Trash Pals Releases “Sonya”
Is there a particular ethos behind the single/EP/album or any particular music styles or events that inspired it?
Like many of Trash Pals' songs, the ethos of “Sonya” is rooted in accepting change. Quietude and inner reflection are required to accommodate the difficulties of change, but so often these processes are looked upon as aberrations of wellness rather than necessary modes of healing. “Sonya” is Trash Pals' response to others' external discomfort with one's own ways of processing change, as heard most clearly in the bridge: "Won't tell you things will be okay / just let you take it day by day."
Can you briefly describe what the song/each song is about?
Trash Pals experiment with a new direction in their songwriting with “Sonya” in that the song is based on a clear narrative. “Sonya” tells story of a young woman who falls asleep in her seat at a concert despite spending a hefty amount on her ticket. With her head on the shoulder of the stranger next to her, she takes in the music happening before her and wakes only to the thunderous applause at the end of the performance. By the final chorus we learn that she is there because the songs are "fading melodies / her mother sang to her." Is she there because the songs remind her of her mother? Is it her mother singing them to her from the stage? Or are these songs her mother once sang to her, long ago? The distance between “Sonya” and the music she is listening remains ambiguous, but one thing is clear: this is, for her, the way she is processing something and the best way for her to do so, even if from the outside it may seem hard to understand. To learn from her in this way is to respect her fully, and it is here that her friends can perhaps be the most understanding and compassionate.
Where was the single/EP/album recorded and who was involved in its production?
We recorded “Sonya” at Matter Music in Los Angeles. It was produced by Trash Pals and engineer/producer Jon Graber.
Who are the band members and what do they play?
The band members of Trash Pals are Conor Rayne (bass, drums, guitar, production, vocals, songwriting) and Gabriel Schnider (guitar, keyboards, production, vocals, songwriting).
Are there any other interesting or amusing happenings – no matter how small – that the band have been involved with that would be of interest to those who like your music?
Gabriel and Conor have a lot of interests beyond music that affect how they approach their work. Design and visual media are big for them - all the Trash Pals artwork is made by hand. They also love surfing and try to spend as much time in the water as possible; so much of what they do is influenced by the ocean. It is their compass and greatest source of balance, healing and perspective.
