Stereo Six: TRISHES Runs Down Key Records that Contributed to the Sound of ‘The Id’

Talk about making an entrance… Musician, artist, writer, and activist TRISHES is making her presence felt with the upcoming release of her debut album The Id. She has come out with guns blazing on this first release, ten thought-provoking songs that form the core of a strong statement against police brutality, gun violence, nationalism, colonialism, and capitalism.

Due for release on October 22nd, the record is the pinnacle of all of her thoughts, views, and passions as an artist. She believes that global and societal conflict all stems from our own individual struggles that, if we examine, we can begin to promote change and progress. The Id is inspired by the darker, more distressing parts of her mind, with a sonic palette heavily inspired by a plethora of extraordinary female artists such as Björk, FKA Twigs, St. Vincent, Lana Del Rey, and Regina Spektor.

So much more than just a grouping of songs, The Id will also be released with ten art pieces, created in TRISHES’ signature Sharpie stippling style. With such a groundbreaking release upcoming, we caught up with TRISHES for our latest Stereo Six, as she happily ran down for us six of her favourite and most influential albums.

1. Regina Spektor – Begin to Hope (2006, Sire)

“The summer I turned 16 I spent at Berklee five-week summer camp making out with a messy-haired drummer and occasionally learning things like what a subdominant chord is. In between ear training classes and his top bunk dorm room bed, he showed me the album that would be most influential to me: Regina Spektor’s Begin to Hope.

“Spektor changed so much of how I saw art. She showed me all the things a voice could be besides for beautiful. She could make hers stunning and crystal clear and then in a beat make it harsh or quirky or alien. The voice makes sounds. Sometimes these sounds is singing, but that is not its only valid use. This album also showed me that songs did not need to fit a box. Hers were often stream of consciousness, defying both conventional song structure, but also traditional song themes. She showed me that songs didn’t need to be about love or relationships or fun or parties. They could be about anything. Small things. Smart things. Weird things. These two realizations are two of the biggest pillars of my artistic foundation.”

2. Björk – Medúlla (2004, One Little Indian/Elektra)

“I absolutely can’t talk about an album built on vocal arrangement and effects without praising the masterpiece that is Björk’s Medúlla. Made completely with human voices, this album was referenced often during the making of The Id. I grew up singing in several choirs all at once and developed a deep affinity for harmonies and a cappella arrangement, but Medúlla made me understand how with production, voices could fill much more sonic space than I knew. Björk was also my first exposure to what it meant to be an artist outside of the world of pop music and fueled my want to push boundaries in art and music.”

Artwork for the songs TRISHES lists in this Stereo Six

3. St. Vincent – Strange Mercy (2011, 4AD)

“In one of my college songwriting classes, we could bring in any song we wanted to share and analyze. Someone brought in the lyrics to St. Vincent’s ‘The Party’ and my teacher said, ‘This reminds me of one of my old students, Annie’ without realizing that the words were in fact, written by her old student Annie Clark. Since reading the words ‘Do you have change or a button or cash? Oh, my pockets hang out like two surrender flags,’ St. Vincent has been an inspiration to me. The most influential of her albums? Strange Mercy. The grungy, buzzy synth and guitar filling this album are still some of my most loved sounds and served as a reference for a lot of the synth sounds used on The Id.

“Listen to my latest single ‘Big Sunglasses’ and you’ll hear clear ties to the beginning of my favourite track on Strange Mercy, ‘Cheerleader.’ St. Vincent’s live show choreography movements (done with her and her band with instruments in hand) also led me to exploring the upper body choreo I do in my live show.”

4. Lana Del Rey – Born to Die (2012, Interscope)

“Lana Del Rey’s junior album was the first time I heard hip hop beats underneath such a delicate vocal performances and I knew I wanted the percussive elements in The Id to feel similar. Producer Hakan Mavruk was well versed in boom bap beats and working largely in the hip hop space at the time, so he did a brilliant job of executing the convergence of genres. Lana, I’m sure, also inadvertently influenced my vocal and songwriting style, with its drama and intricate internal rhyme, respectively.”

5. Coldplay – X&Y (2005, Parlophone/Capital)

“Someone told me once that my love of Coldplay is one of my greatest character inconsistencies. Lyrically, I usually gravitate to specificity and intellectualism in lyrics, while Coldplay’s strength is in universal themes. I have no doubt, however, that Chris Martin has deeply impacted my style as a songwriter, especially melodically. X&Y, in large part due to standout track ‘Fix You,’ is my go-to album for heartbreak, disappointment, hope. As someone who thinks a lot about how our subconscious affects our actions, I’m certain that this album has shaped me as a musician in ways I don’t even understand.”

6. Curveball: Jimmy Eat World – Futures (2004, Interscope)

“‘I always believed in futures, I hope for better in November.’ I thought of these words so often during the run-up to the 2020 election, words that were written before the 2004 presidential election as a critique of then-incumbent George W. Bush. This album was the soundtrack to my adolescence. It is riding in cars with boys on the 101 smelling the ocean air with stars overhead. ‘Night Drive’ on the speakers. My hand out the window. My fingers caressing the wind. Not only this, but Futures was also the seed of me creating political art. The title track was the first protest song I heard that wasn’t from decades ago but that was current and from a band I loved.”

Artwork for ‘The ID’ by Trishes