Interview – The Trews | Kryptonite Music Magazine

The following fill in the blanks come from Toronto-based rockers, The Trews. The band has been at it for over ten years now and released their self-titled, fifth studio record in April of 2014. The Trews, known for their dedicated fanbase and consistent live performances, opened up for Red Wanting Blue in Cleveland earlier this month. Learn more about the band from John Angus’s responses and check out our review of the live show here.

Three words we’d use to describe us are …Meaty, beaty, big and bouncy (sorry, i could only do it in four)

The story/meaning behind our name The Trews is….When we started in high school as a cover band playing dance halls and variety shows we went under the, admittedly immature, moniker One I’d Trouser. A few years went by before we dropped the front end and simply went by Trouser. On the eve of the release of our first EP we got a cease and desist order from another band out of Mississauga going by that name. With very little time to make the decision on a new name someone threw out the idea of the Trews which means roughly the same thing. Trews are traditional Scottish pants… we thought it sounded cool and went with it.. it stuck… Russell Brand recently stole the name for his “True News” (tr-ews, get it?) wedcast … NOT cool Russell …

We met each other….I met my brother Colin when I was born. Jack has been a friend since early childhood. We’ve had a revolving cast of drummer (don’t all bands?) But things really took shape for us when my cousin Sean Dalton joined the band in 2001 and we started our recording career.

The pickiest eater in the band is….We’re all pretty easy but I guess I would go with Jack – he likes what he likes and would rather go hungry than eat crap!

The most OCD member is….Probably Colin but only about certain things like song writing and his show warm up routine … I’m probably the biggest neat freak.

For fun we like to….Drink, play rock’n’roll, go to the movies , golf, play hockey, travel, surf, eat at good restaurants, in no particular order.

We’re currently listening to….I’ve been doing a lot of producing on the side so I’m gonna throw in a plug for some bands that I’ve worked with…. Check out the Glorious Sons, Autumns Cannon, Molly Thomason and Time Giant.

We find inspiration from….Everyday life. Our relationships, our loved ones, the music we listen to and the things we see on our travels… There’s always plenty to write about if you’re paying attention…

One thing we want you to remember while listening to our music is….It sounds even better live!

Or latest record, The Trews, is different from our previous releases because….It’s self titled! JK…it’s not all that different to be honest. We try to put our best songs forward and deliver them in a fresh and energetic way every time out.

Our favorite tracks to play live are…. “Where There’s Love,” “Oblivion” and “So She’s Leaving” are my favorites to play live.

Our craziest or most memorable gig was….For me it’s a toss up between opening for the Rolling Stones at a small venue in Toronto and opening for Bruce Springsteen at Magentic Hill in New Brunswick where he brought us up to play with him during his encore. Both insanely epic moments in the history of our band…

Something odd we want our fans to know about us is….Our very first jam space was a spare room in Colin & JA’s grandmother’s house in Antigonish, NS.

Our last meals would be….Margaritas and Mexican food at Guerro’s in Austin,TX.

In the next six months you should expect….Some more shows and an announcement on future recording plans.