Belfast rock band TriggerTone have released their new EP Infrared Ultraviolet. We asked them the BIG questions . . .
Formed in 2022, TriggerTone are Ben Graves (vocals/guitar), Brendan Scullion (drums/vocals) and Gareth Haughey (bass) and they have played gigs at Toales, The Empire, The SU Bar, The Pavilion, The Oh Yeah Centre and HMV Belfast.
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
Brendan - I saw TriggerTone with a different drummer in my local area and loved them before I knew them personally. I was asked to help these guys record their EP through a mutual friend. I liked the material so much that I forced my way into the band. I also love dogs and history.
How would you describe your music?
Ben - I think our music has a lot of dynamics; especially with Brendan and Gareth on the rhythm section driving everything. My vocals definitely have a vulnerability to them which adds some kind of juxtaposition to the instrumentation. We've got a lot of hooks and melody. It's also slightly psychedelic and hypnotic, it's full of surprises and you want to find out where it's going to go next.
Who are your musical inspirations?
Gareth - The big four grunge bands (Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Nirvana and Pearl Jam). All unique in their own way but have a similar vibe, post-hair metal and indulgence, replaced with gritty stripped back "real" bands. Soundgarden and Alice in chains for me have it all. Heaviness, emotion, melody, and songwriting in abundance as well as vulnerability and moodiness. Both bands fronted by the greatest frontmen, with possibly the greatest voices in rock, Cornell and Stayley.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
Ben - It's definitely not the best gig I've been to but Ash in the Ulster Hall in Belfast. They put on a good show, but I can't say I remember much about it. I was maybe 12 or 13. The best gig hands down was the Red Hot Chili Peppers in Slane Castle. Blew my mind at how good it was. Think that was really when they were in their prime, just after they released By The Way. And the line-up was amazing PJ Harvey, Foo fighters, Queens of the Stone age all in the same day!
What was the first record you ever bought?
Gareth - First record I bought was Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses. It blew my mind then and still does today. I'd say it's one of the greatest rock albums of all time.
What's your favourite song right now?
Ben - A song I've been listening to again a lot is by The Gutter Twins - Seven Stories Underground. The way the song builds up and starts with this really strange, delayed drum beat that sounds like a synthesizer and the guitar line is melancholic and kind of ominous mixed with Mark Lanegan’s vocals and the delivery of that first line. Honestly, in my opinion, it's a masterpiece and it's a shame not a lot of people knew of that band. It's got an amazing Hammond organ part too that plays kind of a Middle Eastern style part in the middle eight section. I was lucky to see them live in the Limelight in Belfast and after that gig I saw Mark Lanegan a few times and I'm glad I did before he sadly passed away.
Brendan - Yellow Moon by Declan O'Rourke. It's a short and sweet love song to the Moon and it just makes me smile every time I hear it. Not to mention his absolute control and range in his voice is astounding, I'm a big fan!
Favourite lyric of all time?
Ben - 'I’ll give everything I’ve got to fill the canyon with useless debris from plastic foliage, collected catalogs, and other figurines.’ This is a lyric by the SilverSun Pickups. The song is called Make Believe and it's basically a cynical overview of consumerism and how we as people just throw everything away after thinking that we need more and more items to make us happy or give us some kind of identity. The singer is great at painting pictures with his words. It's also a great song and it's got a lot of beautiful melodies and then heavy riff driven parts.
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Gareth - It's a hard question but I choose Pneuma by Tool. It's a song with a lot of interesting transitions and diverse sections spread over 11.53 minutes. To me it's Tool's Magnum Opus, a culmination of all their work to date, so it might take me a while to get bored of it!
Where can people find your music/more information?
You can find us on Spotify, YouTube (we've got some lyric videos up) Facebook, Instagram, Amazon music, Apple. Come follow us and if you like heavy rock grunge stoner rock, we promise you'll love it!
Alan Corr
