Interview with Trevor Shelley de Brauw of Pelican


Interview by: John Wisniewski


1) When did you form PELICAN, Trevor? Please tell us the story.

Pelican formed around 2000. Laurent, Larry, and I were in a grindcore band at the time called Tusk. Laurent began writing songs that felt too far outside the group’s aesthetics to work as part of our set, so we went ahead and formed a separate band in order to give them a home. We enlisted Larry’s brother Bryan to play bass and slowly went about building up a coherent set of material. Around a year later we started playing shows and recorded our first demo.

2) Would you classify the band’s music as stoner or doom metal?

I do my best to not classify the band’s music. I think we borrow influences from a wide range of bands and genres and have fortunately been pretty difficult to categorize as a result. I leave it to listeners to decide what we are.

3) How was the band marketed?

Hydrahead took out ads in Heartattack and Punk Planet and whatever other print zines existed at the time.

4) Any favorite bands and albums?

More than I can list. Television, Black Flag, Ramones, This Heat, Cluster, Dinosaur Jr., Jawbreaker, Napalm Death, and Wire come to mind, but there are so many, many more.

5) Does TUSK continue, Trevor?

We didn’t formally break up, but there don’t seem to be any prospects for us to ever play again. Our singer, who sat out our last album, passed away a couple of years ago and Laurent has mostly given up playing music. Between Pelican and our other projects I don’t see how we would ever get back to Tusk, but never say never I guess.

6) Is there a thriving doom metal scene on Chicago?

I have to claim ignorance with regard to this. It seems quite feasible, but it’s not something I’m involved in. Is Bongripper consider doom metal? They’re doing quite well.

7) Any live dates forthcoming?

Very, very few live shows planned in 2018. We’re taking the bulk of the year off from shows to finish our next full length.

8) What are you doing when not playing music?

Hanging out with my family, working, listening to records, reading, watching films.

9) What may inspire your composing?

I’m at a stage of my creativity where I feel most inspired when I am with bandmates and we are just interacting through music. That said, I am always, always thinking about music and ideas flit in and out of my mind frequently, there’s no one way to answer the question.

10) Any future plans for you, Trevor?

There’s a new album by my band RLYR coming this Spring from The Flenser, and we’re recording the new Pelican album later this year. I also am most of the way through recording a solo album, and have finished albums by my bands Chord and Let’s Pet waiting in the wings if I can figure out a way to get them released. So much more to come.

Tell Us How You Feel