As many times as I\u2019ve imagined myself in the lead role of Cameron Crowe\u2019s autobiographical rock odyssey film, \u201cAlmost Famous,\u201d it\u2019s doubtful I\u2019ll ever get flown out by Rolling Stone magazine to interview a band on tour.<\/p>\n
But I still get to explore some compelling subjects here in San Diego \u2014 sometimes under interesting circumstances.<\/p>\n
North County alt-folk-rock band Trouble in the Wind has long been a favorite of mine, with powerful live performances and a growing discography that is consistently captivating.<\/p>\n But I\u2019m far from being their only cheerleader as they\u2019ve garnered spots on large festival lineups, won a 2016 San Diego Music Award for \u201cBest Americana Album\u201d and were featured as a \u201cLocal Break\u201d artist on local radio station 91X \u2014 all in the past year alone.<\/p>\n To catch up with the band while they were on a recent California tour, I opted to email them some questions.<\/p>\n It should\u2019ve come as no surprise when the creative group of fun-loving musicians imagined an innovative way to respond. While they were on the road, drummer \u2014 and sometimes vocalist \u2014 Larry Doran recorded their answers via videos of himself and his band mates in hotel rooms, on the beach, and hanging out before gigs.<\/p>\n What could have lacked or fallen flat in prepared email responses was abundant in these videos. The vibrant personalities of the individual members shown through as they each described their experiences as a band up to this point and their plans for the future.<\/p>\n Their replies ranged from introspective musings to off-the-cuff banter. And as the picture of the band of brothers that comprise Trouble in the Wind settled into focus, the reasons they\u2019ve been in high demand lately became evident. As unpretentious as they come, these guys aren\u2019t taking all the credit for their recent successes.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been fortunate to have the support of Lou Niles at 91X and Chad [Waldorf] at the [Solana Beach venue] Belly Up; those guys have been really helpful in getting us some really cool shows that have exposed us to bigger audiences,\u201d Doran said.<\/p>\n The main reason these industry professionals book the band regularly is their well executed folk-rock and alt-country songs. They\u2019ve produced a steady stream of music with several records over the past few years \u2014 including their latest award-winning full-length album. Plus, there\u2019s a certain raw passion about the group\u2019s live performances that make them a particularly entertaining act to see in person.<\/p>\n Like most endearing singers, Trouble in the Wind\u2019s front man, songwriter Robby Gira, expresses his words in a range of emotional deliveries. On the group\u2019s softer ballads, such as \u201cNo Good,\u201d Gira achingly croons, while on more anthemic rock numbers, his voice gets punched up with fervor and intensity.<\/p>\n One shining example of this comes on a track from 2016\u2019s \u201cLefty\u201d album, \u201cThe Good Stuff,\u201d which is nearly impossible to listen to without sing-shouting along.<\/p>\n So it\u2019s much deserved that these passionate performances will be exposed to those aforementioned bigger audiences in the coming months as they play two big summer festivals in town.<\/p>\n On Aug. 12, the guys will play 91X\u2019s Beer X festival at Waterfront Park, located at the San Diego County Administration Building on Pacific Highway along the North Embarcadero. The midsummer shindig will have the band sharing the stage with big-name artists like Iration, Magic! and Chicano Batman, along with another local act Splavender.<\/p>\n Why so much love from the quintessential San Diego rock radio station?<\/p>\n \u201cBecause we\u2019re a kickass band,\u201d Gira quipped.<\/p>\n All joking aside, the importance of this attention isn\u2019t lost on them.<\/p>\n \u201c[We\u2019re] very honored,\u201d said multi-instrumentalist Kyle Merritt. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of good local bands in San Diego; a lot of them are our friends: The Paragraphs, Dead Feather Moon, Taken by Canadians, Inspired and the Sleep; and we\u2019re just lucky to be chosen by our community and to be recognized.\u201d<\/p>\n The accolades don\u2019t stop there.<\/p>\n Trouble in the Wind has been featured in many \u201cbest of\u201d lists on NBC 7\u2019s entertainment website, SoundDiego.com, and they were recently featured on CBS 8\u2019s morning newscast, performing in their rehearsal attic.<\/p>\n And Beer X won\u2019t be their only big festival of the summer \u2014 the band is also playing the three-day Kaaboo \u201cmixperience\u201d festival in September at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.<\/p>\n While music journalism has come a long way from tape recorders and hand-written notes, the key to writing about musicians \u2014 or perhaps any subject \u2014 is becoming completely immersed in the art itself and then sussing out what makes those artists unique.<\/p>\n While observing these musicians as they described their dedication to each other and their musical endeavors, it became obvious that the group is set apart (among other reasons) because they aren\u2019t clamoring for accolades or posturing to get attention \u2014 rather, they\u2019re busy securing a name for themselves as one of the best bands in a lively local music scene on the strength of their music alone.<\/p>\n So how does a band with this kind of momentum keep things going?<\/p>\n \u201cIt gives us a sense of purpose to be working on new things and when people pay attention to that, that pleases us but it\u2019s not the goal,\u201d said guitarist and piano player Keith Haman. \u201cThe goal is to be busy with our music.\u201d<\/p>\n Trouble in the Wind is indeed staying active on that front: They followed \u201cLefty\u201d with last month\u2019s \u201cPineapple Moon\u201d EP; have two more records already in the works; and plan to shoot multiple music videos for the singles that come from their next full-length release.<\/p>\n \u201c[We\u2019re going to] get on the road more,\u201d Gira said. \u201cGet out of our comfort zone in a sense.\u201d<\/p>\n Unlike the band at the center of that Cameron Crowe movie, the men of Trouble in the Wind aren\u2019t discussing their status as \u201cthe next big thing\u201d or clashing over supersized egos, instead it all comes down to enjoying what they do.<\/p>\n \u201cWe really just focus on writing songs and staying true to what we love to do, which is to hang out together, make music and play shows for people that enjoy our music,\u201d Doran said. \u201cIt\u2019s really what motivates us. It\u2019s a quality of life we\u2019re looking for as musicians. Not so much striving for success as it is trying to find happiness with what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Accolades](\"https:\/\/sandiegodowntownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/web-MAIN-TITWbeach.jpg\")
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Their recent four-date mini California tour was also a sign of things to come.<\/p>\n