To me, your music is in line with a trend of a few artists that have been gaining popularity recently such as Snoh Aalegra. You have a uniquely beautiful voice and you don’t shy away from sharing your raw feelings with listeners in your music. Does this authenticity come naturally to you, or is it more something you’ve had to stretch yourself to do and develop over time?
Thank you, that's very flattering, but I strongly don’t believe my music follows any trend. Its funny because a lot of producers that I’ve worked with constantly tell me to tap into the trends. Sometimes I feel like, if I actually tried to sound like what’s trendy, I might rise faster or get more playlisting/support. People love familiar sounds, but my sound is original and my tone is very unique. Some people will gravitate towards it, while others may need to settle in. Regardless, I’m fine with my journey moving as is because everything has been authentic and genuine.
As far as my sound and the feelings filled into my music, well, I’m a cancer. I feel deeply. I’m also an empath so I feel other people's emotions and energy intensely, as if they were my own. But, because I grew up in the projects, I’ve been through a lot of shit and seen a lot, so I’m abrasive too. These feelings and emotions that I feel and go through bleed out naturally through my music. Even the “genre” I fell into was organic. I never had the intention of making “R&B” music. I just made music that felt good, then the listeners labeled it.
Tiffany: Your first lead role was on Disney’s ‘Let it Shine”, being a child star do you think it's hard for people to grow with you as you become an adult? Do you think your fan base can get stuck in who they think you are? Trevor: No, not so much. That was fun! I was 15 years old and that was a great role at that time and I think because I only did one, it’s not as hard as if I did a tv show. I think Superfly kind of helped with the adultism. I also did “ American Crime” which was one of them, “Burning Sands” those types of roles- helped with that process. Tiffany: What made you decide not to have a stage name for your musical career? Trevor: Because I wouldn’t be myself. Even in real life, the only way to really talk about whatever is going on in my life is through my music. I think stuff is so gimmicky already which I can’t stand when it comes to music. I like to be real and as authentic as possible.
Tiffany: You wrote all of the songs on your last project why is it important for you to have creative control over your project? Trevor: I wrote the project before that as well, and the one before that I co-wrote. Why else do it you know. If I do something someone else did I can’t redo that. Let’s say I get massive success over a song I didn’t write and I try and recreate that it would be impossible. I would need someone and I don't ever want to need anyone. Although I love working with people and putting minds together is always amazing. I think when it comes from me it’s just more real and again music for me is so therapeutic. At times I felt like giving up or been depressed over a relationship or anything and I made a song and I was cool after. The peace I find is what I want people to find after they listen to my stuff. Being involved in the creative process- it’s your view and your view of the world only, it wasn’t meant to be someone else’s. You’re alive to tell a certain story-a certain perspective and I always want to make sure I tell mines. It’s just important! You’re here for that, you’re not here to do what’s been done either. I feel like tradition is almost limiting. I love tradition and I love how it brings people together but it’s very limiting to do what someone else has already done. Every aspect of my life I’m kind of different because I want a different result.