Al O'Hare (Songs, Singing, Acoustic Guitars)
Tom Carroll (Songs, Electric Guitars)
Ben Godfrey (Bass Guitar, Singing)
Howard Northover (Drums)
Influences
Songs. Music. Rivers. Liverpool. Ireland. Scotland. Wales. Melody. Harmony. Noel Gallagher. Pete Townshend. Neil Young. The E Street Band. Caledonian Soul. Northern Songwriters. Pete Wylie. Ian McNabb. Ian Prowse. Lee Mavers. Singers. Dylan. Weller. Strummer. Stipe. Kate. Dusty. EC. ES. Billy. Bragg & Connolly. Stones. Van. Mike Scott & The Waterboys. Damien Dempsey. John Head's Cornish Town. Bruce Springsteen. God.
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"That was the river. This is the sea." Mike Scott, 1985.
2008 was the year The Trestles - named after the author of a Socialist bible and a lyric from a Bruce Springsteen song - truly arrived. But you've seen (or heard) nothing yet...
Picking up the pieces from the first line-up of the group, formed in mid-2007, Liverpool songwriter Al O'Hare ("like Bruce Springsteen fronting Oasis," said NME about O'Hare's previous band) regrouped and recruited 21-year-old virtuoso musician, Tom Carroll.
Tom and Al bonded over the early months of 08 and played lots of acoustic gigs around Merseyside - sometimes accompanied with a fiddle or an electric guitar - and The Trestles started to gather followers. Playing intimate venues like Liverpool's world famous Parr Street studios and Mathew Street's Mellowtone @ View Two Gallery gigs, the lads arrived at a sound that was truly their own.
Full-band gigs were waiting and studio time was booked. As Spring turned to Summer, indie label Ultimate Fake Records decided to release a compilation record, Liverpool Music Today. Featuring the cream of Liverpool's "best unsigned and underground artists", The Trestles were asked to contribute a track. Al O'Hare's 'All Grown Up' ("combining the energy of The Hold Steady with the drama of Springsteen," declared Liverpool's Daily Post) was chosen and the CD was released in July. The sleeve notes - penned by the label - said about the song: "Scouse-tinged harmonies, layered with a clash of jangly guitars and raw folk roots, built on a foundation of classic songwriting..." Word was getting out.
The Trestles made their return to Liverpool's live scene with an August Bank Holiday Monday gig at The Zanzibar Club, for the Mathew Street Festival. The place was packed - and, with Icicle Works legend Ian McNabb down the front checking out the new boys - the gig was a resounding success. Brand new songs 'Hard Faced Town' (debuted weeks earlier at a live BBC session, following on from local airplay for 'All Grown Up') and 'Heavy Heart' made their way into the set and The Trestles were off and running... and compared to Irish legends, Them!
The group made the fruits of their first recording sessions available on MySpace and both 'Hard Faced Town' and 'Where's The Glory?' received mass acclaim and plays. "The best thing you've ever done," seemed to be the consensus. Promo flyers with the hard-hitting lyrics of 'Hard Faced Town' appeared around Liverpool and were even printed in the local football magazines. The Trestles - now operating as a traditional four-piece, around core members O'Hare and Carroll - built on the momentum with a flurry of gigs in the Autumn of 2008.
The Trestles were also asked to play MTV Liverpool Music Week in 2008 and performed their best set yet. High on energy, drama and dynamics - the band were on fire. Support slots followed with Mull Historical Society, Amsterdam (at a sold-out Carling Academy in Liverpool, see YouTube clips) and Ian McNabb and the group were awarded their best review yet, following on from a great show at Wolverhampton's Little Civic: "Never previously short of promise, this incarnation featuring the Fender Uzi wielding Tom Carroll and new found bollock kicking growl of Al O'Hare, has become the definitive line up."
2008 comes to a close with the announcement of the forthcoming 'Hard Faced Town' EP/Demonstration tape. Recording will continue over Christmas/New Year and February is set to be the month when the release will appear on-line and become available to buy. The group will promote it with shows across the country - including their London debut - and the tracklisting is set to run as follows:
1. A Shot of Wonder
2. Heavy Heart
3. Hard Faced Town
4. Where's The Glory? ...
The Trestles have used Hammond B3 organ on all of the above tracks - and with the group also utilising fiddles in their acoustic gigs, from time to time - expect the band's live sound to expand in 2009 too. With nods to The Waterboys, Springsteen, The Clash and Van Morrison, The Trestles are always ready to switch on your electric light.
Remember how music used to make you feel?
Gorgeous version of I'm On Fire there Al :-) I agree a sprinkle of VU goin there to give it a different edge!
How about adding a little eerie violin towards the end and play the song out on it alone? That is, if you know of any violin players ;-)
Got going on the flyer - have gone with the photo I took of Tom's guitar from the EP launch night. I'm afraid all the other photos ended up too pixelated(?) when blown up. Just trying to get the right font for it now - tried about 5 different versions! Will have it done this weekend though. Do enjoy the graphic design side...
see you lads tomoz,absolutely made up ya's av helped us out,it will not be forgoting,much respect 2 The Trestles....take it easy an i'll be seeing you soon....DT!!!!!!!
DOWNLOAD DEBUT EP HARD FACED TOWN BELOW!
