The kids aren’t just alright- these psychedelic groove weavers are air tight.
The classic rock revival continues in the Queen City as alternative time travelers, Jupiter Trolley roll in with a catalogue that would sound right at home at Woodstock 69’. Their latest single, “What Do You Do?” displays a dark mystique perfected by influences like The Doors and Jefferson Airplane. Clocking in at 6:10 the track also displays the group’s bold approach towards the creative process. In a world of people pleasing, cookie cutter, manufactured rock acts, Jupiter Trolley is a breath of fresh air.
Official biography:
Jupiter Trolley is a four-piece group whose sound can be best defined as a mixture of alternative r and psychedelic swirls, driven by a groovy, vintage backbeat. Their music has been compared to the retro sounds of musical greats such as Pink Floyd, The Velvet Underground, and The Doors.
Jupiter Trolley Discography:
Singles
1. “Sakasa (Upside Down)”
2. “No Disguise”
3. “Tell But Not the Show”
4. “Can You Feel It Around You? (ft. Nerds in Denial)”
5. “Tabletop Pyramids”
6. “Dust Me Off”
7. “What Do You Do?”
Albums
1. “Everyday I’m Reminded” – OUT July 28th!
When did you form?
- May 2018 was when we originally formed, with our lead singer Jesse completing our lineup in March of 2020.
How did you meet?
- Phil and Icnacio knew each other from high school and were friends already. They met Steph through mutual friends in early 2018 (and soon after meeting, Steph and Icnacio started dating and have been together since!). Steph and Jesse met through college in 2016, but we didn’t all start hanging out until late 2019 after Jesse had been a fan of our music for a while.
Where are you based out of?
- Phil and Icnacio are from Niagara Falls, Jesse’s from Buffalo and Steph’s from Williamsville.
What previous bands have you worked in?
- Jesse was in a band in high school that didn’t end up working out. Steph had a Styx cover band she tried starting in 2017 but didn’t get far with. Phil, Steph, and Icnacio are also in a band called Ekohta, which is currently on hiatus.
What inspired your band name?
- An online band name generator. Steph wrote down a list of ones that seemed cool, and Icnacio jokingly read them all until we stumbled on Jupiter Trolley and thought it sounded pretty rad.
Major influences?
- We love The Beatles, The Doors, Queen, Sparks, Talking Heads, Tame Impala, Styx, Beach Boys, all that good ol’ rock ‘n roll!
Other influences in your music other than music?
- Icnacio grew up watching Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee movies which helped form his wicked moves on stage. When it comes to our lyricism we’re greatly inspired by Jim Morrison’s poetry. We also like to make our music artistically abstract, like you’re looking at a piece of work by Warhol or Basquiat, but with your ears instead of your eyes.
What was your first release?
- Our first single, “Sakasa (Upside Down)” was released in July 2020.
The most challenging part of being a musician?
- Wanting to learn to play more instruments but not being able to afford more instruments. Speaking of not having money, we also want to tour but do not have the funds or transportation to do so.
The most rewarding part?
- Meeting other like-minded musicians and sharing our tunes to new people.
Do you have any favorite local musicians past or present?
- Dead Orchids, RAM!, and Pam Swarts from the Buffalo scene, and Jimso Slim, The Midnight Sconce, and Nerds in Denial from Rochester.
Do you have advice for new musicians?
- You’re gonna have critics, people will either love you or hate you. But never take it personally! Whenever you’re writing a song or playing a show, think of what it means to you. No one can stop you from pursuing your dreams. Also, don’t be afraid to be open-minded to new things!
What is your latest release?
- The latest single we released was “What Do You Do?” back in March of this year. Our first album, “Everyday I’m Reminded” is coming out on July 28th!
Where is it available?
- Anywhere you can stream music (Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, etc). We will also have limited CD copies of our first album for sale at select future shows!
Plans for your next release?
- We are already planning out our next couple of albums and the singles that we’ll release beforehand. Stay tuned for more info!
Biggest show you’ve ever played?
- Our first show after the first wave of covid subsided, at Mohawk Place in June 2021. There was such a lively and inviting crowd there; so many people were dancing and it felt very surreal!
Plans for the near future?
- We began a collective of local musicians and bands which we call The Raspberry Railway earlier this year and we’d like to try and bring more local artists into the scene. We’re also planning on working on more new music, and trying to get our names out even further than the Buffalo scene.
What is your favorite Metallica album?
- Master of Puppets, Ride the Lightning, and …And Justice For All.
Parting words/shoutouts?
- We’re not too great with the parting words, but what we will say is everyone should have fun in their life and be proud of who they are. We don’t have anyone to shoutout specifically, but rather we want to give one big shoutout to everybody, unless you like drinking warm milk. At least put some chocolate syrup in the glass, heathens! And make it cold. With Liberty and Gabagool for all. Oh, and be sure to stream our first album, “Everyday I’m Reminded”, out July 28th, and keep an eye on the Railway!
For more Jupiter Trolley please add them on their socials and keep an eye for their upcoming full length release, “Everyday I’m Reminded” I want to thank them for taking their time to do this and if you are reading this and are a musician – I want to hear from you! Leave a comment, add me on social media or send an email to buffaloretro@aol.com
