Features

Fuck yeah, Trash Talk is back with an amazing album called "Eyes & Nines". If you like out of control hardcore, make sure to give them a listen. But first read what bassist Spencer Pollard had to tell us.

PRT: What would you prefer to be doing right now instead of answering these questions?
Spencer: I’d rather be smoking a blunt, but Garrett’s in the back of the van right now rolling one right now so I’m going to have some cake and eat it too.

PRT: The output you guys have managed to put together in five years, takes a lot of other bands twice as long. On top of that you seem to be on the road pretty much all the time. What keeps you guys going?
Spencer: This band has evolved into a huge part of our lives since 2005 and it basically boils down to one thing: we simply love to play music. We write records so rapidly because there’s no excuse not to. Creatively, we play off of each other on and off stage so the writing process is exciting and fun for us. We greatly enjoy being on the road playing music we love and that’s motivation for us to get up every morning and keep doing it.

PRT: You have a new album coming out called “Eyes & Nines”. What’s up with that title?
Spencer: In Biblical numerology the number 9 is symbolic of the end, apocalypse. The eyes part is a reminder that no matter what you do there is someone watching you. The end is coming and you are being watched. It’s up to you what you’ll be doing when it all goes down.

PRT: It was produced by Joby from The Bronx and Matt provides guest vocals on one of the songs. How did you guys hook up with them?
Spencer: We’ve been friends with the guys in The Bronx for a while. We did a US tour together and hit it off quite well. When it came time to record this record, Joby was the logical choice and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

PRT: Just like the guys in The Bronx, you seem to do pretty much whatever you feel like. Like having your own label. How important is it for you to keep things under control yourself?
Spencer: We like for our releases to be done very specifically and the best way to do that is to do it ourselves. It’s important to us that the finished product is how we envisioned it. Working with a label can take some of the creative control away from the artist by way of artwork and packaging and since the label is essentially the one in charge what they say goes. We took out the middle man when we started Trash Talk Collective. It may not always be the easiest route but it ensures that every step along the way is monitored by someone in house. If something comes out wrong we can only blame ourselves.

PRT: Most of the songs are short, loud blasts of noise but “Hash Wednesday” shows a completely different side of you. Is that something you wish to explore more in the future?
Spencer: We don’t necessarily set out to explore certain sides of ourselves. We play music. What’s inside comes out easily enough on its own. Hash Wednesday is a long, slow song but I wouldn’t particularly say that it’s a deviation from the Trash Talk I know.

PRT: You’re on tour with Alexisonfire, La Dispute and Therefore I Am right now. How has the overall response been to you guys? Because all four of you have different sounds but in terms of sheer aggression you guys win the prize.
Spencer: The shows have been great. We have a lot of dedicated fans who have been coming out to see us whenever they can for the last few years. A lot of people get exposed to new music when shows are so diverse. That’s a very cool thing. Besides, nobody wants to play the same show every day for the rest of their life. Right?

PRT: You missed the first couple of dates on the tour because you were stuck in London because of the volcano thing in Iceland. How badly does that fuck up your finances for a European tour?
Spencer: We’re coming back to Europe in August. The volcano thing put us at a disadvantage, but if you start at point A and let everything that gets in your way stop you, how are you ever gonna get to point B?

PRT: What’s up next for you guys? More touring I suppose?
Spencer: Eyes & Nines just came out so we’ve got a lot shows coming up this year. We’re coming back out across the pond to play some festivals in Europe and the UK as well as heading over to Australia and Japan. We’ll be doing some more US tours as well. It’s a very exciting time for us.