Interview: Trü Talks Debut EP + Stream “Take A Peek”

It must be something in the water down in the swamps of Jersey. Our new favorite band from the Garden State goes by the name of Trü and they’re getting ready to release their debut, self-titled EP.

The four track effort features golden hued melodies and crunchy guitars call to mind the best the 90s had to offer with the poppier inclinations of Weezer meeting the emotional swells of Built To Spill. Or as the band puts it themselves more simply, “sad music for sad people.”

To go along with a stream of Trü’s latest single, “Take A Peek,” we sent along some interview questions to help get to know them better. Check it all out below and look for the band’s debut EP out June 9th via Destroy All Monsters Records.

Hi, Trü! Congrats on your debut EP. Can you tell us a little more on who you are and how you first got together?

Pat: Thank you! We are 4 friends from North Jersey who played in many other bands and finally got together to jam one night. I had some of these songs for about two years before Keith and I got hammered at a friends wedding and decided to jam on them. I’ve been playing with Steve since about 2012 and basically recruited him just until we recorded hoping he would stay on and thankfully, he did.

Cindy: A little after Steve decided to join, Pat reached out to me and asked me if I wanted to play bass. Although it was my first time picking up the bass instead of the guitar, I really enjoyed it and things started to naturally fall into place. The 4 of us ended up really clicking together and what started as a casual jam on Pat’s ideas became a project that, in just weeks, developed into many completed songs, a few shows and now our EP.

What’s your songwriting process like? Who are some of your biggest influences?

Pat: This has been one of the best parts about playing with everyone. The writing process has been so easy and we really help build on each other’s ideas. When we write, we try to keep it loud, catchy, and fun. As far as influences I’ve always been a big fan of bands like Dinosaur Jr, Jawbreaker and Weezer but our roots are much deeper than that. Collectively, the four of us have been in bands that range from pop-punk, hardcore, emo, and metal.

What are some of the larger themes at play on the EP?

Pat: Most of the songs are about relationships, good and bad but still important parts of our lives. I’ve played guitar in hardcore bands most my life but this is the first time I’m ever singing or writing lyrics so it was a different experience, to say the least.

Cindy: Between it being Pat’s first time singing and my first time on bass, it’s been really fun to see each other’s styles and talents shine through new instruments and roles.

Favorite show or shows you’ve ever played?

Pat: Our favorite show so far has to have been a combined birthday bash we threw at the Meatlocker. Cindy, myself, and Pete Clark, who plays drums in another of Cindy’s bands, all share the exact same birthday! That night we shot a music video for our first single “Take a Peek”, the opening track for this EP, and shared the stage with some of our favorite local acts. It was a blast to spend the night at our home base with our friends and families.

Any new artists/venues/purveyors of the arts in your local scenes you could
turn our readers onto?

Cindy: The Meatlocker in Montclair serves as our home base, practice space, and where all four of us have developed our past and present projects. It’s also where we’ve been lucky enough to share the stage with our talented friends in: Whiner, No Honeymoon, Sunflower, Young House and many others. It’s a true hub for all genres of local music and arts in New Jersey and without it this band may have never formed.

Where can we follow you and where can our readers catch you live next?

Pat: Our 7″ vinyl EP release show is on Saturday, June 10th at Sharkey’s Campus Inn in Union, NJ. You can catch us Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp, and Spotify!

Any parting thoughts? Open platform!

Pat: Stay tuned on social media for our video release and the debut of our EP out June 9th on Destroy All Monsters Records! We’re super stoked to share this release with everyone and can’t thank our good friend, Todd Campisi of Destroy All Monsters, enough for helping us put the wheels in motion and being the mastermind behind the 7″ release. We’re honored to be the first release on DAM and are excited to see what’s in store from this label!