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TRANK are a French independent rock band – whose first singles, released between 2016 and 2019, have earned them massively successful opening gigs with rock legends Deep Purple, Anthrax, Papa Roach, and Disturbed. Michel (“MJ”, vocals and programming) talks us through the origins of the band, and what you can expect when you check debut album ‘THE ROPES’ out…
What are the origins of the band, how long have you been playing together?
Oooh, you’re not starting with the one that’s going to excite people the most – I mean our answer to it. The short version is – we’d all had more or less extensive experiences in semi-pro or professional bands before, but it was only when TRANK got together that the four of us felt, for the first time, we had a project that deserved to be treated above and beyond the call of duty. The long version? I met Julien somewhere in 2014 and the band was formed proper in 2016. I had been in a locally successful cover band for years that did the Geneva circuit – but I was looking to go into songwriting, and the others weren’t so much into it. So I did the classic rock’n’roll thing of browsing local ads – I wanted to find someone who could write riffs and melodies powerful enough to use my rock voice because when I sat down and wrote songs at the time, most of what came out was more melancholy. I couldn’t quite believe it when the first guy who ever responded was that MUTANT, playing space guitar (Julien is a big fan of Muse and plays the same tricked-out high tech Manson guitars as Matt Bellamy), coming up with those instrumentals that had the exact balance of flamboyant power and emotional intensity I was looking for. I roped in Johann (Drums), who was a friend from work, and I knew he was a great drummer – and we were basically waiting for a project to show up that we could work on together. After our first bass player had to bail, we stumbled upon David, and something truly clicked, sonically and humanly, when he joined. That’s when TRANK was truly born.
How did you feel performing your first gig? And how was it ?!
Mostly? Angry and impatient, because the guys before us at the local festival we were playing finished even later than they started. But I think that fed into the performance and it pretty much erased whatever self-consciousness we might have felt. The fact that half of the monitoring imploded on us just as we were getting started didn’t help… But apparently, we sounded great. Small audience who had no idea what to expect, and their reaction was great. Most of them have followed us since then!
What should people expect when they check the band out?
We’ve struggled so much with describing the style of the band – because it sits at the crossroads of multiple genres without being “just” one of them. It’s alt-rock with stadium-sized atmospheres and touches of metal as well as electronic post-punk. But once you’ve said that…you’ve really said nothing. I think what we want to do is make rock like Chris Nolan makes films. Big, immersive, emotionally intense songs, that feel immediately accessible but they make you think about things and ask yourself questions. We love contrasts. We want the songs to be epic and cinematic but speak to the heart. We want them powerful, but catchy – we’re not an extreme band. We want them emotionally intense, we love a touch of darkness in them, but also with light and flamboyance so that the darkness feels inviting and cathartic rather than scary. We love the notion that in order to remain interesting all the way, whether it’s a song, an album, or a concert – it has to go through light and shade. And – we love the idea that even though you may love the song from the first time, you’ll discover new elements and angles to love about it with every new play. Again, much like a Chris Nolan film – one of the good ones anyway.
How would you describe TRANK?
TRANK is the bastard child of Shinedown and Depeche Mode, with Muse as a midwife, and Porcupine Tree running the hospital. How’s that for a description?
The new music scene is bursting at the seams with fresh talent, in what ways do you feel that a band has to stand out from the others trying to build a name?
Just about in any way you can, but it has to start from playing the music you truly want to hear. These days, it’s really unlikely you’re going to make a living out of it, so you might as well make sure you have fun making it and sharing it, and putting your personality into it – ultimately that’s what will make it stand out. And yeah, sure, there are all sorts of things you HAVE to do these days if you even want to be heard – starting with, being seen, on social networks, etc. So your visuals should also be a reflection of who you are – and if you’re lucky enough that many people recognize themselves in what you do, then great. If not – you’ll still have work to be proud of that you can look back on. What else is there?
What are you working on at the minute that people can check out?
Well, the answer to that question is actually pretty different. What you can check out NOW is our album, “THE ROPES” – it was released independently at the back end of 2020 and got rave reviews but of course a pretty limited audience. But then we were picked up by a distributor who gave us a chance to give it more exposure – and so we’ve complemented it with 12 remixes and re-released it, and it’s getting even MORE rave reviews now, which we hope snowballs into gigging opportunities… When those come back.
In the meantime, you can check out the album on all your usual digital platforms, and order the (magnificent, dare I say) double CD from either Season of Mist (they ran out of stock for a while, which we’re very proud of, but there’s new supply now), or our own www.trankmusic.com website. Meanwhile, we’re putting all of the pent-up energy and frustration from not being able to play live, into composing the second album, which is well underway. There will be 3 singles this year.
What band out there at the minute do you feel that you would be best suited to open for?
ANY BAND THAT ACTUALLY PLAYS LIVE THESE DAYS.
Joking aside – because we are at the crossroads of such a diverse bunch of styles, we’ve had incredible responses no matter who we’ve opened for. And we’ve been lucky (or crazy) enough to open for Deep Purple, Anthrax, Disturbed, and Papa Roach – and the response was incredible every time. Also, we’ve all got very eclectic tastes – so the answer to your question would probably be very different depending on whom in the band you ask… I would say Depeche Mode because they’re my all-time favorite band, but I’d also love to open for Shinedown, whose music David has introduced me to.
Who do you feel is the next band to break out?
Anyone you interview who doesn’t answer “US” to this question isn’t worth your time.
What are your first musical memories? And what was the light bulb moment that made you go “I want to do that”?
My brother had four or 5 rock records in the room we used to share: AC/DC, The Police, Pink Floyd. Those would be among my earliest musical memories, alongside the soundtrack to the French version of Captain Harlock. And the moment I decided “I want to make music” was probably hearing “Get the Balance Right” by Depeche Mode. It was 1983. I took my time.
What was the last gig that you attended as a fan?
Dave Gahan in Paris, playing “Imposter” – his set of covers with Soulsavers. It was phenomenal. He IS phenomenal. And the band and song selection were perfect.
The album that you have in your album collection/Spotify playlist that would surprise most people?
I don’t do Spotify playlists. I do records, CDs / DVDs Blu Rays, / SACDs, and high-quality downloads. Between all these formats I have like 10,000 albums that range from the Middle Ages to 2022 – so I bet a LOT of them would surprise many people.
How active are you on social media and where can people connect with you?
Reasonably active. You can find us in many places – I’ve listed them below. Come and visit!
http://www.facebook.com/trankmusic
http://www.instagram.com/trankmusic
http://www.youtube.com/trankmusic
Trank group photo on front page – Gabi Hirit
