Introducing: Trickshooter Social Club

Trickshooter Social Club is an American stomp-and-clap rock band founded in Chicago, new EP ‘Monte Carlo’ was released earlier this year, and here’s everything that you need to know about the band:

What are the origins of the band, how long have you been playing together?

It started with Larry (Larry Liss the other founder of the band) and I with a couple of acoustics throwing out parts and ideas in a basement in Chicago. We actually started this thing with a bit of a mission. We didn’t want to be a “band” in the traditional sense. We wanted to be a community of artists making things together. We wanted it to be open and supportive and positive – no typical band bullshit. We also wanted the music to be unapologetically honest with no pretension. The goal was to not be cool – just to be real. To be a part of the tradition of American roots rock and dirty blues – the tradition of storytelling in 3½ minutes – and see where we could take it. Larry and I have worked together forever, as a unit we have been together 5 years.

How did you feel performing your first gig? And how was it?!

Your first gig is like any big first in your life – it is exhilarating and terrifying. The thing is – lots of people try it — and most move on for one reason or another. But if you have that music gene in you – that insane obsessional need to put yourself out there – and risk total humiliation – in service of trying to get something across – then you just keep doing it. Since my first gig – I have played total shit-shows — and I have played gigs that were absolutely sublime. You just never know. The only certainty is that I’ve always had a white-hot burning desire to keep doing it.

What should people expect when they check the band out? How would you describe yourself?

We like to think of our music as an oddly literate, completely eclectic approach to fuzzy, tweedy, garage-y, country-tinged, stomp and clap American rock-n-roll. Sometimes singer/songwriter, sometimes loud and unapologetic – our songs are a little whiskey-soaked and world-weary – but always leave a little room for redemption. Our goal is honest music with no pretense. So, we really just hope to connect on a simple, human level. We believe that all good art needs to serve something (that is what separates art from craft) and we serve the lonely, the tired, the slightly fucked-up… the people who have dealt with more than their share
of shit but still somehow remain at least a little hopeful. That is our tribe. Those are our people. We write songs for those bastards and misfits. Mostly so we can all feel a little less lonely.

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?

I think the sound has to be original – there is a lot of indulgent, derivative stuff out there. I think it also has to be honest and have some nutritional value. The music has to mean something. It has to say something. It has to serve something. Cynical, disposable music is like candy – it might taste okay in the moment, but it isn’t satisfying and it doesn’t do anything for you. But well-crafted, intentional, meaningful music is only part of the equation – then you have to get heard, you have to get noticed — and that involves a lot of hustle and a lot of luck.

What are you working on at the minute that people can check out?

We are super proud of our new EP – Monte Carlo. It’s available wherever you stream of but music.

What band out there at the minute do you feel that you would be best suited to open for?

He is unfortunately no longer with us… but our dream would be to open for Tom Petty – he made honest music without pretense his entire career. Just a badass in every way. And he wrote songs – great American Rock and Roll – with choruses and hooks and memorable lyrics. Not bullshit soundscapes or indulgent pap. We aspire to catch a little glimpse or a tiny moment of what Tom Petty was all about.

Who do you feel is the next band to break out?

It is so hard to know. The landscape is so broad and so wide. The industry is so broken in terms of bands being able to make a living — I’m not even sure what breaking out means anymore. At this point – if you are not in it for the love of making music and expressing yourself – you shouldn’t be in it.

What are your first musical memories? And what was the light bulb moment that made you go “I want to do that”?

Van Halen. They were like these sexy rock-n-roll clowns that combined metal with boogie-woogie. It was compelling and odd and quirky and dangerous and cheesy all at once – and I fucking loved it. They were the rock-n-roll circus I decided I must join. And I have been a card-carrying member ever since.

What was the last gig that you attended as a fan?

Killer Robots in Chicago. This was a while ago… unfortunately.

The album that you have in your album collection/Spotify playlist that would surprise most people?

The Cure. I fucking love The Cure. I don’t think you hear them all in my songwriting or in our Trickshooter’s music – but I think they are an amazing band – great songs, great lyrics, and they sound like themselves – no one sounds like the Cure — plus their material has aged so well.

How active are you on social media and where can people connect with you?

We love connecting with folks over our music. We are fans of music and love being in the conversation.

Social:
https://www.facebook.com/TrickShooterSocialClub
https://www.instagram.com/trickshootersocialclub/

Photo by @WillByington

 

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