Davey Muise: From Vanna to the World of Trove

Davey Muise: From Vanna to the World of Trove

Trove is a post hardcore endeavor featuring Davey Muise from Vanna, based out of the Pacific Northwest and ready to make a definite impact all across this fading planet.  Their latest album World (presented via Modern Empire Music) is jam-packed with intensive reveries and introspective lyrics, and it’s a powerful testament to the talents and artistry of each and every band member.  Highwire Daze recently interviewed vocalist Davey Muise to discover the world of Trove, creating in a place and time consumed by the great pandemic, the final recordings of Vanna, and more!  Read on…

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Trove, and how long the band has been together.
My name is Davey, I have the pleasure of singing in Trove and the band has been around since late 2017, we self released an EP that year too.

Where is the band based out of and what is the music scene like there?
The band is a little spread out in the Pacific Northwest, basically between Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington. It’s been an amazing place to create music here, especially being from the east coast originally. There’s so much music out here the scenes and influences are kind of endless really. This area of the country has a lot of cool music history, we actually wrote WORLD a little outside Aberdeen, Washington, the Nirvana fan in me was very pleased.

Is there any overall story or concept behind the album title World?
Everyone lives in their own world. This record is just about mine. A literal diary of my daily thoughts, shitty trauma back stories and insecurities that for whatever reason I feel better after I share. I changed a lot about my life both inside and outside of music and I was letting go of a lot on WORLD. It’s funny because though this record was written pre-Covid, these stories and words speak more to me today then when I put them to paper. Interesting how that works.

Select two songs from World and what inspired the lyrics.
Okay so let’s see, Manic Impressive was the first song I wrote and first on the record. It’s kind of an angry psycho-babble about the power of people making assumptions about your life, especially being in any kind of public eye. How people form the opinion of you that best serves them and when you don’t fit into that idea they’ve created you’re tossed away, or fall off or end in their eyes. Now add a crippling desire for people to like you and we have a recipe for self detonation. That shit makes me crazy, but I’ve learned I can’t live like that anymore, so manic was born and I let go.

The second would be Becoming Memories. It’s funny because that song was a throw away to me. Idk why I didn’t get it or liked it, but after Tron (guitar player) challenged me to dig deeper I started hearing it differently. Kept hearing the lyric “when I leave”, which to me posed the question, what happens when I leave. We are constantly living in the past. Not like metaphorically, like actually. As you look at me you’re seeing me now as I am but as I was. Something like 3 billionth of a second. We are constantly memories and one day that’s all we will be. Memories of other people who knew us. How will my best friends, my partners, my band and family remember me. It’s just a reminder that our time here is finite.

Who produced World and what was it like working with them?
This record process was one of the easiest recording endeavors because of who we chose to work with. First of all our guitar god Tron or Anthony is an amazing writer and producer himself so it helps to have that guy in your band. He pre-produced a whole ass record with a Thanos finger snap and we brought it to the PNW legend himself Mike Sahm at Interlace Audio. Mike’s like our 6th guy and takes on each project like he’s in the band. I also record solo stuff with him so it’s a family affair. Mike has a way of getting the best out of you without telling you the take you just did sucked, so that’s always nice haha. I actually just saw Mike out getting coffee and we hugged and talked on the street for like 10 minutes straight. I love that guy so much. Go make a record with him!

What has it been like to write and release new music in the middle of a pandemic and all of the social unrest in the world?
First of all our struggle to release music pales in comparison to the suffering many Americans faced over the last year. I’m happy to be alive and healthy in 2021. That being said the music industry halted, and devastated thousands of jobs, tours and release plans, so the solace of any of this was that everyone was affected by this. It certainly made making music videos difficult but we accepted that challenge to create 4 Covid safe visuals that we are very proud of. We also got the chance to get back into Tron’s studio and rip some covers and reimagined songs for future release. We like everyone trying to feel useful with our time and music. But honestly, it was a pretty humbling time to focus on ourselves and our lives. It showed us just how fragile the things we take for granted on the daily, truly are. 2020 was a shit show that I’m grateful I got cast in and I’m looking forward to using what I’ve learned in 2021 and moving forward.

