If you love music — and I mean feel-it-in-your-bones, you soundtrack your dreams love it — then you know this is a rarity. But every so often, you come across a new artist you just know is about to change the whole game. This Music Monday, the spotlight has to go to Trove, an artist who deserves a spot on your replay-all-day playlist. The Australian singer, songwriter, and producer has just dropped a spectacular track titled “Higher Than the Moon.” Somehow, it’s smooth, exciting, and powerful all at once. With relatable lyrics you’ll be able to see yourself reflected in.
To celebrate the debut of his new single, Celeb Secrets caught up with Trove to get the story behind the song — and hear about the career progress that has lead him to this moment. Be sure to catch our exclusive Q & A with the artist below, because he’s teasing an incredible 2019 ahead.
The song is about the strange and exciting phenomenon of continuously and randomly intertwining throughout another person’s life, almost always on happenstance and pure chance.
Celeb Secrets: Can you tell us the story behind “Higher Than the Moon,” and how it turned into a song?
Trove: The song is about the strange and exciting phenomenon of continuously and randomly intertwining throughout another person’s life, almost always on happenstance and pure chance. It comes from personal experience, and is commonly portrayed in movies and books alike so when it happened to me it felt a little uncanny, but also wonderful. It’s about the somewhat perplexing feeling of sharing such a compelling mutual warmth with another human in such a small window of time that it leaves you with a feeling of elation.
The concept behind behind being “higher than the moon” is a double edged sword in that it’s the brilliant pleasure of being “high” when you’re with a person but inevitably when you have to part ways, it leaves you feeling untethered and alone until the next time the two lives cross paths. If there is a next time!
Celeb Secrets: How would you describe your sound, and how each new song furthers your story?
Trove: At the heart of it, I feel like I am drawn to darker pop melodies but in the production and musicality, I think I definitely take influences from electronic music and R&B. I always have this hope of finally figuring out “my sound” with each new song but if I am honest with myself I don’t think I’ll ever get there. I’ll just keep evolving and growing into new fascinations and styles.
I have my first EP coming out early next year and every song is very different so I hope that translates.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq8FjLDA5jb/
Celeb Secrets: What do you hope listeners take away from your work?
Trove: I would love it if it just made someone nod their head or perk their ears. But it’s the bigger impacts that really mean a lot to me. It’s always a really humbling experience when someone reaches out to share that the music has truly helped them or made a difference in their own life.
Celeb Secrets: What is your recording process typically like?
Trove: I write with different people every day, which is something I’ve truly fallen in love with. I think collaboration is so important and fun. Usually I’ll get in a room with a songwriter friend or two and make a demo. I’ll then sit on it for weeks, months, even years and produce it out along the way until I don’t hate myself enough to let other people hear it.
For this song in particular, it stemmed from a session in Nashville with my two good friends Jeff Carl and Obeds. The turnaround was really fast and it went from a demo in Obeds’ studio to a final mix/master in mine a week later.
Celeb Secrets: How would you describe your musical journey, and your career up until this point?
Trove: It’s been an interesting one for sure! I started out playing in school bands when I was a kid. I then produced/toured in a pop/rock band for almost 8 years in Australia before moving to LA and really pursuing my own path.
As far as my “artist” career goes, I’m definitely still a baby and have only been performing as Trove for a little over a year. It’s been incredibly exciting and I’ve been blessed enough to perform at SXSW, EDC and have collaborated on over 25 releases. This array of events led to me signing my first record deal with an EP on the way early next year. I’m really excited with what is on the horizon but more importantly with all the amazing people I’ve got to meet and become friends with.
Celeb Secrets: Do you remember a specific song that was really influential to you when you were growing up?
Trove: Surprisingly, the first songs I ever learnt on drums and guitar were by a metal band called Lamb Of God. I was definitely an emo kid and loved attempting to play incredibly fast and way-too-difficult riffs and beats. I feel like that style of music definitely shaped my sense of rhythm and the initial love I had for how instruments worked together.
If I had to pick a specific song though – “In The End” by Linkin Park would probably be it. I remember watching that music video every Saturday morning and feeling so inspired to create music and scream at the top of my lungs on top of a strange rock platform in the middle of the desert.
Keep writing songs, keep creating things that you personally love, and invite failure.
Celeb Secrets: What’s your earliest music memory that you can remember?
Trove: When I was 3 or 4, I would religiously watch The Wiggles with my little toy guitar and I would stand inches from the TV screen, jump back and forth and sing “Hot Potato, Hot Potato.” Will probably bring this back into my set, tbh.
Celeb Secrets: What was the best advice you have gotten in your career so far?
Trove: Keep writing songs, keep creating things that you personally love, and invite failure. That and placing an ice cube in a cactus pot once every two weeks to keep it from dying.
Celeb Secrets: What’s a standout moment in your career you’d say you’re the proudest of?
Trove: Performing at this year’s EDC with my friend Dabin was pretty surreal. I feel like the stage was the size of a small village.
Celeb Secrets: Who are some of your dream artists you’d love to work with in some way?
Trove: Chris Martin, Kendrick Lamar or Kacey Musgraves!
Celeb Secrets: Are there any other artists whose journeys inspire you, or who you look up to?
Trove: Honestly, just my friends that are doing the same thing as me. Every time I see a friend get a win, it really pushes me and inspires me to keep going. There is such a strong community of producers, songwriters and artists that really build each other up and that really runs deep with me.
I did however, recently watch the Quincy Jones documentary and that did some weird things in my brain for inspiration. That man is an iconic legend and is still doing it at 85!
Celeb Secrets: Can you spill the top 3 most-played song on your playlist right now?
Trove: Matt Corby – Miracle Love
Phlake – Kerosene
LA WOMEN – Count It Up
Celeb Secrets: Would you be able to share a fun fact about yourself that not a lot of people know?
Trove: I have been living (singing) with a dislocated jaw for over a year now. I fly back to Australia next week to try and figure out how to fix it 🙂
Be sure to catch Trove’s single, “Higher Than the Moon” in the Spotify player above, and leave us all your reactions below!
