Interview: Trace Co.
Christian Pop independent band Trace Co. just released their latest track, 'Burn the Ships', and Louder Than The Music spoke to the band's Trace Pridgen to find out more about their music and plans for the future.
For those who haven't heard of you before, can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got involved in making music?
I had piano lessons forced on me for 10+ years during my upbringing. However, sports were king. When I got to college and didn’t have sports anymore, this “thing” that had been thrown in the corner for most of my life made a surprise appearance and grew into a passion. I truly dove headfirst into everything music during my first semester of college at Auburn University. Because of my background, I wasn’t starting from scratch. I played my first open mic night 2 months later and it was off to the races from there.
In the 18 years since, I’ve been extremely blessed to call my passion for music a career that has taken me across the world to do what I love. Today I am a contract musician (vocalist and lead guitar) and my band and I travel the country leading worship at conferences, events, nights of worship, camps, etc. All while continuing to release new music.
Tell us about your new single 'Burn the Ships' and what the inspiration behind it was?
In the day of the explorers and Spanish Conquistadors, upon discovering new land, leaders like Hernan Cortez and Napoleon would order that all of the ships be burned to the ground. What this did was make success of discovering and establishing the new land the only option. I love that metaphor because it translates to our lives as well. Too often, humans turn back to their vices. But through Christ, we can “Burn Our Ships” and leave the past where it belongs: the past. This is a song of hope that we aren’t controlled by our vices and that there is freedom in Christ. So we wrote this high energy song around the idea that we can celebrate that our chains are broken and we’re free!
Do you have any plans to release more music in the near future?
YES! The goal is to get 3-4 more singles released this year. We’ve got a couple that are close to being ready!
What message would you like people to take from your music?
HOPE. We have hope in our lives, no matter the situation, because of Christ. No matter your past, you are never too far from the love and mercy of Christ.
How would you describe your style of music and what are your influences?
I’ve been a big fan of The Band Camino for a good while now and many of our high energy, fast tempo songs are influenced by the music that they make. Another big filter that I use when writing is “singability”. We do a good bit of conferences and worship events so being able to sing our songs is important to us as well. Especially with our slower, more intimate songs, we want the truth of the Gospels to be clear and for that to translate into worship. So being able to sing that congregationally is extremely important.
If you could work with any songwriter, who would it be and why?
Jon Foreman. Switchfoot’s “The Beautiful Letdown” was instrumental in my early years as a musician. Jon is an incredible, brilliant writer that I’ve respected for many years. That album pushed what CCM was in its day and that’s similar to what we love to do- push the boundaries of what is “expected” in the CCM world. One of my favorite writing sessions of all time was in Whitefish, MT. We snowboarded by day and wrote by night. I think Jon and I would have a similar experience but subbing snowboarding for surfing. What a dream.
How would you define success in your career as an artist?
I’d define it differently than others, especially in the secular world. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t turn down Grammy’s, Dove Awards, or world tours, but we were called into this beautiful calling to share the joy that WE have, because of Christ, with others. If one singular person finds Christ because of what we do, that’s success to us. Everything else is just icing on the cake.
What is your favorite album of all time?
That's a tough question. Ultimately, John Mayer’s “Where the Light Is” live album is my all time favorite record. Honorable mentions: The Band Camino’s “tryhard”
You're stuck on an island, it's hot, you only have enough battery life left to listen to one song on your phone. What track is it?
Ive got 2 answers for this question- If there’s hope of getting off the island, “Daphne Blue” by the Band Camino. If I’m about to be toast, “In your Atmosphere” by John Mayer. It’s all about perspective!
What does the next year hold for you?
In the next year, the goal is to get more events on the calendar. Like I mentioned, we do a good bit of conferences, but I’d love to do more shows and get into the festival world more. We’re proud of what we do and our team loves being together, so we want to do more!
