Exclusive Interview: Trousdale On ‘Want Me Back’

Before we get into this exclusive interview, allow us to be perfectly clear. We have an agenda here. By the end of this interview, we expect you to be dedicated Trousdale fans. And we expect you to be streaming their brand new single ‘Want Me Back’ and to be anxiously awaiting their album Growing Pains, out April 11. We like to think we know our readers pretty well, and so we feel confident that you will love Trousdale as much as we do.

Inspired by artists like Fleetwood Mac, this trio leans into angelic harmonies, toe-tapping melodies meshing country and pop, and vulnerable lyrics. Most recently, they’ve caught the eyes of new fans with their superhero-themed music video for ‘Growing Pains.’ This seems to be a theme that will follow them through this album cycle, as well as the Growing Pains Tour. We’re obsessed with the idea of making literal the superhero strength that comes with being women in the music industry, so we had to talk to them all about it.

Keep scrolling to see Trousdale’s Georgia and Quinn give us an insight into their new album, as well as some of the band’s quirks that we have come to know and love.

Thanks for joining us at the Honey Pop! For our readers who are unfamiliar, can you describe your music in three words?
Catchy, honest and thoughtful! – Georgia

Before we get into the music, we have to talk about your standout signature colors. Is there a story behind that?
We actually got the idea from Lauren’s old roommate when we saw her wearing a Big Bud Press jumpsuit. So we went to their store in LA and tried on a bunch of different color options. When we all wore what became our colors and looked in the mirror, we were like, “Oh yeah, this is it.” We ended up wearing those jumpsuits for our EP cover photoshoot and got such a positive reaction from fans that we continued to wear them out at shows. We noticed people starting to refer to us as our colors, “the green one” and the “pink one,” and realized that this was a great opportunity for us to start solidifying each of us as our own person, with unique visuals and personalities. It’s kind of just stuck since then! – Quinn

Love the idea to take the colors and turn them into superhero costumes. What inspired this transformation?
So glad that you love it. 🙂 We thought a lot about how to make this transformation BIG and BOLD without losing the heart of what we’ve been building over the years. We wanted this project in particular, to feel familiar AND larger than life. We tried to think of what we would NEVER wear out in our normal lives, and after MANY ideas and the help of our extremely talented creative director, Stephanie Haller, we landed on this superhero transformation. With our album largely touching on themes of growth and overcoming obstacles, superheroes seemed like the perfect visual representation of those themes. Every superhero is the greatest version of themselves for the greater good, and that is exactly what we aim to do as a band and through our music! -Georgia

Do you have names for your superhero alter egos?
Oooh, we really should make some up but we haven’t yet. We definitely do have alter egos for the band itself (unrelated to the superheroes completely). When we were originally naming the band back in college there were two other ideas that we still reference to this day as our alter egos – The Sorrow Sisters (I would say ‘Wouldn’t Come Back’ and ‘Want Me Back’ were definitely definitely written by The Sorrow Sisters), and Carolina Blue (‘This Is It’ and ‘Growing Pains’ were ABSOLUTELY Carolina Blue hits). – Quinn

We also loved watching your hero-selves step into the boxing ring. Did you learn how to box for the ‘Growing Pains’ music video?
Why yes, we absolutely did! We took an incredible boxing class at Mija Fitness where we learned some of the basic moves so we didn’t look like complete idiots for the video shoot. Boxing is so empowering, and after one lesson, we were all itching to get back to a class. – Georgia

This next single ‘Want Me Back’ is so vulnerable. How does writing songs like this as a trio work?
Want Me Back’ was a song we wrote in a session with Dan McDougall, and it’s always a surreal experience to meet someone at noon and have a deeply personal song finished by five—especially one like this. When we’re writing something this vulnerable, it usually starts with one of us bringing in an idea that already feels raw and real. Georgia brought in the first verse, and from there, we all stepped in to shape the rest of the story. Because we’ve been friends for over a decade, we know each other’s relationships, struggles, and even the things we don’t always know how to say ourselves. That deep understanding not only makes us better at stepping into each other’s shoes to tell the story honestly, but it also means we’re supporting each other in real-time—both in the writing and in life. In a way, our voices aren’t just helping tell the story; they’re holding each other up in the process. – Quinn

