The entire Trash Man project was born from the expectations of typical song structures. Alex remarks of the songwriting process, “Oftentimes just a melodic hook will pop into my head or just a specific lyric. I’ll put together a little 20-30 second chunk of a song but that will be as far as I get. I’ll hit a wall and not know how else to flesh it out to make it ‘long enough’ to qualify as a song.” Allowing himself to shirk the expectations of a typical song and look to his punk roots, Trash Man songs are simply as long (or short) as they want to be.

Recorded with the help of Nashville’s own Steven Page in a backyard studio built from scratch, Moment of Bleakness is a sonic step up from the iMac bedroom recordings of Trash Man’s past. However, being two new fathers, Page and Mojaverian did not have the luxury of time to pore over each and every take. Alex recalls, “We moved really quick, half of the songs I just played the drum parts first without setting up any reference track, just singing the song in my head while I played to a metronome.” Their speedy late night sessions between waking toddlers allowed them not to overthink the process. They layered in loads of harmonies, big guitars and let themselves move forward knowing that the euphoria they felt was a job well done.

The catharsis of music can never be overstated. Naming your band Trash Man with an album titled Moment of Bleakness undeniably sets the stage for an undertaking that isn’t afraid to share the burdens of self-doubt and insecurity. While not every song on the release is autobiographical, each one is a legitimate burst of vulnerability and authenticity.

Photos by Jenni Dickens