When artists search for truth, they usually make their most compelling work. Whether that truth is a personal revelation or a universal sentiment, songwriters are able to channel those big questions into catchy hooks and lyrics for the rest of us. And Trey Pearson continues that honest approach to song-craft with his newest singles.
Trey is able to tell fantastic stories in his songs because his own life is full of interesting twists and turns. After fronting the Christian rock band Everyday Sunday for years, Pearson came out of the closet and struck a new path. He’s made an appearance on The View, and been interviewed by The New York Times, Billboard Magazine, CNN, and many more. He also became the #1 trending topic on Facebook.
And now, Pearson continues to channel the hope and power of his life story into compelling and catchy new singles. On the atmospheric “Broken Heart,” Pearson’s plaintive voice and heart-wrenching melodies take center stage. The singer asks, “Why couldn’t you love me for who I am?” It’s a question that is universal, and yet highly personal to Pearson’s story. Through a retelling of his life story, this songwriter is able to ask big, universal questions that feel incredibly intimate.
Pearson’s recent singles, including “Stay Golden, Pony Boy” and “Piedmont Park,” are an invitation. They’re an invitation to join in this artist’s unique life story and perspective. One of the greatest things about music is its power to make us feel less alone. Trey Pearson has managed to harness that power in his newest singles. Stay tuned as Pearson continues to release weekly singles and tell his story!
Listen to “Broken Heart” below and keep reading for an exclusive interview with the artist!
Q&A
How has life and music changed for you since leaving Everyday Sunday?
To be honest, pretty much everything has changed. My life kind of hit the fan when I came out of the closet, and my band Everyday Sunday was in the faith-based industry, which I no longer believed in the concept of. There is a lot of hiding things in that industry, and is the least vulnerable sub-genre of music there is. I think the word Christian makes a better noun to describe someone’s beliefs or hopes than it does an adjective, describing a genre of music, a restaurant, or movie or something like that. And there’s just honestly a lot of bad art using faith as a gimmick to sell.
When I came out, I knew everything would change. I lost most of the people in my life, and I started over doing music away from the places that supported me my whole career. I went from doing ‘Christian music’ festivals to Pride Festivals. I’ve built a wonderful group of chosen people in my life, and it’s wild to think that I lived so long in such a dark place before finally learning to love myself. I think that has very much affected my art in ways that I’ve been able to tap into so much more that I never could before.
You’ve decided to release weekly singles in 2022. Why led you to release them individually instead of as an album?
The album is still coming out on July 1st, but I wanted to give each song a moment. Living in a streaming world, where you can only release one song at a time to show up in your listener’s Release Radar on Spotify, it felt important, and I have loved how meaningful it has been sharing each song individually, leading up to the album release.
I know from firsthand experience that being queer in an Evangelical environment is so challenging and isolating. What helped you get through that and have the courage to come out?
Survival. I don’t know. I got to a point that I knew that finally facing my true self was the only way I was going to be able to survive, and the only shot I had at living with myself, and hoping for happiness, and relief from all of the suffering I felt. At that point of finally accepting myself, I knew I wanted to use my story the best I could to help others. Our stories is what has helped us survive and find freedom as LGBTQ people, and I know it is those stories people shared before me that built up to finally allow me to love myself. It feels important to add my story to the countless ones that came before me.
Do you have any touring plans for this year?
I just kicked off my tour in Seattle, and I’m touring all over the U.S. and Canada this year in support of the new album.
Thanks for having me!
LINKS:
http://treypearson.com
https://www.facebook.com/treypearson
https://www.twitter.com/treypearson
https://www.instagram.com/treypearson