Features

Meet Phoenix-based pop-punks Sundressed. Their new EP "The Same Condition" will be out in two days on Take This To Heart Records and is ridiculously catchy, poppy and all other kinds of goodness. Make sure to check it out, but not before you've read this interview with vocalist/guitarist Trevor Hedges where he talks about the EP, Punk Talks and Michael Scott!

PRT: My favorite song on the EP would have to be “Every Part Is Moving”. Can you tell me a little more about that song and specifically the line ‘inconsistent, out of key / sing all the wrong harmonies / we rely on body parts / to become a work of art’?

Trevor: Sure! I actually wrote that song a long time ago, and struggled with the arrangement for quite a while. When we decided to have a minor key song on the new EP, I went back to it and it ended up being one of my favorite tracks. Those lyrics are about being authentic and letting your own voice/form of art come out how it is. Which is actually kind of ironic since I thought about the arrangement so much!

PRT: Why did you decide to use artwork for “The Same Condition” that is in line with your previous EP, “Dig Up A Miracle”?

Trevor: Since we recorded the two EP’s pretty close together, it almost felt like we were making a full length. “Dig Up A Miracle” being the catchier more up front songs, while these four new songs being the weirder more experimental ones. I think you could hit shuffle on both EPs and have it play out like a full length.
 

PRT: Sundressed started out as an acoustic project and you’ve dabbled in some different sounds along the way. Would you say the new songs are what you’ve been going for all along or did that evolution take place naturally?

Trevor: I would say it’s a mix of both. The sound we have now is definitely what I always wanted it to be, but I’m not sure if I knew what that was going to be until we got there. I feel like it’s a mix of all the music I loved growing up, as well as the music that made me fall in love with songwriting. I’m very happy with where we’re at right now, and can’t wait to see where our sound goes.

PRT: One of the songs from the EP, “Beck And Call”, will be included on a compilation that will benefit something called Punk Talks. How did you get involved with that project?

Trevor: They reached out to us, and we were more than happy to get involved! 

PRT: And what is Punk Talks exactly? Because I’ve been reading about it and I still don’t really get it to be perfectly honest.

Trevor: It’s an organization that helps musicians and music industry workers with mental health problems, by providing free counseling and treatment. Their motto is “you don’t have to be sad to make great music,” which I couldn’t agree with more. Though a lot of our lyrics are very cathartic for me, I try to always provide hope amidst the heavier subject matter in my songs. Having struggled with mental health and addiction, I’m very glad to play a small role in helping others!
 

PRT: You’ll be on tour with Heartless Breakers in October/November. Who asked who out? And what do you hope people take away from a Sundressed show?

Trevor: Well we did a West Coast run with them back in April and instantly became best friends! They are such great guys and they play incredible music! When we realized we were both playing Fest, it just made sense, as we were a pretty great team last time as far as sharing the booking duties. 

As far as what I hope people take away from Sundressed shows, I hope people can feel how much we love doing what we’re doing, let loose a little, and enjoy life!

PRT: I’m assuming you all still have day jobs. I’ve always wondered whether it’s easy to take a month off to go on tour? And if it’s even harder to then come back to the daily grind afterwards?

Trevor: It is not easy, but we’re all pretty blessed with jobs that are supportive of us going for this. This will be the longest I’ve ever taken off. I actually have a co-worker who tours in a band called Playboy Man Baby (yes thats a real band name) and we do our best to get each other’s backs so we can both tour as much as possible. Last few days of tour are always worse knowing you have to go back to your day job, but as long as we have another tour in the works, it’s definitely worth it to get through it! 

PRT: You’ll also be playing at the Fest. Cover sets are a thing at the Fest. Which band would you love to cover and why?

Trevor: I would love to do a Bright Eyes cover set. We did one before in Phoenix and it was one of the best nights of my life! Conor Oberst is playing Fest this year with Desaparecidos though, so I’d probably puke if he walked in during a set of his own songs haha.

PRT: Being from Arizona you are probably familiar with the band Okilly Dokilly and you might have heard of the Schwarzenegger-inspired bands, Austrian Death Machine and ArnoCorps. If you would start a similar project, which character would you base your band on and why?

Trevor: I actually know the Okilly Dokilly guys and I'm super excited for them! I have definitely thought about this, and if I were to rip off their idea, it would most definitely be Michael Scott themed. There are so many things you could do with Dunder Mifflin influence! Thanks for the interview!