TROPHY Eyes frontman John Floreani said the Newcastle band refuses to be pigeon-holed and have explored new directions on their upcoming third album The American Dream.
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The first track You Can Count On Me, released last week, continues the lead of the single Hurt, by shifting from a heavy emo sound towards anthemic pop.
“The biggest thing to put across is Trophy Eyes tomorrow might release a rap track,” Floreani said. “There’s never going to be a one thing we do. That’s our thing. We enjoy all kinds of music.
“One day if we feel like writing a heavy track, we’ll write a heavy track again.”
The success of their second album Chemical Miracle (2016) worldwide made Trophy Eyes Newcastle’s biggest band and led to headline shows in the US and UK and appearances at festivals like Download.
The U2-esque Hurt also illustrated how far the band’s songwriting has progressed since their debut Mend, Move On in 2014.
The reaction to You Can Count On Me from older fans has been mixed online due to the track’s pop sensibility. Ironically, Floreani said the lyrics were inspired by the vitriol musicians increasing receive on social media.
“You get a lot of really dark shit on the internet and that song is just about the way people treat musicians and artists and think they can get away with it, and an attempt to humanise what we do and explain to everybody we’re just normal human beings just like you,” he said.
Hurt and You Can Count On Me is also the first material recorded since Trophy Eyes parted ways with their original drummer Callum Cramp last October, who was replaced by Blake Caruso from Sydney band Rumours.
Trophy Eyes formed in 2012 in Cramp’s parents’ granny flat in Clarence Town. The announcement surprised fans, and many believed Cramp’s departure was due to creative differences with the more pop sound.
However, Floreani said it was more personal.
“A lot of people think it was a sound thing, but to be honest Callum was pretty adventurous sound wise, so it hasn’t really changed,” he said.
“It was because Cal unfortunately - I’m trying to sound as diplomatic as I possibly can - Cal became too hard to work with and we didn’t want to work with him anymore.”
Cramp also said that personal tensions made it impossible for him to continue working with certain members of the band.
“There were a lot of egos floating around that band, mine included, so I guess it just got to a breaking point,” Cramp said.
“I was disenchanted with it for a long time before the split and as the founder, a main writer and unofficial head of that band, I had a vision that didn't always line up with management.”
Catch Trophy Eyes at the FKA Festival at Hope Estate on October 13 alongside The Jungle Giants, Ali Barter, The Belligerents, Kingswood, Luca Brasi, Maddy Jane and Tired Lion.
Josh Leeson
Josh Leeson is an entertainment and features journalist, specialising in music, at the Newcastle Herald. He first joined the masthead in 2008 after stints at the Namoi Valley Independent and Port Stephens Examiner and has previously covered sport including the Asian Cup, A-League, Surfest, cricket and rugby league.
Josh Leeson is an entertainment and features journalist, specialising in music, at the Newcastle Herald. He first joined the masthead in 2008 after stints at the Namoi Valley Independent and Port Stephens Examiner and has previously covered sport including the Asian Cup, A-League, Surfest, cricket and rugby league.
