Trivial Shields releases new EP

Trivial Shields is a project founded by Christian Carpenter, an accomplished musician who’s long been a sought-after sideman now crafting a personal exploration of creativity and musical freedom. With a background that includes playing bass for acts like My Dear Disco alongside talents such as Joey Dosik, Theo Katzman and Michelle Chamuel, Christian has developed his creative output over years of collaboration.

His time spent playing with artists like Renata Zeiguer, Luke Winslow-King and Cassandra Jenkins has clearly shaped his approach to music, teaching him to be unafraid of taking risks and chasing dreams. In 2018, he unveiled the project via the debut EP, Peripheral, which he’s since followed up with a string of well-received singles and EPs while linking with artists such as Sandu Ndu, Angelica Bess and LIP TALK for collaborative tracks.

Currently, he has two finished albums worth of material that he plans to share soon and now brings us the latest snapshot of his musical story with his brand new EP titled Here the Past Is All I See. The EP represents an exciting new chapter in Trivial Shields’ musical journey, born out of a period of intense creative struggle with writer’s block during the pandemic, finding himself obsessively revisiting unfinished songs.

The material for this EP, however, was originally recorded back in the summer of 2019, in a garage on Cape Cod, where four musicians came together to work on the music. This organic, live approach to recording allowed the music to breathe and evolve naturally, with each musician, including Sarah E. Goldstone on synths, Ryan Weiner on guitar, Jason Burger on drums and percussion and Trivial Shields himself handling vocals, bass, synths and more, bringing their own energy to the session.

Christian wrote the music in advance but took his time to develop the melodies and lyrics, a process that proved challenging as he struggled to settle on themes that connected with him personally. Ultimately, he surrendered to his instincts, allowing the songs to take shape in their own time. The production, mixed by Collin Dupuis and mastered by Bijan Sharifi, enhances the live feel while maintaining a crisp sound that highlights each element and performance.

Kicking off the release with title-track “Here the Past Is All I See,” where airy synth tones are met with the rise of the arrangement which tumbles into a mellow groove of pulsing bass lines, intricate guitar notes and shuffling drums. With Christian’s vocals, recorded at Four Foot Studios in Brooklyn, entering to spin smooth melodies via his rich, velvety delivery, the track takes on a charming and soulful indie sound full of memorable melodic hooks, gently grooving rhythms and lush backing vocals from Julia Easterlin, Anna Fox Rochinski and Claire Wardlaw.

“Nicotine” follows with the muted plucks of guitar, soft shimmer of synth tones and laid back rustle of drums forming the backdrop for Christian’s elegant falsetto vocals to glide above. Filtered through a hazy, psych-tinged lens, the track reveals the diversity of the Trivial Shields sound while maintaining the artist’s distinct musical imprint via a delightful jam that swells with subtle funk dashes as the backing vocals collide with wailing lead guitar notes in the final moments.

Closing the EP with “Prayer Cards,” the roll of drums ushers in a shaking groove as atmospheric vocals hover above the marching rhythm of the bass line and touches of guitar accent his vocal leads. Crafting a sound that’s at once intimate and defiant, the arrangement develops with pips of synth and stacked vocal layers to form an immersive and catchy sound, resulting in a spectacular finale to the sensational new EP from Trivial Shields.

Listen to Here the Past Is All I See below