There is something important to be said about the power of female friendships. Something that tends to be very unique and special about them is the vulnerability that is not only displayed openly, but celebrated.
Trousdale, the female trio comprised of Quinn D’Andrea, Georgia Greene, and Lauren Jones, are quite familiar with that concept. Since their debut album Out of My Mind, they have explored incredibly vulnerable experiences throughout their music. And Growing Pains, their second album set to release April 11th by Independent Co., is no different.
I sat down with the trio to discuss the album, their tour, and their latest single “Want Me Back.” The conversation that ensued was a testament to the undeniable bond between the band, and how they find the strength and comfort to be vulnerable through each other.
The songwriting for bands can sometimes be a tumoltous experience, with everyone throwing out ideas and everyone fighting for their creative vision to be heard. But not for Trousdale.
“We’re very close friends,” Greene explained. “And a big part of how we started and how we still thrive, is like vibing out, just like jamming together.”
She explained that their first single “Growing Pains”, for the new album by the same name, started as just a simple jam session between the girls. “We were feeling exhausted [from tour], and having to try to get the energy, to find it in ourselves, to keep feeling inspired,” She recalled.
“That’s a big part of how we write, we talk to each other about what we’re going through, and we come together and try to put it into a song that feels meaningful.”
“Want Me Back” is the latest single off the album, telling the story of the desperation many go through after a break-up. It is a relatable feeling, but one people don’t necessarily want to admit to.
“There were some lyrics that we ended up changing to make sure it wasn’t too, like, I’ll do anything for you,” Greene admitted. “Because we also wanted to make sure we said, like, ‘But we know that we won’t!’ But that feeling is still true.”
“To feel that way doesn’t say anything about who you are as a person,” D’Andrea added. “I think that, as much as we always try to have a positive outlook on things overall with our music, I think it’s important to talk about the things that people don’t want to admit that they’re feeling.”
“And maybe it’s not something that we’re saying you should be dealing with this way, but you might be, and we have too, and that’s okay to feel that way! And there’s a sense of shame about it, but it’s okay, and it’s human. And so we should talk about it.”
The friendship that the girls share is a big part of the reason they are able to come together and write such beautiful, open-hearted songs. Their love and empathy for one another allows them to all share their experiences and perspectives, even if someone else has written a personal song.
“We know so much about each other so deeply, and I think it helps us – even though all three of us are writing, and we’re all writing from our different points of view, we know each other so well,” D’Andrea said.
“So if we’re writing about one of our experiences, it’s easier to tap into what that might feel like, even if it’s not us, just because we know each other so well and we feel and care so deeply about each other and our experiences.”
“There is one song on this record that is, like, directly pulled from a personal experience that I was having,” Greene said.
“That day, because it’s Lauren and Quinn and they know me, they were like, ‘F*ck this, f*ck this person that’s hurt you!’ And so we wrote the song that I never would have, but it’s what I felt.” She admitted that, for a while, she couldn’t perform the song because it made her too emotional.
“Part of why it was so emotional is because my two best friends had my back and are singing what I couldn’t sing, saying what I hadn’t felt yet, but knew was true, and still makes me emotional,” she said. “Just to think about how the people in your life that love you and see you can tell your story sometimes better than you can, because they love you more than sometimes you love yourself.”
"It's still exciting right now. We're not sick of the music, and we can still find new things about it and be excited."
We got on the topic of the emotional aspect of music, and what that can provide to people in sad times. But within their discography, the band has also made songs that feel liberating and powerful. The secret behind being able to write across the spectrum of human emotion? Each other.
“I think all three of us have different ways of processing things in life, too,” D’Andrea explained. “So I think it’s easier to be versatile with that- of, like, naming a human experience in some way. Because we all have different ways of approaching that, whatever topic it is, I think it helps us to broaden our horizons, in that in that way.”
“By nature, it becomes more universal,” Jones added. “Because it’s one of us is telling it to the other two, and then the other two are trying to put their own meaning to it, or try to relate to it in that way. And so, there are different songs in our repertoire where all three of us have a different meaning. All three of us, you know, we’re thinking of different things as we sing it.”
