Trevor Hall
Cas Haley
Fri, March 30, 2012
8:30 pm
The Blockley$12 - $15
Tickets
Trevor Hall
If Trevor Hall’s 2009 self-titled Vanguard Records debut represented the young musician’s struggle with finding himself, his follow-up, Everything Everytime Everywhere (August 23rd) is a courageous affirmation that he has become the man he had been seeking. The warm linearity of his prior work gives way to a mature artist hitting his stride, an image that persists throughout this body of work, from the easy reggae slide of the opening “The Return” and the anthemic “Brand New Day” straight through to the momentous closing track, “The Mountain.” Hall’s signature blend of catchy pop/rock songs infused with tasteful shades of reggae has made this diverse 24-year-old one of the most lauded up-and-coming musicians on the American music
scene.
“With the last album, I was exploring more,” Hall says from his Southern California home. “I was going through a struggle with myself, and all that grittiness came out. With this one I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I had much greater conviction.”
While on Trevor Hall, the singer wove Sanskrit chants into pop- and rock-laced songs, he now feels that the underlying themes of devotion and community remain while he focuses less on making them feel so apparent—he never sacrifices his music for a message. Rather, his music is the message. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the upbeat “Brand New Day,” in which he confidently casts aside his former self to welcome new possibilities:
Shake the dust off your hands/And come run free on this land/If you want to survive/It’s time to wake up and sing/Put the crown on the king/Live your life/Wake up/It’s a brand new day. Hall easily exudes that rare ability to write universal songs that appeal to broad audiences in the vein of two of his heroes, Ben Harper and Bob Marley. The strong focus on love on Everything Everytime Everywhere quickly burrows itself into our minds, even though the love he discusses is more celestial than earthly. Hall continually employs poetic metaphors to represent “internal heights,” the ability of each human to recognize their highest self, as on the epic track, “The Love Wouldn’t Die.” “That song is my favorite on this record,” Hall says. “Musically it’s very different than what I usually do. It’s the second-to-last song, right before ‘The Mountain,’ which is this very triumphant journey of ascending a peak. With everything I do, that home stretch is the most difficult. The song is about living a spiritual life in a material world, of being a stranger in a strange land. At some point you get scared of being so different, and you want to conform and be like everybody else. But once you have a higher taste of spiritual life, everything else seems mundane. No matter how hard you try to fall asleep to this spiritual part of you, you can’t. That love won’t die.”
Trevor Hall’s heartfelt balladry may perhaps prove more meaningful to fans than his powerful rock anthems. The opening bass line of one such song, “All I Ever Know,” unfolds into a beautiful and inspiring song about finding comfort in the face of adversity:
We put the stars to shame/What can I say/The earth it turns but we never fade away/Forever hold on/Forever stay close/All I ever need/You’ll be all I ever know While looking outward for universal love, Hall is not afraid of turning inside. This shines through on the one song that is about human love, the gorgeous and heartbreaking “Te Amo.” The young man grows quieter than his usual buoyant self while explaining. “When you’re a musician, you meet a lot of people, but you’re always moving. You can’t really get attached to anyone. Sometimes you meet someone who really has a big effect on you. ‘Te Amo’ was a situation where I met a woman and fell in love very quickly, but I knew it wasn’t going to work because of my life. I had to make a decision. It’s a tricky place.”
While Hall spends his days listening to Indian devotional music and Golden Era reggae from the 1960s and ‘70s, his music is modern and immediately recognizable. The eleven tracks on Everything Everytime Everywhere are guitar-driven gems that fit right at home in the catalog of his influences. Created with a host of incredible musicians, including longtime Matisyahu guitarist Aaron Dugan, bass player Brian Lang and drummer Aaron Sterling, Hall’s stellar guitar playing and distinctive voice is backed by a crew of sonic experts.
Like the events in his life, each song is a complete journey itself. The ska- and calypso- influenced “Different Hunger” was inspired after touring with the legendary Jimmy Cliff, while “The Return,” a smooth and relaxed percussion-filled track reminiscent of Jack Johnson’s early work, represents getting back to his own divinity—yet in no rush to arrive. Then there’s the playful “Dr. Seuss,” the album’s most driving track, which Hall co-wrote with producer Jimmy Messer.
“I walked in one day and he had this beat going,” Hall says. “It was awesome, and I said we had to come hard lyrically on this. That became the first line of the song. Then I realized that so
many people come hard with their attitude, and never step back and enjoy the variety that exists in life. So while I was developing this theme, Jimmy said he had read Dr. Seuss to his son that morning, and that became the theme to the song: not worrying about what’s better than another, but enjoying the variety of life.”
Beyond his years in sound and maturity, Trevor Hall has accomplished what great musicians do when presented with such circumstances: he created lasting art to inspire and comfort others. Everything Everytime Everywhere is the testament of an inner warrior trying to lift himself and those around him out of the everyday maladies that plague our lives. There are songs to fall asleep to, songs to wake up by, and songs to feel good about yourself. They encapsulate life and make you a part of Trevor Hall’s world, while his music becomes part of yours.
scene.
