Savage Hills Ballroom marks the moment that Trevor Powers found his voice, his third album is his most consistent, the songs benefit greatly from the clarity of confidence. It’s an incredibly rewarding listen that will stand the test of time.” Youth Lagoon is the moniker of Trevor Powers, who has been releasing albums under the name since 2011. In this episode, Trevor breaks down “The Knower,” the lead single from his newest record, Savage Hills Ballroom. He talks about how the idea for the song started by manipulating sampled vocals, and how he flew to Bristol to record the album with producer Ali Chant.
His music has always been very different. That first record was full of delicate, lo-fi glimmers with reverby howls that could be likened to nothing else being made at the time of its 2011 release. Two years later, he released his sophomore record, Wondrous Bughouse, which was brighter and had a hit of energy that the first record lacked. “Whenever I write music, it’s always based on a lot of experimentation first and foremost,” Trevor says, noting that his most recent release was the result of about a year and a half spent sitting in front of a pile of pedals, working out new tones and looking for different sounds that hadn’t been discovered yet.
It’s really no wonder, then, that he can identify with Strange People. “I think most people feel like that themselves sometimes; I’ve always felt like that within my own life to certain degrees,” Trevor says about the book. “A lot of that comes out in music and my art in general. I always view things from a mystical vantage point.”
The Fat Angel Sings 