Lelahel Metal Interviews Trash World for their DCxPC Live Split 12” with Except You
Interview Trash World
Trash World emerged during the 2020 pandemic, channeling raw energy into heavy music. From debut at American Legion to Lou's punk scene, explore their journey and future plans.
1. Trash World, your band emerged during the 2020 pandemic. How did the unique circumstances of that time influence the formation and early creative process of the band?
It gave us the time to get together. We all wanted to make heavy music and talked about it for a while before the pandemic. When everything shut down, that allowed us to actually start writing and recording.
2. Doug Luggage, you initially released material under a different name before forming Trash World. Can you share the story behind this transition and how it influenced the direction of Trash World's music?
The Doug Luggage and The Smoking Section record was released out of impatience (lol). He had written some punk songs and asked our guitarist Mason to help record them. He asked Shelly T, singer for Cool Grandma, to record the vocals and they tracked 5 songs together. At the time, the project didnt have a name and we weren’t taking it seriously. The original plan was to record a few of EPs, each featuring different musicians and vocalists. But after recording the second EP with Kay on vocals, we started to talking about band names and the idea of putting a show together. From there Doug, Emmolation, and Luisafer started learning the songs and the band became more of a concrete entity. Doug had been sitting on the first EP for a while and was really excited to release it so, instead of retracking the first EP, we kept two of the tracks (Dying Breed and FTPB) and he dropped the other three songs under his name.
3. The band's first show was at the American Legion Post 183 in Fern Park, FL. What memories stand out from that debut performance, and how did it set the tone for Trash World's live presence?
We were grateful that a lot of our friends and family came out to support us. It was a really interesting venue for Orlando since it was at the American Legion. It definitely had that “small town, DIY punk show” vibe which was perfect for our first show. Shout out to Blunt Force Trauma, Days Spent, and 430 Steps who all shared the stage with us that night! If you haven’t check them out yet, do it!
4. Trash World, you mentioned that the songs seemed to write themselves during the pandemic. Can you delve into the themes and influences that naturally emerged in your music during that time?
The songs on the DOOMED EP are pretty straight forward. Trash World is about throw away culture. We hear about this giant island of floating garbage in the ocean and how trash is found in places like the bottom of Marianas Trench or the peak of Mt. Everest. It makes us really disgusted to be human, to be complicit in the giant piles of waste we create. Its something that we’ve thought before the pandemic, along with concern for the rise of fascism in the US, the horrors of industrial agriculture, the failure of our education system, etc. We just had time to put these thoughts into music.
5. Taking your name from the first song you learned together, what significance does that particular song hold for Trash World, and how does it reflect the essence of the band?
Trash World works for us as the band name because our songs are a critique on all the bullshit we see in the world and there is plenty of it. With all the wars, genocides, corruption, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, pollution, and on and on and on it goes. The influences to are music come from the constant flood of fucked up shit that happens every day. This is what we’re about so we think the name suits us.
6. The video of Trash World's first show, recorded by Back of House Pictures, caught the attention of DCxPC. How did it feel to have your early performance recognized, and what impact did that recognition have on the band's trajectory?
We really appreciate both BOH and DCxPC for highlighting us. Both of them are doing great things for the local scene here and beyond. Since it was our first show we were pretty grounded with our expectations so to have DCxPC like it enough to ask us to play their show AND put out a record for us, its an honor.
7. DCxPC reached out to Trash World to play the show at Lou's in Orlando. What was your initial reaction, and how did you prepare for your second-ever live performance, especially considering the high-energy punk scene that DCxPC and Lou's are known for?
We knew DCxPC and were familiar with their other records and roster so we were stoked to play the show. Lou’s is awesome because its the quintessential “hole in the wall” dive bar. Its a smaller room than the American Legion so although it was more intimate, it definitely felt like less pressure seeing as we had the first show under our belt and Lou’s is familiar territory for us, both as an audience and as members in past projects.
8. Trash World, being the second time playing in front of an audience, what were the challenges and excitements you encountered during that show, and how did the audience respond to your performance?
There’s always the pre-show jitters. No matter how many shows you’ve played, we always get a nervous right before show time. But we like to think we held it down and the show went well!
9. Uncle Lou's is described as the beating heart of Orlando’s punk scene. As a band new to performing there, what was your impression of the venue, and how do you think it contributes to the punk community in Orlando?
The best thing about Uncle Lou’s is that anyone can play there. If you’re a band who is just starting out and need a place to play your first show, Lou will have a slot for you. Likewise, if you’re a well known touring act and need a date in Orlando, Lou’s got your back.Some of the best local shows in Orlando history have gone down there. We were grateful to play our second show there because we were still new. And Lou came through, as he always does.
10. Scott Eskew from Rats Ass Records managed the show. How important was his role in ensuring the success of the event, and what kind of support did he provide to Trash World before and during the show?
Scott Eskew was very helpful in getting the show to run smoothly. Shout out to Josh Dobbs who recorded our set and who we bothered all night with questions.
11. Trash World, you played alongside Except You, Off The Rails, and Swear Wolf. What was it like sharing the stage with these bands, and did any memorable interactions or collaborations occur during the event?
All the bands were awesome. We’ve since played with Off The Rails again for a Food Not Bombs benefit and we are working on another show with Except You. Swear Wolf, hit us up if you ever want to share a bill again!
12. Reflecting on the night at Lou's, are there specific moments that stand out as defining for Trash World, either on stage or off, and how do you think it influenced your future performances?
I think we all agreed that we played a lot better that night, seeing as it was our second show. We still had some kinks to work out. We’re proud of the record be we like to think that we sound A LOT better now.
13. Trash World, with this live album collaboration, what do you hope listeners take away from the experience of hearing Trash World in a live setting, and how does it differ from your studio recordings?
We hope listeners will like it enough to check out our EP DOOMED and come to a show!
14. Looking ahead, what can fans expect from Trash World in terms of future projects, collaborations, or live performances?
We’ve got some new music coming out this year. We’ve also got a short tour planned for the summer.
15. In the spirit of punk ethos, how does Trash World approach creating music that resonates with the raw energy and rebellion often associated with the punk genre?
Making music is therapeutic for us. We try not to think so much about being punk or not. We know that we’re angry about the current state of the world. We want to do something about it but sometimes it feels overwhelming and all you can do is scream and thrash until youre ready to be proactive again. That’s Trash World.
