Neu Get To Know… Trout
To mark the release of their debut EP ‘Colourpicker’, Trout tells us all about first gigs, bad habits, and the creative advantages of having synesthesia.
Hello and welcome to DIY’s introducing feature, Get To Know… which aims to get you a little bit closer to the buzziest acts that have been catching our eye as of late, and working out what makes them tick.
This week’s catch of the day is Liverpool-based Trout - aka Cesca - whose steady stream of grungy, understated singles has reeled us in hook, line, and sinker. From the sludgy guitars of ‘in my room’ to the electronic touches on ‘gutter’, they revel in occupying the liminal space between 90s shoegaze and contemporary indie-pop. Being brought up in various different locations and discovering they have synesthesia (a phenomenon that causes sensory crossovers) allows Cesca to approach their music from a markedly widescreen perspective - all of which can be heard on their debut EP ‘Colourpicker’. Dive in…
What was the first gig that you ever went to?
Honestly I don’t remember what the very first was, but my first big gig was The Dave Matthews Band, as cringe as that is. It was a family outing and I completely lost my mind as they were my absolute faves.
Who were some artists that inspired you when you were just starting out (and why)?
Angus Young for the shorts alone, and Karen O because she does not care.
You've been based in a few different places, having grown up in Copenhagen and moved to Wales when you were a child. How would you say this has informed your music?
Travelling, seeing new things and meeting new people are what inspires me now to write, and I think all that moving around as a kid gave me inspiration from a young age for my music. It was somewhat unsettling but also exciting, and defo gave me a travelling bug. It gave me something to write about too as I had nothing else to say at 10 years old haha.
What's your worst musical habit?
Eating snacks and then touching my guitar.
Why was it important for you to self-produce your debut EP, 'Colourpicker'?
It didn’t seem ‘important’ at the time, but now I realise it probably was. The production is like an extension of my songwriting, and I can’t imagine just stopping after the writing part. It’s so personal to me so I couldn't imagine handing it over to someone else, for now at least. I’m glad I didn’t, and that I can say I produced this EP myself feels really good.
You've got synesthesia - can you explain the influence this has on your work?
It usually aids my songwriting. It helps me to know what direction a song needs to go in, in terms of its colour and texture - the same with production too. It’s distracting in other parts of my life sometimes, but when it comes to creating things it’s pretty great.
We're coming round for dinner - what are you cooking?
Pesto-ketchup-pasta. Bon appetit!
'Colourpicker' is out now on Chess Club Records; watch Trout perform a live session of EP track 'sad sad sad sad sad' below.
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