By Nicholas Jason Lopez
The ability to own up to our own toxicity and be better people for the ones we love is the story of “Storm,” the latest single from San Francisco shoegazers TREASVRE, which came out this past June.
“Storm” grabs your attention from the jump with its tantalizing melody and drum beat, with vocals that match both the smooth, quiet moments and the intense ones, washed away in heavy distortion, which appropriately and sonically encapsulates the natural ebbs and flows of a thunderstorm that rages.
The Music Bugle had the chance to talk with the band – recommended for fans of M83, Mew and Autolux – about “Storm” and more.
Music Bugle – What excites you the most about your style of music?
Sabrina – What excites us most is how many different influences go into molding the sound of our music. Everything from folk, electronic, trip hop, new wave, dark wave, metal, hardcore, stoner rock, even house music, inspires our songwriting. The result is something unique, that doesn’t fall easily into any one category or genre, which helps us stand out from other heavy rock bands.
Music Bugle – How would you describe San Francisco to someone who has never been there before?
Sam – Geologically, San Francisco lives up to everything you’ve heard about it. Yes, we have perfect weather – chilly summers! – abundant nature, misty ocean fronts and high rises, all encased in a veneer of fog. From a social standpoint is so much more difficult to pinpoint, but from my experience, San Francisco has always been a melting pot of every walk of life. From tech and finance transplants all the way to artists, musicians, poets, comedians, drag queens and glorious freaks of all caliber. As a whole, I like to think that it’s a very diverse, open-minded city.
Music Bugle – What was your goal for your new single “Storm”?
Julian – We wanted to release a song that encompassed the full spectrum of styles we incorporate into our music. The song starts slow and dreamy with electronic elements and builds up to a soaring rock n’ roll anthem, with some prog rock flourishes along the way. We love how “Storm” turned out, because it so perfectly exemplifies what we’re about as a band.
Music Bugle – How was the band name and its stylization decided?
Evan – Fun fact, when we first started out, our name was actually Trowa, which is a reference to Trowa Barton from an anime called “Gundam Wing.” We all grew up watching it and being named after a brooding circus clown seemed appropriate, but we discovered that when talking about the band, people would often mishear the name, so we decided to change it to a more common word. We went through dozens of ideas and ultimately decided on “Treasure,” which was one of Sabrina’s
suggestions. We thought it matched the sparkly shoegazey vibe that a lot of our songs can have. From there, we were looking at how to make a logo for the name and we realized that it would look pretty cool to switch the U to a V, since there’s also an A in the name, so now, we’re TREASVRE.
Music Bugle – Does social media help or hurt musicians?
Sabrina – Social media is a mixed bag. I would say that overall, it’s a huge help, because it allows us to get our music out there and connect with listeners and other musicians around the world. That being said, it takes a great deal of time and effort to manage so many different social media accounts and keep everything consistent. It’s a real time commitment and sometimes, I feel like it can distract from other things we’d like to work on.
Music Bugle – Who are you listening to right now, music-wise?
Sam – Current bands on rotation are Deep Deep Water, Ex : Re, Widowspeak, Miserable and Loma. The common thread being downtempo female vocals with more somber or laid-back instrumentation. I find a lot of inspiration from these artists both in the inflection of their vocal melodies and their lyrical storytelling. There’s something very intimate and candid about the songwriting that establishes such a personal connection with the listener, which I hope to channel when writing my own material.
Music Bugle – Where do you go when you need a break?
Evan – We spend lots of time rehearsing, writing, going to shows, riding motorcycles, all on top of our current day jobs. It’s pretty hectic and can be super stressful. When I need to unwind and take my mind of all the stuff that’s going on, I turn to “Star Trek.” There is something about those shows that is extremely relaxing. It features great commentary, usually has a poignant lesson told through a morality play, set in a wild sci-fi world. I get totally wrapped up in it. Even the white noise of engines humming and the subtle “beep boops” from the computer on the bridge of the Enterprise is soothing to me. I’ve seen every episode of “The Next Generation” and “Deep Space Nine” multiple times. I’m about to finish “Voyager” and will move on to “Enterprise” next.
Music Bugle – What do you wish happened less in today’s music industry?
Jason – We are seeing more and more independent venues closing down – especially in San Francisco, but it’s important to have places for independent artists to showcase their art and hone their craft. We need small stages for a thriving music scene.
Music Bugle – What’s a quote that motivates you to keep doing what you do?
Jason – “The cracks are what lets the light in,” by Leonard Cohen. This quote is a good reminder that discomfort equals growth. It inspires me to be bold, take chances and not to be afraid of make mistakes. The cracks are what help me progress as a person/musician and as long as I am getting better, that’s all that matters.
Music Bugle – What has been your biggest obstacle to overcome?
Julian – With five band members, the biggest obstacle is definitely trying to keep everyone on the same page. Songwriting with so many creative and opinionated people is tricky, especially since we don’t have a primary songwriter and everyone has a say in the process. It’s also a logistical challenge. With five different schedules to coordinate around, it’s not always easy to get everyone in the same place at the same time. Over time, we’ve gotten the hang of it, but it definitely took a while to figure out how to involve everyone equally and make sure everyone contributes what they want to the project.
