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TRANK are a French/Swiss heavy alt-rock band whose first singles earned them massively successful opening gigs with rock legends Deep Purple, Anthrax, Papa Roach, and Disturbed. TRANK’s all-new second album, “THE MAZE” – and its first two singles, “TWENTY FIRST CENTURY SLAVE” & “QUEEN OF THE BROKEN”, are out now, and Michel (“Mitch” or “MJ”, vocals and synths/programming) talks us through the background on the band.
What are the origins of TRANK? How long have you been playing together?
In various forms since the back end of 2015, but we’ve had quite a few line-up changes since then. In fact, I’m starting to feel like I’m in Deep Purple, with practically one version of the band every 2 years. But there’s a consistency to the sound as we originally defined it – which in the end is what matters, isn’t it? Every time someone leaves, they sort of pass their part of the TRANK DNA to their successor.
What should people expect when they check the band out? How would you describe TRANK?
“With much pain” is our standard reply to that.
We’re generally labeled as “Alternative hard rock”, which is fair – the backbone of most of our songs is hard rock riffing, but the vocal melodies and arrangements have more of a stadium-sized alt-rock quality, and there’s an element of electronic post punk as well for atmosphere and the sort of weird/cinematic sense of scale we aim for. Sort of a cross between the faster end of stoner on the one hand, with Depeche Mode and Muse on the other. What’s interesting is that Arnaud and Nico, our newest members on bass and guitar respectively, are bringing an element of groove into it which is a little different from what’s on the albums (they only joined the band after we had finished recording and mixing “The Maze”, our latest and second album), and the songs are evolving in a way that sounds really cool and interesting. But it isn’t going to make the description any easier. Kyuss + Depeche + Muse + Living Color, anyone?
How did you feel performing your first gig as a band, and how was it?!
Both frustrated and happy. Frustrated because we played as part of a mini festival of sorts, which had been poorly promoted – so, small crowd, and the guys who promoted it were also behind the console – and to be fair, they were much better at promoting. But happy because we faced the adversity and ended up playing as well as we wanted to – and the crowd was small, but they loved it.
What are you working on at the moment that people can check out?
We’ve just released “THE MAZE”, our second album. You can find it on all the usual digital platforms, or you can visit www.trankmusic.com and go to the “shop” page to buy it on vinyl or CD. We’re horrible perfectionists and spent forever crafting it to make it sound exactly as good as we wanted, so if you have a good vinyl rig, go for it. We wanted the album to be a statement that you can make records that sound powerful but ALSO richly, intricately layered. You tell us what you think.
In terms of a similar audience, which band out there at the moment do you feel TRANK would be best suited to open for?
Good question. On the bigger end of the scale, we DID open for huge acts in fairly diverse styles and went down a storm every time – because our music is at the crossroads of a range of genres, even though it’s got its own personality. We did Deep Purple, Anthrax, Papa Roach, Disturbed – went down a storm every time. Of those, Disturbed would probably be the closest to the way we blend hard-driven rock with high-tech angst, but we’re mellower than they are.
On the smaller end of the scale, we love Klone – an equally hard-to-pigeonhole, prog-meets-metal-meets-ambient band also from France. Would love to open for them and see what happens. Or maybe Magoyond – also French, also “alternative metal”. Good stuff.
Excluding yourself, which new band would you like to see break out and become a success?
Both of the ones mentioned above, Klone and Magoyond, deserve an even larger audience. Also, we’ve collaborated occasionally with a guy by the name Greco Rossetti – he’s based in the US and makes electro-industrial tunes that sit up there with classic Nitzer Ebb for me. His project is called Statik 107, and he’s got quite a few things brewing that I hope will bring his sound to a larger audience. We’ve also worked with a French electro project by the name m o k r o ï é – spaces and accent and absence of capital M all deliberate. Wonderful, deeply moving blend of atmospheric techno and hard-hitting electro-goth. Very emotional stuff. Deserves a massive break.
What frustrates you about the music business?
Hmm. Starts with an S. Ends with a Potify.
What are your first musical memories? And what was the lightbulb moment that made you go “I want to do that”?
First musical memory is an obsession with an instrumental track from the French version of the “Captain Harlock” anime (“Albator” in French). It was called “Space Battle” and basically taught me about the power of arrangement and production before I even knew what those words meant, or that they existed. Lightbulb moment? Hearing Depeche Mode’s “Get The Balance Right” on my parents’ car radio. Life was never the same.
What was the last gig that you attended as a fan?
Very recently, finally got to see Simple Minds play and they were ace. They were hugely important for me as a teenager, but unlike Depeche, U2, New Order, or even the Cure, they stopped putting out stuff that was worthy of their name somewhere in the early 90s. They’ve had a return to form on stage these last few years, and the magic is there. Jim Kerr is a fantastic singer – he still sounds like he’s 30, and Charlie Burchill is the most underrated guitarist of his generation. So inventive, so melodic, and every note and sound is thought to absolute perfection, in the service of the song.
What current social issue are you particularly passionate about?
The rise of antisemitism and the threat of a new form of bigotry that makes the extreme left, extreme right, Putin lovers, and Islamist fundamentalists into democracy-hating bedfellows.
The album that you have in your album collection/Spotify playlist that would surprise most people?
Album collection, yeah. Around 10,000, one third vinyl, 2 thirds digital, mostly physical but also high rez downloads for sound quality.
Spotify, no. Fuck them and everything they stand for. We have to be there, or so I’m told.
And probably a lot in my collection would “surprise” people, because it’s really eclectic. I have a thing for ’80s gay synth pop – got every album by Erasure and Pet Shop Boys. But I’ve also got a thing for ’70s jazz funk and jazz rock. Billy Cobham, George Duke, Weather Report. Go figure.
Everybody is a fan of something. Who or what are you a fan of?
Music.TRANK. And many others. You would get a very different answer to that question depending on whom in the band you ask, though. Off the top of my head? Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk, Bowie, the Beatles, Billie Holiday, Massive Attack, Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, Blondie, Talk Talk, The Cure, Joy Division / New Order, Killing Joke, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Fleetwood Mac, Aimée Mann, The Divine Comedy, Leftfield, Underworld, Orbital, Queen, Led Zeppelin, AC DC, Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, …
Also movies. I have my directors of choice. Clouzot (not the comedy cop), Kubrick, Cuaron. So many others. I think there are something like 3000 films in the house. I’m a TV Show addict, too. I think I’ve seen Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, The Wire, and The West Wing three times each in their entirety. Also Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Can’t wait for the new series. Yes, I’m 18 in my head.
What new music have you been enjoying so far this year?
There’s a whole bunch of post-punk revival bands I like right now. Fontaines DC, Idles, Protomartyr, Foals come to mind. There seems to be a return to the sound of Joy Division every decade or so. In the 2000s, it was Interpol, Editors, Bloc Party, White Lies, Killers. Doves, to an extent. Loved all of them too.
What does the rest of the year hold for TRANK?
4 months left to kick ass on stage.
How active are you on social media, and where can people connect with you?
We’re on Facebook, Instagram, and the band website. More than that is too much for our old bones. We’re more “active” on stage. Come see for yourselves.
