Hailing from Seattle by way of SoCal, beautifully mopey space-folk combo Trespassers William has been honing their craft since the mid-’90s. But it was with Different Stars, their 2002 sophomore effort, that the band began to gain some well-deserved notice and profile thanks largely part to their cover of Ride’s shoegaze classic, “Vapour Trail.” Now signed to Vancouver-based Nettwerk Records, the band has just released their long-awaited follow-up, Having.
The new record continues in the same vein as its predecessor, but with a more expansive, textured sound. Guitarist Matt Brown, who with singer Anna-Lynne Williams has been the core of the band since its inception, credits the addition of bassist Ross Simonini as the most substantial change in the dynamic of the band, even more so than relocating their home base or the new label.
But while roster shifts no doubt account for some of the evolution in their sound, Having also bears the distinctive sonic fingerprints of legendary producer Dave Fridmann, whose credits include The Flaming Lips and Sleater-Kinney. Though the band initially planned on mixing the record themselves, Nettwerk floated the idea of working with an outside party.
“We gave them a dream list of producers and mixers,” explains Brown. “David was on the list as well as (Brian) Eno and (Daniel) Lanois and Nigel Godrich. Dave was actually interested and didn’t just want to make it sound nice, he wanted to tweak it.
“We wanted to announce that this was going to be a different record,” says Brown of the latitude given to Fridmann to “tweak” the sounds.
While Trespassers William have always been open with their musical roots, they may be hoping that Having garners more than the usual Low or Mazzy Star comparisons.
“I think our influences are apparent on (Different Stars) and I’m hoping that we’re making more of our own thing with the new one,” Brown explains.
But while willing to trying something new, the band knows their strengths and play to them.
“We were pressured by a lot of different people who we thought knew better in the early days,” says Brown. “‘Faster, peppier. Dance around, play faster songs.’ We tried it; we’re not very good at it.”
Like many new independent bands, they initially found a more receptive audience overseas than at home. It was this grassroots fanbase that attracted the attention of Nettwerk. But having the backing of a proper marketing department can come with a downside.
“With word of mouth, the only people who bother to review it are people who love it,” Brown notes. “When you get more reviews, you also get people who may not want to hear it. It’s probably the first time where someone doesn’t like it. Most of the criticisms are fair if you’re not into that kind of music. If it’s slow and boring to you, we can’t do anything about that. If you find the Arctic Monkeys fast and annoying, there’s nothing you can do about that. Someone who loves that record may not necessarily like ours.”
