Having been around for sometime TRANK releasing an EP, bunch of single's, with a debut album coming in the fall. Some newer music is also in the works of staging, with the band wanting to get better at all that they do. They in fact disclose all of this below.
1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
We’ve been together since around 2016. All four of us had been in semi-pro bands, making music “on the side” before – but we decided to make TRANK a much more professional project after only a few sessions together, because it was so obvious something we really liked was happening. We’re all from France (sorry…) but we were all raised on all manners of rock and pop from the UK and the US mostly (with a little German thrown in for good measure), and you can hear that in the music we make.
2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?
It was a joke, really - but a joke with a purpose. We wanted something simple, easy to pronounce whatever the language, and with a K in it because there’s a certain angular, “teutonic” quality to the sound. We were joking around with names when Johann, our drummer, mashed up “Crank” (the Jason Statham flick) and “Tschak” together (a nod to Kraftwerk) - and even though he meant it as a joke, it just screamed off the screen. So TRANK it was. It has several meanings in German or English but none that applies - it just sounds like us.
3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
We come from different corners of France, but we live close to Geneva, Switzerland, where some of us have worked before. The local scene is pretty diverse, and some of the bands we like best sound nothing like us - Bears Towers for instance sound like a really good cross between Mumford & Sons and early Coldplay. We were also lucky enough to record in Studio des Forces Motrices, where industrial bands like Treponem Pal or Young Gods made some of their best albums.
4. How would you describe your style?
Confusingly. We’re annoying like that. One of the running jokes in the band is about how there isn’t really a label that fits us, which makes us pretty un-marketable. We’ve all got massively eclectic tastes, but there’s a common sonic ground we seem to naturally gravitate towards – somewhere between Alter Bridge and Depeche Mode, Muse and Soundgarden, Royal Blood and the Cure. It’s alternative rock with elements of metal AND post punk in its DNA – we love contrasts, so we try to keep it both driven and dark-ish, intense and accessible, kinda like we are . Same goes with the lyrics – there’s usually both passion and cynicism or at least some form of a twist to them. A lot of bands – including some of the bands we love – have a sort of monolithic approach to their identity : they’re very strictly defined and anchored in one genre. We love it when there’s a crack in the monolith : music should be like life is, deceivingly simple, with layers and nuances even in the most intense moments. Just because you have personality as a band doesn’t mean you should be too simplistic.
5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?
We cut our teeth with an EP back in 2016, then spent a couple of years refining our sound and came out with a bunch of singles in 2018 / 2019, that got us the attention of a few huge bands - and opening act slots as well, for Deep Purple, Anthrax, Papa Roach or Disturbed. Like the Anthrax manager said - they picked us up as a support act because although we’re clearly not a metal band, we play music that metal fans can love - just as much as indie rock fans or goth-heads. The support gigs did go down fantastically well and they inspired us to hone the songs that make up “The Ropes”, our first album : we sort of self-released that during lockdown, but now it’s been picked up by a proper distributor and it’s getting the full deluxe treatment - we’re re-releasing the album in November 2021, with a bonus disc of remixes we really love too. The album has that blend of riff-based, high-powered alternative rock with post-punk atmospheres and metal touches to it, with what we hope is a cathartic, addictive quality to it. And the remix disc shows a different side to the songs - sometimes more ambient, sometimes more industrial.
6. Do you have any new music in the works?
Sure. There’s a dozen demos at different stages of completion that will make up the second album. We also recorded a “live in the studio” session during lockdown which will see the light of day in 2022 - and has a couple of the new tracks in it.
7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?
Nothing at the moment, because every stage around us seems packed with rescheduled gigs from the last 18 months. But we’re hoping the album opens up opportunities there. Every concert so far has been a huge success in terms of how well people respond to us, so we can’t wait to go back.
8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?
To keep getting better, as songwriters, performers and showmen. It’s a short ride - we want to make it as intensely satisfying as possible. We have a “territory” of sorts, a sound that naturally happens when we’re together in a room or on a stage : we want to look back one day and say we extracted the best of it, and gave our audience as big a bunch of unforgettable moments of connection with us as possible.
9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
“The Ropes” is available from all the digital platforms you know and love - or loathe, but also as a physical 2CD Deluxe edition you can either buy in France from brick and mortar shops - or from www.trankmusic.com.
10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
A sense of depth and connection. Somehow we want to make them jump around and think at the same time. It’s been a long time since any band has done that for us, so we thought we might as well do it ourselves. Hopefully that sounded arrogant enough - we’re French, you know. We have a reputation to keep up with.
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