The band “Trust The Chaos” name may seem counterintuitive and paradoxical, but to the five-piece band it represents finding balance amongst the chaos that is life.
We’re all about finding a balance in our sound, staying true to our alternative roots and continue writing music with heart and depth that people can interpret openly.
Since our last interview with Trust The Chaos several months ago, they’ve played at Baybeats Festival 2018 and launched their first EP, “UNRAVEL”.
As a whole, UNRAVEL demonstrates the band’s distinct brand of melodic rock music, with a smattering of influences cutting across emo, alternative rock and post hardcore, while maintaining modern mainstream sensibilities that remain accessible to the commercial side of alternative rock.
In the following email interview, Trust The Chaos takes us through the tracks of UNRAVEL, their music songwriting process as well as how they hope to make a difference in Singapore’s music scene.
POPSPOKEN: Hi guys! How would you describe the songwriting process of your band?
Songwriting has always been a rewarding process for all of us, and it remains a challenge for us because we are constantly trying to innovate and sound a little different than before, whilst retaining that Trust The Chaos element (whatever it is that defines us for you).
The way songwriting happens for our band is quite organic where creativity is happening but we don’t impose any rules on ourselves. We don’t define the direction of the songs in our head or set out to make one kind of record.
Anytime you fence yourself within a creative box, it’s going to stifle you because it’s not conducive to the writing or recording process.
Looking back, the whole songwriting process for UNRAVEL was liberating because we didn’t overthink the music. The musical palette presented on the EP is raw and emotionally honest.
POPSPOKEN: What is Trust The Chaos most proud of UNRAVEL for?
We are really proud that the EP has turned out to be an exuberant and bold record that grabs the listener by the collar with its intensity and raw energy.
We hope listeners can hear the artistic vigour with each song’s subtleties, particularly in melodies which we hope are strong enough to lodge in their head for days.
POPSPOKEN: What were the band’s main inspiration behind the music and lyrics of UNRAVEL?
The instrumentation and lyrics were crafted around emotions. Every single song on UNRAVEL is about being human – anger, love, hate, forgiveness etc.
On Mirror, one might think that it is a song directed at naysayers, telling them not to be judgemental but the true take away from the song is actually the last line of chorus: ‘live and let live before we hit the floor’.
No one is perfect and that is something that is directed at the listener to be more self-reflecting.
Another song about humility is Lying to Myself. It s a pretty straightforward song which talks about perception and being in denial – it can apply to many things, from being in toxic relationships, to facing obstacles and problems in life, to dealing with failures in general.
We change our perspectives if we know a problem cannot be solved, or if we don’t have the impetus to solve them. Some may think numbing themselves and being oblivious is the panacea for their problems.
Two of the new songs featured on the EP are Poison and Labyrinth, and we are really pleased with how both songs turned out.
POPSPOKEN: Which song off UNRAVEL is the greatest feat for the band, and why?
Labyrinth started off as an experimental song and it is a song that requires repeated listens which is something we are personally proud of. Our lead guitarist wrote riffs based on the music he listened to and tried to merge ideas from these influences into a style that he could call his own.
The song was an attempt to use unusual chords and a less typical way of building up, but still package it in a way that is approachable for more mainstream audience. This was the toughest song to crack for the band where we came up with so many varying iterations of it and came close to scrapping it.
Lyrically, the concept is based on the Greek maze which housed the Minotaur. We feel it creates the depth out of the entire EP. Again, we leave it wide open for listeners to discern and interpret the relevance of this song, what the labyrinth could refer to in their lives.
POPSPOKEN: What is the first song the band will recommend from Unravel?
As compared to Labyrinth, Poison is quite a for radio song by comparison but makes up for it with its intensity.
It follows a raw alt rock tone started in Mirror, but builds upon it, adding a layer of refinement to the sound.
The more modern sound is cemented by the choice for no guitar solo and instead focusing more on the soundscaping such as ambient reverbs, tapped harmonics etc.
POPSPOKEN: Alternative rock isn’t the easiest genre to break out with in today’s music context. What drives Trust The Chaos to pursue this genre, from Singapore?
What started out as a hobby has evolved into a passion project for us. We hope to increase our outreach efforts in the local music scene to create deeper audience engagement and raising the profile of the alternative rock genre to continue the legacy of the work done by predecessors of this genre.
Much has been done over the years to encourage the growth of local music, where more platforms are created for local talents to take the spotlight and for easier music consumption.
However, there lacks the impetus for consumers to actively seek out new local content, especially if the genre is not as accessible or commercial.
POPSPOKEN: Trust The Chaos wants to go down in Singapore’s history as…
The band that diversifies and develops the audience mix in Singapore;
The band that develops an inclination among listeners to actively share music to create a sustainable and supportive music eco system in the local arts scene, and hopefully together with bands of alternative genres, break out of the local scene to reach a wider regional/international audience.
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