“With the last album, I was exploring more,” Hall says from his Southern California home. “I was going through a struggle with myself, and all that grittiness came out. With this one I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I had much greater conviction.”
While on Trevor Hall, the singer wove Sanskrit chants into pop- and rock-laced songs, he now feels that the underlying themes of devotion and community remain while he focuses less on making them feel so apparent—he never sacrifices his music for a message. Rather, his music is the message. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the upbeat “Brand New Day,” in which he confidently casts aside his former self to welcome new possibilities:
Shake the dust off your hands/And come run free on this land/If you want to survive/It’s time to wake up and sing/Put the crown on the king/Live your life/Wake up/It’s a brand new day. Hall easily exudes that rare ability to write universal songs that appeal to broad audiences in the vein of two of his heroes, Ben Harper and Bob Marley. The strong focus on love on Everything Everytime Everywhere quickly burrows itself into our minds, even though the love he discusses is more celestial than earthly. Hall continually employs poetic metaphors to represent “internal heights,” the ability of each human to recognize their highest self, as on the epic track, “The Love Wouldn’t Die.” “That song is my favorite on this record,” Hall says. “Musically it’s very different than what I usually do. It’s the second-to-last song, right before ‘The Mountain,’ which is this very triumphant journey of ascending a peak. With everything I do, that home stretch is the most difficult. The song is about living a spiritual life in a material world, of being a stranger in a strange land. At some point you get scared of being so different, and you want to conform and be like everybody else. But once you have a higher taste of spiritual life, everything else seems mundane. No matter how hard you try to fall asleep to this spiritual part of you, you can’t. That love won’t die.”
Trevor Hall’s heartfelt balladry may perhaps prove more meaningful to fans than his powerful rock anthems. The opening bass line of one such song, “All I Ever Know,” unfolds into a beautiful and inspiring song about finding comfort in the face of adversity:
We put the stars to shame/What can I say/The earth it turns but we never fade away/Forever hold on/Forever stay close/All I ever need/You’ll be all I ever know While looking outward for universal love, Hall is not afraid of turning inside. This shines through on the one song that is about human love, the gorgeous and heartbreaking “Te Amo.” The young man grows quieter than his usual buoyant self while explaining. “When you’re a musician, you meet a lot of people, but you’re always moving. You can’t really get attached to anyone. Sometimes you meet someone who really has a big effect on you. ‘Te Amo’ was a situation where I met a woman and fell in love very quickly, but I knew it wasn’t going to work because of my life. I had to make a decision. It’s a tricky place.”
While Hall spends his days listening to Indian devotional music and Golden Era reggae from the 1960s and ‘70s, his music is modern and immediately recognizable. The eleven tracks on Everything Everytime Everywhere are guitar-driven gems that fit right at home in the catalog of his influences. Created with a host of incredible musicians, including longtime Matisyahu guitarist Aaron Dugan, bass player Brian Lang and drummer Aaron Sterling, Hall’s stellar guitar playing and distinctive voice is backed by a crew of sonic experts.
Like the events in his life, each song is a complete journey itself. The ska- and calypso- influenced “Different Hunger” was inspired after touring with the legendary Jimmy Cliff, while “The Return,” a smooth and relaxed percussion-filled track reminiscent of Jack Johnson’s early work, represents getting back to his own divinity—yet in no rush to arrive. Then there’s the playful “Dr. Seuss,” the album’s most driving track, which Hall co-wrote with producer Jimmy Messer.
“I walked in one day and he had this beat going,” Hall says. “It was awesome, and I said we had to come hard lyrically on this. That became the first line of the song. Then I realized that so
many people come hard with their attitude, and never step back and enjoy the variety that exists in life. So while I was developing this theme, Jimmy said he had read Dr. Seuss to his son that morning, and that became the theme to the song: not worrying about what’s better than another, but enjoying the variety of life.”
Beyond his years in sound and maturity, Trevor Hall has accomplished what great musicians do when presented with such circumstances: he created lasting art to inspire and comfort others. Everything Everytime Everywhere is the testament of an inner warrior trying to lift himself and those around him out of the everyday maladies that plague our lives. There are songs to fall asleep to, songs to wake up by, and songs to feel good about yourself. They encapsulate life and make you a part of Trevor Hall’s world, while his music becomes part of yours.
Cas Haley
Cas Haley is breaking out on his own terms.
Connection, his Easy Star Records debut, is aptly named. It's all about those deep-running connections that make him what he is—those unbreakable links between artist and audience, between styles of music, between art and life, and most of all, between all people. As Cas points out, reggae's core message is, after all, "one love."
His crystalline voice and funky, easygoing beats earned Cas a second-place finish on "America's Got Talent," which in turn netted him a measure of fame and a following. But the contest also locked the Texan singer/songwriter/guitarist into a major label deal that didn't feel right. So, not wanting to be turned into a manufactured product, he struck out on his own. The superb result: Connection, a collection of songs basking in the philosophical and musical maturity that comes from staying true to his artistic vision.
