Nexus Meets… Fat Trout Trailer Park
A solo musical project, Fat Trout Trailer Park is the moniker for alternative rock artist Sean Raab. Originally from Belgium, Raab is now residing in the USA – New York City to be exact. We had a chance to speak with Fat Trout Trailer Park about his debut single ‘Fatberg’, future plans and much more.
How did Fat Trout Trailer park come about?
The band I was playing in came to a stop. We were all ready for new chapters in our lives. I took a hiatus from rock and started experimenting with other genres. When I returned to my guitar, I knew what I wanted to do and how I wanted it to sound. That project became Fat Trout Trailer Park.
How did the name come about and why do you use a stage name?
My partner and I were watching Twin Peaks and we paused it on the still of a shot of the Fat Trout Trailer Park sign. We joked that would be a good band name. It stuck.
I like the idea of creating different atmospheres for different projects. I make other music outside of this project as well. My monikers are part of the vision of the multiple projects; I find it more fun that way.
What is the backstory to ‘Fatberg’?
The idea came to me after seeing a headline pass by that read, “‘Fatberg’ larger than a jumbo jet found under a seaside town”. Moving to the US and experiencing consumerism and gaping inequality in this country up close has really propelled me to challenge this in my songs.
What was the writing and recording process like?
It was all written and recorded at the warehouse where I was living. The city had cut off the gas in the middle of winter because our landlords were siphoning it off. A real messed up situation. In any case, I was definitely channelling some rage and frustration when I wrote the song. I wanted to write something that would motivate myself if I’d heard it.
If you could tour with a single artist (living or dead), who would it be and why?
Strokes circa 2000. As a teen, I stumbled upon them in the ‘related videos’ on YouTube and immediately knew I wanted to be in a band. They seemed so quintessential. Seeing as this is hypothetical, nothing on tour can go wrong – everything is bliss.
What is your creative process?
I tend to start with a melody from messing about on the guitar or often just from my head. Immediately, I try to write counterparts and have the instrumental part of the song as a solid backbone that lets me experiment with itself and everything around it.
Lyrics will often come last. Each time I think of a line or see words I find interesting, I enter them into my phone. So, when I start writing lyrics, I’ll usually look at my list and see what I’ve got floating around and where those lines or words might take me.
Describe your sound in a single sentence.
Interwoven guitars propelled by math like drums with vocals torn between romantic melodies and Dadaist blurts.
What are your future plans?
The full EP is set for release on October 7th. I’m finishing up writing the follow-up so will be recording that in the near future. We also hope to start playing shows when the virus allows it.
What do you hope people take from your music?
It’s easy to fall into patterns of feeling helpless about the state of the world and defenseless against the powers that be. It’s hard to get out of that, so I hope my music can in some form or another offer not only relief, but activate people to be involved in the world around them.