TRUSTcompany

>> Kevin Palmer belts it out at Pop Sux! >>

VOX: There's really a buzz going on with you guys now.   The single is doing well and you're on one of the biggest tours of the year.   Does that make it more exciting or is the pressure intense?
Kevin Palmer: It's really a combination of both.  I'd be lying if I didn't say that I felt some pressure, but I don't think I would feel any better if no one was paying any attention to us.  At the same time, I would be a liar if I didn't say I was excited about all of this.  I think you have to be excited and concerned at the same time; you're excited about everything that's happening, but you don't want to get complacent.

VOX: This seems to be a time when there are a ton of bands out there and the scene can be really packed - what do you think sets you guys apart?
KP: That's a really tough question…we listen to so many bands…I don't know, I guess maybe the stars are just aligned for us right now.  I know there are a million great bands that never really get their shot because of a lot of factors.  Maybe they're not in the right place at the right time or something, I don't know.  For us, I know that we've been fortunate and our label and management companies have pushed hard and really fought for us.

With all that, though, I think the biggest thing is that we've worked really hard to make this happen.

VOX: What do you think people should expect from the record?
KP: I think, musically, it's a wide variety of styles.  It's a heavy record, but we like to counterbalance the heaviness with soft parts as well.  I grew up listening to both heavy music and softer stuff, so it's something I like, I guess.

Lyrically…I think it's very real.  I'm not very good at thinking so much about how things are going to over or what people are going to think, so it's very real, from the heart.  It might be painful for me or difficult to get out, but it's real.  I don't know any other way to write.

>> TRUSTcompany earned many new fans at Pop Sux! >>

VOX: Where did the album title, "The Lonely Position of Neutral," come from?
KP: Our bass player, Josh, came up with it.  We were on an independent label at the time, we had no money and neither did the label.  We weren't really going anywhere - we were in neutral.  It's really hard sometimes to take that 'Get real' gut check and do what you have to do.  Your heart tells you to go for it, you have to do it.   Josh, he just said it, meaning like when you're stuck in the middle of something, you have to take that leap and take a chance.

VOX: Tell me about "Downfall," the first single from the record.
KP: It's a song that's a mix between being really heavy and also more melodic.  We wanted something that would hit pretty hard, but at the same time I'm a sucker for a good chorus.  I think it's a good representation of who we are as a band.  The song itself…everybody has problems and we try to keep a straight face and keep it all bottled up.  In the end, it can bring you down.  I'm very introverted, so I tend to do that.  When I'm writing, I tend to put down what I'm really feeling, so it's a good representation of me and of the band.

VOX: Any good Warped Tour stories?
KP: Warped is a story in itself.  We had a very good time.  It's surprised us because, since we were playing at 12:00 or 1:00, we sort of expected there to be about sixty or so people, but it wasn't really like that.  Everyone seemed to come out early and stay for the whole show.  It was sort of a summer camp feel to the whole thing - we got to meet lots of cool bands and make so good friends, like the guys in Glassjaw, The Used, Switched…

>> Kevin Palmer. >>

VOX: What does the Warped Tour mean to you?  For some it's a ritual…
KP: I had never been before, so I didn't know what to expect.  I was surprised at how punk rock-driven it is, but you learn that punk is accepting and the bands and fans are awesome.  Billy, from Good Charlotte, he really liked us and was extremely cool.   Everybody was great and very open to us.

VOX: You're on tour for at least the rest of the year.   Where are you hoping things are at that point?
KP: It's scary because you hope you're doing well enough that you get a chance to keep going. We don't have to be on top of the world - we just want to keep doing it for a while, as long as possible, and continue to live our dream.

VOX: For the fans that are going to be seeing you for the first time, how would you describe TRUSTcompany live?
KP: We're an energetic band right from the start.  We're there for the same reasons as the fans - we want to have a great time and give it all.  We don't have any messages and we're not trying to preach or anything like that.  We came for release and to let it out.  It's one big party with lots of crowd interaction.  We're just happy to be a part of it.