Raised by musician parents, Cas grew up surrounded by the sounds of blues and 60s-70s rock. He got serious about the guitar at age 12 and was "taught by the tribe" of musicians passing through the house. "The kitchen would be turned into the practice room or for jam sessions, so I was pretty much born into that lifestyle," he says. And from the very beginning he was more inclined to create his own music than to slavishly learn covers.
Also prominent at home were the Bob Marley records his mother would play, which made a profound impression. After a period of heavy immersion in the sounds of the ska/punk/skateboard culture, Cas was blown away by the classic reggae-pop of bands like UB40 and Sublime, and his mature style began to take shape.
Those pop-inflected island grooves and his joyful, versatile voice helped bring Cas to the brink of stardom on "America's Got Talent" and sell 30,000 copies of a debut album with virtually no promotion. And they're fundamental to the soul of his music—what he calls the "relaxing, effortless playing where everything fits together." Elements of soul, blues, and pop swirl through Cas's strong reggae beats. Just like disparate musical styles, "we're way more connected than we think," Cas says. "We separate ourselves in so many different ways, but the whole theme of the album is that we're all connected."
"Every color," he sings in the title track, "is created from the same light."
Easy Star, the leading U.S.-based independent reggae label, is the ideal home for Connection. The label has been stretching beyond its strictly roots-reggae format, signing progressive bands and artists like John Brown's Body, Tommy T, and The Black Seeds. "Cas's sound is unique, accessible, and a great way to keep expanding the Easy Star audience," says CEO Eric Smith. "And it's not often we come across a singer-songwriter this talented, regardless of genre, so we had to work with Cas."
Mixed by Danny Kalb (Ben Harper, Beck), Connection bristles with chill grooves, rocking guitars, and funky horns, all fueling Cas's irresistible melodies. Meanwhile his lyrics effortlessly balance simple, spiritual truths with thoughtful reflection. Cas's songs recognize the complexities of life—love, family, worldly troubles and uncertainties—but always come back to the central message of connection.
It's the journey that matters; Cas is aiming for success on his own terms. "If I'm not doing it authentically then I don't want it," he says. His only goal: "To authentically express myself and help others do the same. Because it's a sweet life to be able to do that."
Connection, his Easy Star Records debut, is aptly named. It's all about those deep-running connections that make him what he is—those unbreakable links between artist and audience, between styles of music, between art and life, and most of all, between all people. As Cas points out, reggae's core message is, after all, "one love."
His crystalline voice and funky, easygoing beats earned Cas a second-place finish on "America's Got Talent," which in turn netted him a measure of fame and a following. But the contest also locked the Texan singer/songwriter/guitarist into a major label deal that didn't feel right. So, not wanting to be turned into a manufactured product, he struck out on his own. The superb result: Connection, a collection of songs basking in the philosophical and musical maturity that comes from staying true to his artistic vision.
Raised by musician parents, Cas grew up surrounded by the sounds of blues and 60s-70s rock. He got serious about the guitar at age 12 and was "taught by the tribe" of musicians passing through the house. "The kitchen would be turned into the practice room or for jam sessions, so I was pretty much born into that lifestyle," he says. And from the very beginning he was more inclined to create his own music than to slavishly learn covers.
Also prominent at home were the Bob Marley records his mother would play, which made a profound impression. After a period of heavy immersion in the sounds of the ska/punk/skateboard culture, Cas was blown away by the classic reggae-pop of bands like UB40 and Sublime, and his mature style began to take shape.
Those pop-inflected island grooves and his joyful, versatile voice helped bring Cas to the brink of stardom on "America's Got Talent" and sell 30,000 copies of a debut album with virtually no promotion. And they're fundamental to the soul of his music—what he calls the "relaxing, effortless playing where everything fits together." Elements of soul, blues, and pop swirl through Cas's strong reggae beats. Just like disparate musical styles, "we're way more connected than we think," Cas says. "We separate ourselves in so many different ways, but the whole theme of the album is that we're all connected."
"Every color," he sings in the title track, "is created from the same light."
Easy Star, the leading U.S.-based independent reggae label, is the ideal home for Connection. The label has been stretching beyond its strictly roots-reggae format, signing progressive bands and artists like John Brown's Body, Tommy T, and The Black Seeds. "Cas's sound is unique, accessible, and a great way to keep expanding the Easy Star audience," says CEO Eric Smith. "And it's not often we come across a singer-songwriter this talented, regardless of genre, so we had to work with Cas."
Mixed by Danny Kalb (Ben Harper, Beck), Connection bristles with chill grooves, rocking guitars, and funky horns, all fueling Cas's irresistible melodies. Meanwhile his lyrics effortlessly balance simple, spiritual truths with thoughtful reflection. Cas's songs recognize the complexities of life—love, family, worldly troubles and uncertainties—but always come back to the central message of connection.
It's the journey that matters; Cas is aiming for success on his own terms. "If I'm not doing it authentically then I don't want it," he says. His only goal: "To authentically express myself and help others do the same. Because it's a sweet life to be able to do that."