Today we’d like to introduce you to Trevy James.
Hi Trevy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I am a 2nd generation San Diego musician. I was raised in San Diego’s vibrant reggae scene through my dad’s work as a keyboardist in local reggae staples such as Psydecar, Southtown Generals, and Kush & BloodFiyah Angels. I followed in those footsteps and after studying at Berklee College of Music, I moved back to San Diego to pursue my own journey within music. Today, I perform both as a solo act (Trevy James) and as a member of the 7-piece collective Heaping Teaspoon. I also occasionally play keys with Psydecar, holding down the roll my dad used to play when I was younger.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
A struggle that I face with my art is the fact that I don’t fit into any of the established or accepted norms in today’s music industry. Both stylistically and content-wise, I choose to deviate from many standard commercial practices. For example, many “industries” figures today promote a marketing strategy akin to “quantity over quality,” releasing many one-off singles to build hype, ultimately rushing a full length album to capitalize after one or two singles pop off. This strategy has, in turn, resulted in the shortening of songs and the simplification of song structure that does not resonate with me in the slightest. I instead choose to release music in a manner inspired by the hey day of 12″ vinyl LPs, so I will definitely be consistently facing an uphill battle attempting to find my niche within the more digitally focused contemporary music industry.
Furthermore, the entire music community at large is currently facing huge challenges since the onset of Covid-19. The nature of our art and business requires significant collaboration and ultimately has the end goal of being performed to large crowds. Since March, projects have been delayed, scrapped, and retooled for all of us and our biggest revenue stream of live performances has been completely taken away. Musicians and other entertainers are without a doubt going to be one of the very last sectors to be allowed to return to normalcy. This period has definitely brought innovation and heightened creativity, but the ramifications are definitely going to be harsh for musicians and songwriters of all levels.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a keyboardist, vocalist, songwriter & producer. My three major stylistic influences are reggae, hip-hop, and R&B, and I am always blending them during my creation process. I am very passionate about promoting conscious and positive vibes through my music, especially considering the fact that many commercial examples of the genres I operate within have long standing traditions of the opposite. This past December, I finally released my long-in-the-works debut solo LP, “Love In Dread Times,” which prominently features love songs that show real love, respect & appreciation to the female subject… sadly a rare topic in current mainstream releases. I also love vintage audio and am an avid record & cassette collector, so on top of releasing this album digitally, it was also pressed onto 12″ vinyl and cassette that I am selling on my website on donation-based pricing. Now that I’ve released these solo recordings, 2021’s focus is going to be on releasing the first crop of recordings from my band, Heaping Teaspoon.
During the initial onset of the COVID-19 related shutdowns, I, along with our drummer (Max Meredith) & guitarist (Jon The Funky Monk), started playing small trio sets in my driveway to help keep the neighborhood uplifted during the start of this difficult time. Those early performances wound up orchestrating some beautiful connections that have since led to the formation of our current 7-piece collective, with three vocalists, full rhythm section, and both alto & tenor saxophones. The community has been really supportive of the project so far and we have some really killer recordings coming over the next few months.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My pops, “Captain Kiy,” definitely paved the way! There’s a number of musicians from the San Diego reggae community who have been mentors and inspirations as well, specifically Tim Pacheco & Pelle from Psydecar / Southtown Generals, Wuv from P.O.D. / Southtown Generals, SD guitar legend Jah Oil, AK Cisneros from Roots Covenant, and the late Carlos Culture, who we sadly lost this past year. I also always need to express gratitude to my namesake, Ras Trevy Felix, lead singer of the 80’s/90’s reggae group Boom Shaka. My parents chose to name me after him, which is a consistent source of inspiration on my journey within music. Learning of his passing a handful of years back was one catalyst that led me to embracing my roots within reggae music for my own creation, along with inspiring me to begin releasing music using my real name after always using pseudonyms in my younger years.
Contact Info:
- Email: trevy@italmanmusic.com
- Website: www.italmanmusic.com
- Instagram: @trevy_james
- Facebook: facebook.com/italmanmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVmIT582XDnu3U4koKapFtQ
- Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0KiNcsDf7qiffCbRxsPZ13
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