As an artist trying to plan for a long career, you must be open to evolving your sound. As inspiration abounds you must grow your music from what you experience. Our recent discovery Trynket has let her music evolve to the fresh sound she provides today.
We caught up with the multi-genre artist to get a deeper look into her development and her newest single “Downbeat”. Enjoy the interview here:
First off, tell us about the name Trynket?
Hi there! Trynket is my stage name, and it comes from the actual word “trinket” which is one of my favorite words in the English language. I have also collected a lot of trinkets and keepsakes over the years that remind me of some of my favorite memories and travels. Even though trinket technically means an ornament or jewelry piece “of little value,” the trinkets I’ve collected are highly valuable to me because of their sentimental value. I’ve also used the word “trinket” in a lot of past aliases online when I was in high school – in email addresses, screen names (yes, even AOL lol), etc. so this word’s actually been part of who I am for years and now I guess I’ve just become the full manifestation of this weird relationship I’ve always had with the word.
How would you describe your sound?
I think my sound fits most snugly under the Urban Pop category although you can definitely hear influences in my music that are from a wide variety of genres (synth pop, EDM, hiphop, R&B) that I grew up listening to. I have always loved and listened to all kinds of music – oldies, pop, rap, classical, rock, etc. – and was the type of kid who’d jam to Britney Spears one moment and then to Rage Against The Machine the next because, for me, a good song is a good song and a good melody is a good melody no matter what genre it is.
What drives you to create original music?
I’m really not sure to be quite honest, but the drive has always intensely been there since the beginning for me. I have always loved it and am completely obsessed (like REALLY obsessed) with creating. Why this obsession exists I don’t know, but I started writing songs when I was a kid and ever since then I couldn’t make myself stop even if I wanted to. And now I have endless folders of songs and can barely keep up with getting them recorded lol. Even at my lowest when the last thing I’d feel like doing is making music, that’s when I’d hear the most songs in my head (and they won’t leave me alone till I actually write them down as crazy as this sounds). But whatever it is, it’s brought a lot of healing for me and allowed me to express and safely release everything I’m feeling at any moment and process painful experiences without having to talk to to people too much (talking exhausts me much more than hours of creating). I’m learning to just surrender to the inspiration and let it hit me whenever it wants to hit me and accept it with gratitude.
Which artists have had the biggest influence on you?
Depeche Mode has been my favorite band for years, and I’ve always loved Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder. I’m sure my love for their music sometimes bleeds into the pop songs I write and how I play my synths. But when I was a kid, I was also really heavy into R&B vocalists like Aaliyah, Beyonce, Mariah Carey and rappers like Ludacris and Jay-Z so a lot of the hiphop and soulful elements in my current material definitely comes from my love for 90s R&B and rap.
Your sound seems to have evolved over time. What has prompted those changes?
Before going solo, I played with a synth pop band for years in Tennessee, but even after we split up I was still very much on a synth pop high and continued to write only synth pop and electronic pop music on my own. But it eventually got to the point where I realized synth pop was only really just “part” of who I am – the full 100% me has always loved not only synth pop, but R&B and hiphop as well. It’s what I grew up listening to first before I even knew what electronic music sounded like so I think it was only natural I evolved into what I sound like now which I really think fully and accurately represents who I am and my musical background. But for those who REALLY wanna dive deep and see what my earlier stuff sounds like, it’s still up on my main website which I think is the only place it’s available now.
How does a song come together for you? What is your songwriting process?
This answer’s probably gonna suck, but I actually don’t have a process. Usually, when I start to write it’s simply because I’m reacting to something that happened to me that day or recently, or sometimes I’ll just be freestyling on the piano and then words will flow out. I used to read lyrics of my favorite artists all the time growing up so I think this helped me learn basic song structure enough to where I could know how to place verses and choruses in a song on my own, but as far as how the songs come – I never plan or force them. I don’t think I’ve ever written a meaningful song or one that I actually like by trying to force ideas or words. Like I said earlier, I let inspiration strike whenever it feels like strikin and I’ve noticed it always arrives at the weirdest times – when I’m on a plane, in the shower, just waking up…I think my muse is a total weirdo, but it’s all good cause I’m also a weirdo lol.
What do you hope the listener will take away from your music?
That they’re never alone in how they feel and that we all have the capability to rise out of our ashes even stronger. So many times when I felt devastated and felt like nobody in the universe would understand, one of my albums like Violator by DM would randomly play in my car and I’d be like, “OMG THEY TOTALLY GET ME.” Music is powerful, and it was always relieving for me to know that even my favorite artists feel pain the same way I do. I hope my music can do the same for others.
Give us a look at the future of Trynket?
More song releases and hopefully more shows in 2021!! 🙂 Hoping next year treats us all much better and more venues open up cause I’ve been itchin like crazy to tour again!
Follow more from Trynket HERE.
