The charismatically witty and endearingly cheeky Vintage Trouble possess a unique dynamic.
Their old-school rhythm and blues vibes have seen the Hollywood outfit make a splash in a big way, and with a résumé that boasts support slots for the likes of Queen’s Brian May and Bon Jovi, it’s no surprise they’re on the up and up.
The quartet’s soulful approach to fulfilling the dream they’ve shared since their youth has created something of a domino effect, and frontman Ty Taylor speaks just as passionately as he performs.
“From the time you’re kids you imagine and dream, and we are fortunate,” he says. “We look at the audiences and the dream becomes a bigger dream – you’re so thrilled for the honour [of supporting big names], but then as the new kids, [we] start thinking, ‘How do we make this happen for us?’
“It’s interesting that that’s the way life and dreams work. As exciting as it is to be there, you start stepping up to the new challenges, to think about what we can do to get to the levels that are megaphones and the things we want to say to reach people without the support of someone else. It’s an interesting balance of what that moment feels like, because when you feel it, you want it all the time. We’re usually pretty good at stepping up to the plate and making the dream a reality.”
“Sometimes things like radio haven’t been able to place us in a certain genre,” adds guitarist Rick Barrio Dill, “but it’s been kinda cool to seep into all different kinds of music. I mean, how cool is it to be on one tour with Joss Stone then suddenly on tour with AC/DC the next year, you know? It’s all coming from a soul and blues style of music that we’ve all been in love with from the beginning.”
And at their very core are their fans, playing a pivotal role in everything they do. Dubbing themselves ‘Trouble Makers’, Vintage Trouble’s following started out small but grew at an exponential rate, arms stretched out across the globe in mutual love for the band.
“We started out in a little blues club in Santa Monica,” says drummer Richard Danielson, “and people came out every week and started calling themselves that. It’s not always about having a party and creating havoc, it’s also about creating trouble for the good in the world – this group got together and just did good things.
“It expanded – all over the world they support each other, sleep on each other’s couches. To create trouble for the positive is sort of a moniker for us. It’s a state of mind. [The Trouble Makers were] something that came about above us, and they do it all themselves.
“The cliché is, and I don’t feel silly saying it, they really have been the wind under our wings. Our Trouble Makers in LA really pushed us out to the world and gave us confidence. To find that all over the world now, in every city that we play, we’ll find pockets of Trouble Makers… we don’t call them fans, we call them friends.”
There’ll soon be an opportunity for the Trouble Makers to grow in Australian numbers again. Such is Vintage Trouble’s renown, the band returns to Bluesfest this Easter for a second year running.
“Just coming back to Australia is amazing, but also to be coming back to Bluesfest, I mean, wow!” says Danielson. “We played there last year, and it’s funny – in the festival circuit, everyone knows about it, so it’s an honour not only to be invited the first time, but to come back? It’s kind of like a second date.
“Really good things can happen on a second date and we’re excited in that sort of way – the crowds are amazing, very giving, very festive and very alert. It seems like at blues festivals, people are there to throw themselves into the music.”
The next question is met with a good deal of laughter, hushing and giggling: what else can be expected on a second date with Vintage Trouble? “Lots of hands,” jokes Taylor. “We get really handsy,” he laughs. “Everything you can expect from a second date and maybe even pushing for a third date – we’re gonna show up and just try to feel the way that we love to feel onstage. Rock’n’roll is sexy, it really is!
“It’s really hard right here in America right now,” he continues. “For us it’s gonna be nice to go somewhere and represent America, remind people there are many good things about our country – and also, we’re a band that’s full of love. You guys are one of the warmest cultures, so it’s gonna be great for us to be in a place that smiles and gives and loves and understands, and for us to be able to remind ourselves about what that feels [like]. It will be nice to get to a place like Byron Bay where we can rekindle our spirit.”
Vingtage Trouble perform Wednesday April 12atOxford Art Factory, withHamish Anderson; and also at Bluesfest 2017, Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Thursday April 13 – Monday April 17.