Tell me a little about the new video for Becoming Memories, who directed it, and once again what was it like to create a video during a pandemic?
Yeah, love that video. So we had origami concepts that got tossed out the window with Covid. But we couldn’t just sit on it. So I put together a concept for Becoming Memories and Nightmare Enemy. I wanted to make a little movie for them both. If you watch them it’s an ouroboros storyline that hopefully caused questions in the viewer that will never be answered. I love movies that drop you into the middle of the chaos of someone’s life and decisions for a bit and then you’re out again. Like most A24 films do. Just like two hours of what the hell is happening here and then we go out. That’s what those videos are to me, except they’re like 15 minutes long. Now this is in the beginning of Covid precautions, so we all got tested and we did it Skeleton crew style, just Me directing and acting, Tron being the only other actor and his wife who’s an amazing photographer/videography shooting it all. To then be sent off to our good friend Tim Burton to edit. But only one day shooting, deep in the Oregon wilderness. Being safe is very important and so is creating something you believe in. We managed to do both.

What was the very last show you played with Trove before the pandemic and how did the show go?
Our last show we hit was the last gig in a string of shows we played with Silent Planet, Grey Haven and Currents in Portland. It felt like we were just getting started ya know. Trove is new to a lot of people but we’ve known these bands for a while so it was like any other tour with old friends, exactly where we want to be. The show go-ers out here show us a lot of love too so the gigs were great for us. I remember looking at Tron and being like “we just getting started baby” – I was wrong haha

For fans of Vanna who have not checked out Trove yet, what could one expect from a live Trove show?
Well it’s funny, When Trove first started playing live and doing a little touring I kept hearing and reading things like, he’s doing the “Vanna thing but it’s kinda different”. To which I think, it was never a “Vanna thing”, it’s a me thing. Just like Tron isn’t doing a “To The Wind” thing, he’s doing HIS thing. Trove is just a new vessel for us to create and express ourselves and I’m grateful to have it. So what to expect? Big riffs to kick your ass, me jumping off stage running circles around you while you sip a beer, your neck is gonna hurt and you should leave without a voice but most importantly just pure goddamn freedom and fun. This is your show, we’re just making the noise.

When you look back on that final Vanna album All Hell, what do you think of it now in retrospect?
Kinda like building a beautiful sandcastle right before the tide comes in but you’re too into making it to see the waves coming. I love that record, every word, every song. I didn’t know the end was that close and I don’t think these songs got the time they deserved. That being said I’m extremely proud of the creation of that record. From music to visuals it was the most focused idea we’ve ever had. Plus I finally got to write a love song. I think that it will forever be my favorite Vanna record, but it comes with a heavy heart.

Did any of the bands you covered on ALT with Vanna hear or comment on your rendition of their song?
Actually all of them ‘cept The Offspring who at the time did not have social media. Billy Corgan posted the Zero cover video on Twitter and said “Well done lads”. Our buddies in Suicide Silence were on tour with Korn when it dropped so I got a video of them jamming on the bus together, thanks boys. We got word from Metallica and Manson’s team that both bands checked it out and no one sued us so that’s good. Funny fact, that EP (besides flower acoustic) is the most streamed Vanna shit.

Are you involved with any other current projects outside of Trove?
So yeah I love to song and lyric write and I’m involved in a couple projects for that, kinda comes and goes as I peruse it/have time for it. I have a “solo” project with Josh Troves other guitar player as well, which is fun and different for me, haven’t released much but maybe one day I’ll put more out. Might have a small little thing going on with former Vanna member and one of my best friends in the future too. Honestly, in trying to not stretch myself thin, Trove is my focus and it brings me so much fulfillment, I’m good.

What do you hope 2021 brings for you and for the music world in general?
I hope everyone remembers the challenges and changes of the last year or so and puts that into their mental state moving forward. I hope that 2021 brings a reigniting of industries so people can get back to what they love. I wanna see faces in Europe, the UK and Japan. I wanna play music to people who don’t speak my language. I want to connect with humans again. I want that feeling back and I bet you to do. Let’s get there safely once again.

Any final words of wisdom?
Go to therapy, wash your hands, drink water, mind your business, love your people and for fucks sake approach the world with a little compassion and see where it gets you. Also go stream WORLD.

(Interview by Ken Morton)

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