Interview: Fat Trout Trailer Park - Fatburg

Despite this being his first solo single, singer and producer Fat Trout Trailer Park already has a sound that most bands take years to perfect and round off, which makes the arrival of his debut single ‘Fatberg’ all the more impressive.

With a self-described sound that blends 90s and 00s guitar sounds with elements of Death Grips and Tame Impala, there is really no other way of describing this direction. Bold, intense and exciting from start to finish, he is set to become one of your new favourite bands before long.

So with his new offering bringing some much-needed energy to our day, we sat him down to find out more about his origins and what plans he has set on the horizon.

Words by Chris Bound

Discovered via http://musosoup.com

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Chris) Hi, how are you today?

I got to see my dog again after six months so I’m feeling pretty good!

FTTP) For those that haven’t heard of you yet, how would you best describe your sound and who have been your biggest influences so far?

Sonically, I make guitar driven rock music that incorporates philosophies of left leaning electronic music with a hint of hip hop in the rhythm section. Lyrically, I set out to tackle social issues I find to be problematic. With topics ranging from consumerism and capitalism to depression and existentialism, I aim to lay bare the 21st century disillusionment of our generation.

Many artists have influenced my sound. From older more guitar and synth driven bands like Talking Heads and Television to Death Grips and anything Zach Hill related. 

You have just released your new single ‘Fatberg’. Can you tell us how that track came about?

The headline ‘Fatberg’ larger than a jumbo jet found under seaside town” caught my eye, as it would anyone's. I used that as a starting point for criticizing all what led to this endangering of the planet and ourselves. We chose it as first single because in its own microcosm, it really encapsulates all the sounds that are further explored on the EP.

And was there a particular style you were looking for when you wrote it?

I wanted something that was energetic from the get go. The first thing that came to mind was the rhythm. Pounding drums and a lot of snare. I built the guitar riffs around each other,  following the syncopation of the drums. The verse is supposed to feel unrelenting, with the chorus knocking the track wide open. I tried to keep it rather simple instrumentation wise. The guitars dominate, while the rhythm section really propels the song forward. 

Can we expect a new EP, or even an album from you in the near future?

I have an EP fired up for release on October 7th. The next single to be teased ahead of that release is the song ‘Gold’, coming out July 29th. 

The coronavirus outbreak has obviously affected everyone’s plans, but what have you got in store for the rest of the year?

I was lucky enough to have a lot of spare time during the lockdown and was in a healthy creative headspace. I wrote the follow-up EP during this period, so we’re planning on getting that recorded and ready to go before the end of the year. Also We’ll be working on the live set, for whenever venues reopen. Hopefully you will be able to catch us live in 2021!

And finally, where do you see yourselves in five years time?

On a Riviera beach, whether I’ve made it or not.