Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: Wow that’s a tricky one as all three of us have different backgrounds so maybe we should all answer separately:-
Marky: I had a pretty sheltered childhood and music was not really a big thing at home but I used to sneak round my mates house at lunch or after school and listen to the sex pistols whenever I could! As a teenager a pair of headphones, a small fm radio and a sony cassette walkman allowed me to go on a musical journey of discovery.
Joolz: My house growing up was filled with music, be it 50s/60s pop and rock from my mum or country and harder rock from my dad. We always had guitars everywhere and everyone that visited ended up playing something. Most days ended in some kind of party. I grew up in Africa so rhythm and drums have played a big part in my musical journey. My first guitar teacher was also a big inspiration. He was in a Reggae band and always taught me unusual rhythms and patterns.
Spence: Growing up in my house It was the usual kinda classic rock bands such as The Beatles and Queen . I was always tapping on things and pots and pans as a child so I think I was just always destined to become a drummer . As I got older I branched out musically and discovered other bands like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Sabbath . Eventually l was introduced to the whole Grunge scene which changed everything for me and I started to really appreciate the heavier and darker side of music . That’s what really made me decide to learn drums and become a musician.
Q: As a Portsmouth-based band, how has your local scene shaped your journey or influenced your sound? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover “Trouble County”?
A: Back in the day there was an amazing music scene in Portsmouth and we all played in various bands from very different genre’s. In coming together as a group we each brought our own influences and it fuses together to create a unique blend that is Trouble County. For anyone about to discover “Trouble County” we say welcome to the collective it’s a pleasure to have you aboard, we have sold our souls to bring you something special for your audio pleasure.
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now? And where do you find inspiration for making music?
A: Joolz: I recently discovered a soul band called ‘Black Pumas’ they are currently rocking my boat. Inspiration to write can come from anywhere at any time. I once visited a WW2 memorial in the town of Oradour in France and once I was home, I wrote the song Oradour.
Spence: I love lots of artists old and new, but I guess the one currently that inspires me is Rival Sons because they have a modern sound but delivered in a classic and retro way, which I feel Trouble County has too. Inspiration for making music can come from anything like a song you hear or something somebody says or even a place you see.
Mark: Right now I have been revisiting Tool’s music and its definitely inspiring my bass playing and use of effects to create new sounds. Inspiration sometime seems to just come when I pick and play my guitars without me be conscious of where it has come from.
Q: “Blacken the Sky” has had a huge response since its release. Did you expect the album to connect with listeners the way it does?
A: Well, we certainly hoped it would, we are proud of the songs we have written and have put every ounce of ourselves into trying to make the album the best representation of us that we could. Honestly it genuinely turned out better than we expected thanks to the amazing support from the record label. The song selection is eclectic and allows different songs to connect with people and makes the whole listen a real audio journey. The response from fans and the music press has been truly amazing.
Q: How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
A: Authentic
Q: The songwriting throughout the album feels raw and personal. Can you talk about what inspired the lyrics behind the title track?
A: The lyrics for ‘Blacken The Sky’ came from a very dark place. Feeling sick to the stomach of humans being the scourge of the galaxy. Destroying the earth in the most selfish ways possible, for monitary gain. I used the imagery of religious plagues to drive the point home, cheery stuff!
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as a band?
A: I guess each song has its own message but overall it’s about sharing authentic feelings, emotions and experiences with the listener and allowing to draw their own interpretation and perception from the songs.
The goal is carry on riding this rock and roll journey to see where it takes us, thing are getting bigger and better for us all the time so lets see where it takes us.
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
Joolz: Sergey Prekoviev, Frank Zappa, Mike Patton
Spence: Kurt Cobain, Freddie Mercury and Ozzy Osborne
Mark: Jimi Hendrix, Tom Morello, Dimebag Darrell
Q: The new video for “Blacken the Sky” is visually stunning, cinematic and intense. What was the vision behind it?
A: Being probably the darkest song on the album I thought it deserved a suitably dark video. I had the idea of a suicide cult, all brainwashed into taking the lyrical content literally. A church was a sacrilicious choice for this vid! Luckily our friends run a studio and live music venue in the church, so it only took some light negotiations to get it all signed off!! We chose x12 extras to represent the 12 disciples, so there are a few little details like that to pick out. Our extras did such a great job, especially the death scene, which had to be one take! Is it another video in a church – Yes. Is it just a video in a church – Very much no! We hope you love the video as much as we do.
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A: Believe in what you do, work really, really hard and be patient. It’s a long hard road and only the strongest survive.
Q: If someone just discovered Trouble County through this video, what’s the one thing you hope they take away from your music?
A: That they have heard and seen something new that drew them in and left them wanting to see and hear more from the band.
