Trophy Scars Article

Although there are bands that can say they have fan-bases reaching the thousands, and even millions, few can say they have as tight, even “cult” like following, as Trophy Scars. This sextet, Jerry Jones [vocals] John Ferrara [guitar/piano], Brian Ferrara [drums], AJ Hanson and Adam Moutafis [guitar] and Andy Farrell [bass], have been reaching out to fans on the New Jersey underground scene for over five years, and with a new record in the works, there’s no signs of slowing down.
“We’re writing a new full length entitled Bad Luck,” says Jones. “The process is a lot different than the way we wrote our other records. This one is a lot more collective rather than just John, Brian and me composing 90% of it. It’s been a lot more fun that way too, so this recording will certainly be a bit “bouncier” than our last [record].”
The band seem to get “bouncier” on every record, changing their sound ever-so-slightly to keep things interesting, and to avoid the trap set by others of making the same album over and over again [see Yellowcard].
“Every album has its own specific lyrical theme,” says Jones. “We really don’t care much about what our fans think of our music. We’re all selfish when it comes to our art. We never started the band with a specific market in mind; we did it because we were sick of the trash that plagues independent music now.
“The band was supposed to be a summer fling in 2002, and nothing more,” continues Jones. “However, there was an overwhelming response from kids who enjoyed the live show and labels who were interested.”
That “all for us” attitude has produced some of the most real, true records the “myspace” generation has gotten the pleasure to enjoy. Their latest release, Alphabet. Alphabets. is their first release for The Death Scene Recording Company, and has a very creative story behind the song titles.
“When John and I started the “Alphabet blueprints,” we decided to make a record that was going to be both musically and lyrically eclectic,” says Jones on Alphabet. “I did indeed adopt Nathaniel Hawthorne’s motif for his book The Scarlet Letter.
“It’s the foundation of our alphabet,” continues Jones. “It’s so basic but it holds keys to a vast range of emotion and ideas. This is reflected in the plethora of music styles incorporate in Alphabets. Doomed romance and poor timing plague the record’s backdrop but it actually deals with many facets of my own neuroticism.”
Although some would say they fit into the trendy “hardcore” style that most bands are turning to for success, Jones says that’s not the case with Trophy Scars, even going as far not jumping at the chance to tour with scene juggernauts Chiodos.
“We actually don’t know a lot about or listen to any of that type of music so it initially didn’t appeal to us,” says Jones on the offered tour spot. “The venues they were playing were huge (i.e. Nokia Theater in Manhattan), so our manager really pushed us onto it. We’ve played shows with Chiodos befor, and they’re really nice guys. Playing in front of 1500-2000 people every night was a spectacle and everyone in the other supporting bands seemed really kind and genuine.”
With any great indie bands, there are some major labels after the services of Trophy Scars, but Jones says they’re just too incontrol of their music for that at the moment.
“Major labels are sometimes attracted to us because we have a very loyal cult following,” says Jones, “but then they think that we will come to some rational compromise with what kind of sound they are “looking for” from us.
“We’re really bossy and we’re not into any type of [stuff] like that. We seriously do not budge an inch unless we all agree it’s for the betterment of our own ears,” concludes Jones.
Trophy Scars will be heading over to the UK for the first time April 8-18 with Raging Speedhorn, before coming home to record their album. For more information on Trophy Scars, go to Trophyscars.com or myspace.com/trophyscars