you have this firm foundation to stand on.

MR: At the end of the song there’s someone speaking, who is that?

TH: That’s an old recording of a monk in India reading the words of Swami Vivekananda. He’s talking about being in that place of peace and understanding, on that firm foundation. It’s about being in a place beyond your own worries, so I thought it was a great icing on the cake for that song.

MR: Can you talk for a second about the meaning behind your song “Different Hunger”?

TH: Well, it’s not a physical hunger, obviously. It’s a hunger for that supreme love and that quality of the heart, and the only thing that can satisfy that hunger is that sort of divine love, you know? What I meant when I said, “If it ain’t in here, it won’t be there…” is that I think we’re searching for happiness and everything outside of ourselves when the truth is that everything outside of us is constantly changing. So, we’re never going to be able to find that permanent, everlasting peace if we’re always searching for it outside. The only thing we need to do is turn inward and look within ourselves. Once we do that, that hunger will finally be satisfied.

MR: That’s a great message. You’ve also done some touring with interesting performers including Jimmy Cliff, Colbie Caillat, and Matisyahu. Can you tell us what it’s like to be on the road versus in the studio for you?

TH: Well, playing live is what it’s all about. It’s where you get to share the music first hand and see their reactions. You get to make a connection, you know? I’ve been lucky to play in front of lots of different types of crowds, so it’s been really nice.

MR: Great. You also got to record the song “Fire” with Cherine Anderson, didn’t you?

TH: Yeah, that’s one of my favorites on the record. That came about because a friend of mine was describing another friend and he said, “That girl is fire, everything she touches burns.” (laughs) I kind of thought that that was a fun line so I ran with it. But the song is actually about that kind of feminine power and how it can be really strong. You’ve gotta respect it or else it’s gonna burn you up. (laughs)

MR: (laughs) That’s great. How did you meet?

TH: Well, I met Cherine because we were both touring with Michael Franti, she was playing in his band. We really wanted to get a female on that song, and when the subject came up, I immediately thought of Cherine and we worked it out.

MR: Nice. I also wanted to congratulate you because recently, MTV’s Subway Fresh Buzzjust named you one of the 20 best emerging artists.

TH: (laughs) Thanks. Yeah, that’s pretty cool but I try not to pay attention to that type of thing. I wouldn’t want that to make me feel like I was better than anybody else. I’m not really into rating and competition and stuff, I just like to do what makes me feel good. If it makes others feel good as well, then that’s a success for me.

MR: What advice would you give to new artists?

TH: Well, I would say to artists that once you get into the music scene and get your music heard, you’re going to have a lot of different opinions coming your way. Everyone is going to have an opinion–your record label, your manager, your producer, you, your band. Sometimes, that can get to be a little too much to deal with and you might find yourself asking which person you’re going to try and satisfy. My advice would be to always, always go with your heart and what you think and feel is best for the music. No matter how much pressure you get from other folks, it’s your music and you have to do what you feel is right. You should still be open to everyone’s opinions, and if you hear something that you feel is beneficial, take it. But if not, then you need to try not to think too much about upsetting another person and be committed to your music.

MR: Trevor, I want to thank you so much for the interview and good luck with the new album.

TH: Thanks so much, Mike. It was great being here.

Transcribed by Evan Tyrone Martin