Music Q&A with Sabrina Simonton of TREASVRE

TREASVRE is a band of five San Francisco Bay Area natives that blends elements of post-rock and shoegaze with synth textures, heavy guitar riffs, and electronic rhythms. As they are getting ready to release their EP, Stick the Knife In, TREASVRE’S very own Sabrina Simonton (synths, keys, vocals) took some time to talk about the EP, David Bowie, Prince, her favorite thing about making music, and more!

For fans of Garbage, Quicksand, Failure, Gravity Kills, and Mew, this is one band to not miss. Stick the Knife In is available everywhere April 8th!

Congratulations on the upcoming release of your EP, Stick the Knife In! What does the EP mean to you?
Thank you! It means so much to us to finally share this release. These five songs all center around the theme of being true to oneself in the face of huge obstacles: our very own fears, anxieties, and insecurities. Each song examines the internal conflict we all feel when our thoughts and actions don’t align with who we really want to be as a person. When we wrote these songs, venues were closed and we had been spending a lot of time individually reflecting over the course of the pandemic. Songwriting was a perfect outlet to keep us productive and transformed our reflections into the songs on this record. We are really happy with how it all came together into such a personal collection of songs.

What is your favorite song off Stick the Knife In?
We’re all somewhat divided on this… We love the electronic sounds in “Run Away” and that whole vibe, but we also can’t deny the impact of the title track, or the fact that “Letting Nature Run Its Course” is hard-hitting too. Each song is so different, it’s hard to choose just one.

How did Covid affect the making and creative process of the EP, if it did at all?
It gave us the opportunity to really focus on songwriting. We felt emboldened to try new things, experiment, and push the boundaries of our comfort zone. It was definitely a silver lining on the fact that we couldn’t play shows at all, and probably allowed us to be more creative in the long run.

If you had a chance to interview any of your musical heroes, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Probably David Bowie or Prince. Yes, they were talented and prolific musicians, but their legacy was about more than their music. They were both eccentric in appearance, vocal in opinion, and not afraid to redraw the creative boundaries and redefine themselves.

What is your favorite thing about making music?
Definitely the experience of sharing it with other people, especially when we play live. That energy is almost indescribable, it’s like a weird exchange of emotion between us and the audience. We also love hearing when our music has had an impact on someone, and finding out what it means to them personally.

We all have our days where it may not be going as well as we’d like. People deal with their worst days in different ways. What helps you get through the bad days?
We lean on our coping mechanisms and our loved ones. Sam likes to destress on long motorcycle rides, while hiking, or she’ll simply find a sunny patch of the park to sit and sketch… and occasionally just good old fashioned glass of scotch does the trick too. Sabrina gets through her bad days by meditating, talking to friends, going on long walks, or treating herself to some comfort foods. And, of course, music always helps us deal with whatever life throws our way.

How do you stay positive?
We really are so fortunate to be where we are, and we try to remember that as much as possible. We’re so grateful for all the support and encouragement we receive, whether it be feedback from listeners, congratulations after a show, or someone sharing our music… no win is too small to celebrate.

Thank you for taking the time for this Q&A. Any last words or final message for the readers?
Thank you for the great questions and thanks to everyone for reading! We really hope you enjoy our new songs, and we hope to see you at a show some day soon. Much love!

Music Q&AJazmin LemusFebruary 17, 2022TREASVRE, music q&a