Trust Company

No man is an island, and everything seems to take a village these days. In the case of TRUSTcompany, it seemingly took a nation to put together their major-label debut, The Lonely Position of Neutral, one of the most exciting rock debuts of the year (the single TK is already getting TK at radio even before the album’s release). Below, a road map to the TRUSTcompany story…

Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama was the original home of Rosa Parks, an African-American woman whose refusal to give up her seat on a public bus to a Caucasian man sparked the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott, which proved to be the beginning of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. As well, some ten years ago in sweet home Alabama, the nucleus of what would become TRUSTcompany formed when singer-guitarist Kevin Palmer and drummer Jason Singleton met as teenagers with a mutual interest in making loud noises. A few years later, bassist Josh Moates joined the fold, and in 2000 second guitarist James Fukai completed the quartet. “We don’t really have a ‘lead’ guitarist, but if we had to peg someone, it would be James,” Palmer says. “But we don’t call it lead, we call it… texture.” FYI–despite the Alabama association, TRUSTcompany sound nothing like Lynyrd Skynyrd….

Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. is our nation’s capital, home to our Federal Government, including our President George W. Bush. As well, after TRUSTcompany self-released two indie albums, Washington, D.C.-based DCide Records (DC, DCide–geddit?) signed the band, giving them $1,000 a month in tour support. The loud-soft guitar rifferama and impassioned vocals on tracks like “Falling Apart” also suggest the influence of classic D.C. post-punkers Fugazi….

Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida is the home of the popular tourist destination Walt Disney World. It’s also the location where The Lonely Position of Neutral was originally recorded by producers Jeff Blando and Will Hunt, who moonlight, respectively, as guitarist in hair-metal mainstays Slaughter and Saigon Kick, and drummer for Tommy Lee and Skrape. FYI–despite the Florida association, TRUSTcompany sound nothing like Lynyrd Skynyrd….

New York City, New York
New York City was the host of the 1960 World’s Fair. It’s also the birthplace of one of TRUSTcompany�s key influences: the brutally heavy guitar experimentalists Helmet, who tasted alt-rock success in the early ’90s grunge explosion with albums like In The Meantime. “We were very Helmet when we had three members, but then the melody started to really come in,” Kevin Palmer explains.

Los Angeles, California
One of America’s most popular presidents, Ronald Reagan, found success as an actor in Los Angeles before beginning a teflon political career. L.A. was also the home of a successful TRUSTcompany gig in late 2001, which caught the attention of Geffen Records President/Flip Records founder Jordan Schur–the man responsible for discovering the likes of Limp Bizkit, Puddle of Mudd, and Staind. In the hours after the band plays, Schur signs the band, taking over their DCide Records contract. Schur then puts the band in the studio with producer Don Gilmore (Linkin Park, Lit, Eve 6) and mixer Andy Wallace (Nirvana, Jeff Buckley, Rage Against The Machine).

“The Road,” Anywhereville U.S.A.
More a state of mind than a state per se, “The Road” has proven to be a haven of literary influence, inspiring great works of art ranging from Motley Crue’s “Home Sweet Home” to the acclaimed film Almost Famous. As well, since early in TRUSTcompany�s career “The Road” also proved to be the band’s second home. “In Alabama, there aren’t any clubs for bands to play in,” explains Kevin Palmer. “Actually, the last concert to come here was, like, Cinderella and White Lion,” adds Josh Moates. As a result, the band took to playing anywhere but Alabama. “We all worked, so even though we’d play out of town every weekend, we’d only drive as far as we could make it and still get back for our jobs on Monday,” says Moates. And they didn’t exactly do the drive in style. “We were in this white cargo van with no air conditioning,” recalls guitarist James Fukai, “and two of us would sit in the back in a lawn chair and an old antique chair I stole from a roommate. We’d all be in our boxers, sweating like pigs. That’s how we’d drive for 12 hours.” Since their first record company, DCide Records, began giving them $1,000 a month in tour support, TRUSTcompany has been travelling “The Road” ever since, including opening stints with Puddle of Mudd. “We thought most of their fans were going to be their early, waiting up front to hear ‘Blurry’ and ‘Control,’ but we knew we were doing something right when we started seeing bodies rising above the crowd,” says Singleton. “Being a new band, we didn’t expect a lot of people to be receptive to us, and at the start of every show, they did all look at us like, ‘Huh?’ But by the end of the set, there were always a few mosh pits here and there.”

Heartbreak, U.S.A.
From Elvis Presley to Fred Durst, Heartbreak has found its way into many a popular song. TRUSTcompany�s residence in Heartbreak is made clear in Kevin Palmer’s emotive vocals and confessional lyrics. “I went through a really, really bad time when we were doing this record, and most of the album is touching on all of that,” says Palmer. “The basic picture is pretty obvious, and people who read the lyrics are going to get that.”

Rock City, U.S.A.
With their unforgettable blend of alt-guitar crunch and sinuous melody, Rock City is the place that TRUSTcompany truly reside. “We love big riffs, and we’re definitely riff-oriented, but we also love good choruses,” says Palmer.