There's something about the lackadaisical singing of Robbie Gira mixed with the tight instrumentation of Trouble In The Wind that had me hooked from first listen. With references to Johnny Cash and the Highway Men, Trouble In The Wind pay homage to the genre of outlaw country. We spent an evening downtown with this young four-piece, busking on street corners and hopping trolley cars.
Who were some of your musical influences growing up?
Robbie: David Bowie, Iron Maiden, Black flag.
Trevor: My Family, bands like The Ramones, The Adolescents, Minor Threat, and John Coltrane.
Ryan: Iron Maiden, Bad Religion, Judas Priest, Nirvana.
Kyle: Growing up The Allman Brothers, The Beatles, The Cars, Notorious BIG, Wu Tang Clan, Jim Croce and Creedence Clearwater Revival. More recently The Band, The Replacements, Bela Fleck, The Lovin' Spoonful, Gram Parsons, Frank Zappa, The Faces and Dr. Dog.
How did you guys start playing music together?
Trevor: I met Ryan in Drivers School when I was a Sophomore in High School. We started playing in a band that would constantly change members and evolved from Punk Rock to Metal. That band was known as The Bums. We had a lot of people who tried to sing, and we ended up with Robby when I was a senior. He met Ryan on the JV tennis team. Robby used to just lie on the floor and mess around at practice, which pissed us off.
I went off to my first year of college and they kept playing under the name Munch, with the notorious Saffron James. Most of that music is on the internet somewhere. A year later I moved back home to attend Mira Costa college, and started playing with Ryan and Robbie again. We have been doing this ever since. We added Kyle a little over a year ago now. It has been four years now and I don't think any of us would have guessed it would come this far.
When did you start writing songs? When did it become more than just a hobby?
Robbie: I used to make up little songs and poems when I was skateboarding or horsing around in junior high and continued to the present. It became more than a hobby when I first recognized the powerful release of putting my thoughts down on paper. Once I realized how good it felt to express all of my anger on paper without having to suffer the consequences of anyone else being privy to these thoughts of mine, I couldn’t stop. I began to rely on writing as an outlet not only for creativity but for many things, and currently rely on it more than ever.
What's the North County music scene like these days? Any other up and comers we should know about?
Ryan: The North County scene is on the rise with the recent additions of Hensley's and the Royal Dive, two new real venues that have sprouted in the last few years. There are two bands that I listen to currently that send shivers down my spine; The Paragraphs craft catchy melodies and driving drumming with a lead singer who can grasp the attention of anyone they play for. Kera and the Lesbians is lead by Kera, a wonderful songwriter and performer. Everything from her singing to her performance captures her love for music and commitment to self expression. Her supporting cast are great too, they all work together to give the music life.
You guys busk quite a bit downtown, where do you normally set up? What made you start playing down there?
Robbie: We set up on the corner of fifth and market, any Saturday we don't have a gig. The attraction to busking is deeply rooted in our acoustic origins and is always something we can rely on when we need to get back strictly to the raw music. We started playing on the street because we couldn’t get gigs at the bars down there and decided that it isn’t gonna stop us from rocking!
Tell us one or two of your more interesting experiences while playing on the streets?
Robbie: One time there was a fight near one of our strategic busking positions and we played some tunes for the ensuing detention and arrest of the aggressor. There was a heavy police presence and in the air was a mix of tension and folk rock.
Another time, during a song I climbed up a double decker bus and kissed girl through a window, at her request of course.
When not playing music what are you guys up to?
Kyle: Finding new music to listen to at Spin Records.
Ryan: Hanging at Pizza Port in Carlsbad.
Best Burrito in North County?
Kyle: El Mundo De Mariscos off the 76 and Airport Road.
Plans for the future?
Trevor: I think we all want to take our music and play it in as many different places as possible. We just got a Chevy van better known as the "The Rhino" from our friend John and his family, and plan on using that to hit the road.
All photos by Carly Ealey.
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You can catch Trouble In The Wind live at these upcoming shows:
10.17 - Future of Surfing Event in Solona Beach.
11.04 - U31 in North Park w/ The Paragraphs.
11.13 - Royal Dive in Oceanside w/ The Silent Comedy.