Photo Credit: Jess Garten

Big things are happening this week for TR/ST. On top of kicking off a fall tour this week down in San Diego, he’s also dropping the highly anticipated The Destroyer – Part 2 on Friday. With all he has going on, we were lucky to catch him to chat about risks taken, musical reunions, and more.

Kendra: Let’s start with the sort of nerves you had heading out this past spring because it’d been a while since you released new music. When you started to sell out shows, did your nerves instantly settle or were you still a bit on edge about heading back on tour and seeing fans you hadn’t seen in a minute?

TR/ST: It was so fantastic to see such support but I honestly was so shocked and still on nerves at the first show in London. I find the nerves help keep the performance full-on energy.

Kendra: Your last release was back in 2014, and this year you dropped a two-part album. How do you feel Destroyer 1 and 2 each compare individually to Toyland in terms of growth not only as a musician and songwriter but as a person?

TR/ST: This album showcases more depth than then the previous work, much more risk taken sonically and they are definitely a more sincere and dark listen.

Kendra: Like you just noted, you took more risks with Part 2 than you did with 1. Why do you feel you were able to break out of your shell more with the second part of the album than the first?

TR/ST: Much of Part 2 was written before Part 1, but ended up in this order because it just felt more appropriate to have this mood finish it all off. I had to keep it exciting for myself so new challenges were enacted to hopefully find new horizons.

Kendra: To me, picking the singles has to be the hardest part of the whole album process because it’s like what do you put out to represent the album’s aesthetic. For you, what about “Iris” and the title track made them the frontrunners and eventually the ones to head out as singles?

TR/ST: “Iris” always felt like a strong track and central to the entire album, I think it deserved to have the attention.

Kendra: So ironically enough, when I hit play on “Enduring Chill,” I got some chills. It’s very cinematic in that I instantly imagined the antagonist sitting still, contemplating as the world moved rapidly around them. Similar to many infamous scenes, but I thought of Garden State. With that, if you had to place any song on Part 2 on the soundtrack to a recent movie, which would it be and why?

TR/ST: One of my favourite films recently which had such a fantastic soundtrack was Only Lovers Left Alive, so that would’ve been a film I would’ve loved to score.

 

Kendra: It’s been a while since you worked with Maya Postepski. How was it getting back into the swing of things with her on “Slow Burn” and could fans expect more collaborations between the two of you in the near future? Perhaps on Part 3?

TR/ST: I absolutely adore Maya and she is a musical genius! I’m so grateful that we were able to get together and make such beautiful music again. We have so much fun together while making music, the creative process is so important to both of us.

Kendra: You’ve got a lengthy run on the road coming up, but is there anything else you can let the people know you have going on?

TR/ST: Honestly all my energy is going into making this the most engaging live tour we’ve done. There is a big exciting challenge ahead trying to interpret Part 2 and mix it with previous work.