Something that you’re well known for is your harmonies. Do you write with harmonies in mind? Or write lyrics first and add harmonies later?
‘We are a very lyric and melody-focused band, and I’d say we always prioritize those first while also letting the arrangement come to us while we’re writing. For us, arranging is a useful tool that can often help make certain moments in the song “hurt” or “hit” more, and we usually like to think of it as a secondary writing session because it’s so in-depth and important to our sound. With that being said, now that we’ve been singing together for over 10 years, we definitely get spidey-senses when we’re writing and have a pretty good sense of how we’re going to “Trousdale-ify” our arrangement, if you will. – Georgia

You’ve spoken out on social media about what it’s like working as women in the music industry, as well as the current political climate. How has your music helped you to make sense of these topics, if at all?
Music has always been a way for us to process what we’re feeling, whether it’s something personal or something bigger than ourselves. As women in the industry, we’ve experienced firsthand the ways we’re underestimated, dismissed, or expected to work twice as hard for the same respect. Writing about those experiences helps us reclaim our own narratives and hopefully makes other people feel seen, too. Producing our own music has also given us not only an outlet creatively but also a sense of ownership over the entirety of the project. It carries into everything we do, from writing about our experiences as women to addressing political issues we care about. It’s not just about making sense of the world but about carving out a space where we can be heard on our own terms. – Quinn

Women in music are already one step away from superheroes, but you write about those challenges so gracefully. Is there anything that has helped you to embrace your challenges?
I think because the foundation of Trousdale was built on friendship, the three of us naturally talk about what we’re individually going through when we meet up. This, in turn, has seeped into our songwriting style and how we aim to connect with our audience. I think the appreciation we’ve gotten from our following about being honest about the challenges we face has inspired us to keep being real and to try and do for others what we do for each other. – Georgia

Last tour, you covered Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Chain’ on tour. If that was your last album cycle, can you pick one song to describe your next album Growing Pains?
If I were to go with another Fleetwood Mac song, I think it would be ‘Don’t Stop’. We also have referenced a ton of Queen, Ethan Gruska, Paul Simon — too many to count for this album cycle. But ‘Don’t Stop’ feels quite representative of the overall sound and energy for sure. – Quinn

Speaking of tour, you’re going back! Is there anything you’re most excited about?
We are SO excited to hit the road with new music that we are so inspired by, to continue singing together, to return to places where we’ve built such a beautiful following and to continue spreading love and honesty. OH, and we’ll be traveling in a bus this time with some incredible openers. – Georgia

We can’t wait to see where you go from here! For the last question, we’re giving you the chance to take over the interview. Is there anything you haven’t been asked that you want to talk about?
One thing we always love talking about is how much our fans mean to us. We wouldn’t be here without the people who show up to our shows, stream our music, and connect with the music that we care so much about. It’s crazy to think that songs we wrote in a little room between the three of us can become part of someone else’s story. Seeing people sing our lyrics back or tell us that a song helped them through something makes everything worth it. We base so much of our creative choices on what we think our fans will connect with or feel empowered and inspired by. They’ve in turn inspired us so much and given us so much faith in humankind. So if there’s one thing we want to say, it’s thank you. We don’t take any of this for granted, and we’re so excited for everything that’s ahead! – Quinn

We’re obsessed. Now that you know all about Trousdale, we except you, like us, love everything Trousdale has to offer. Strong songs, even stronger personalities, what’s not to love?

Head over to our socials to talk Trousdale while we wait for Growing Pains at @thehoneypop on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

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