With the title of the upcoming album being Growing Pains, it only felt right to have the band reflect on how they have grown since the band began.
Greene has learned to take better care of herself in order to be able to show up for others. “My tendency is to worry about everybody’s needs,” she explained. “And I’m a people pleaser, so that’s been something that I’ve grown in because that personality trait, in fact, hurts people too, because then they’re like, ‘Damn, you’re worrying about me and you’re not worrying about you, and I actually really would rather you worry about you, because this is affecting you negatively.'”
D’Andrea credits her growth to Greene and Jones. “I feel like you guys both have been better at taking risks… and putting yourself out there a little bit more. I think I was really afraid to do that. When we first started college, I wouldn’t say things because I was afraid that they weren’t good or weren’t right. And I learned from both of you in that, and I think that’s helped me grow.”
“I was gonna say I’ve become a better cook,” Jones joked, earning a laugh from the others. “I feel like I’ve become a nicer person because of these two,” she then admitted. “If Quinn and Georgia lean more people pleaser. I lean more ‘I’m just gonna say it how it is!’ We balance each other out in that way.”
“I think that we talk so much about the dynamic of there being three of us, and the number three in a social dynamic is so interesting. It’s such a different kind of relationship to manage, because you can get a two-against-one dichotomy. You can get all-three-are-feeling-different-things, and learning how to to maneuver through those issues and things and still come out on the other side feeling like a united front. It’s just made me a better person.”
The new album, according to the band, has been an exciting journey because they have been able to explore more genres and aspects of music that they have taken from their influences.
“We’ve already done a lot of the country Americana influences, which there still are. But in this album, I’d say we kind of explore more of the pop sounds.” Greene compares their exploration into pop to the likes of the 1975 “dare I even say,” she joked, looking at the girls for confirmation. “Just groovy, groovy, groovy.”
“Growing Pains really is like such a weird amalgamation of different things,” Jones explained. “Our musical influences spread very far and wide. So, when we are going into producing a song, we very rarely have limitations for ourselves because we’re trying to listen to what serves the song, like, how do we tell this story the best way.”
“It’s still exciting right now,” D’Andrea said. “We’re not sick of the music, and we can still find new things about it and be excited. And I’m just excited to share it with people. It does feel different and new and a step forward, in some ways. Our previous music still stands on its own and is great, but this is something new that does feel very exciting.”
Starting April 30th, the band will be hitting the road on an incredible world tour, stopping major cities like Chicago, New York, Phoenix, and Los Angeles.
When I asked the girls what fans can expect from this tour, the answer was simple: new outfits, new music, and a safe space to celebrate the joy of live music.
“We take a lot of inspiration from other shows and concerts that we see,” D’Andrea said. “And just wanting to give people an experience of, like, from the moment they step in [the venue] till they leave, they’re in a different world and experience and can really leave everything outside and just be taken and feel seen and connected with. I think we’re gonna be doing a lot of that on this tour.”
Greene emphasized her statement, explaining how her experience with Trousdale fans has been a wonderful environment where people can be free to be themselves. “Something that we’ve all noticed is that the people that come to our show are really just so lovely,” she said, D’Andrea and Jones nodding enthusiastically in agreement.
“And a lot of people have said that they meet a new friend at the show. And so we really hope that the environment at our shows is very welcoming and loving and accepting and all that. So we try to really cultivate a safe space and promote the show as a safe space. And people seem to really be nice. So yeah, that’s something to expect as well.”
"'Growing Pains' is really about finding the joy and the struggle and holding them both at the same time."
Throughout the entire interview, every statement one of the members would say was followed by a supportive “Right,” or “So true.” While each person has their own entirely different personality – Greene being bubbly and attentive, D’Andrea being down-to-earth and articulate, and Jones being more reserved and insightful – they almost feel like one unit.
There is a palpable feeling of love, care, and support surrounding each of them, one that permeates their music and their friendship. You listen to the harmonies and can feel the unity amongst them, each voice lifting up the others like a beautiful analogy for their relationship.
Their latest single “Want Me Back” is out now and you can listen wherever you stream music!
Keep up with Trousdale on their website, and Instagram for music and tour updates!
