INTERVIEW | W/ The Trusted
- SHOWGRAPHERS
- Sep 4
- 5 min read
Southend-on-Sea’s The Trusted have built their reputation on emotionally charged guitar music that refuses to sit still. Anchored by raw honesty and a hunger for connection, the four-piece pair stadium-sized ambition with a DIY heart, moving seamlessly from tender introspection to explosive anthems. With their latest single "Yellowhammer", the band push deeper into cinematic territory; fusing anger, colour, and bold visual storytelling into a statement of intent. In this interview, The Trusted talk about their roots, the evolution of their sound, and the central role that imagery plays in bringing their music to life.
Hey guys! For readers just discovering The Trusted, can you give us a quick snapshot of who you are, what drives your sound, and where this journey started?
hello so we are The Trusted we are a band from Southend on Sea in Essex. We’re in pursuit of music with emotion and feeling. We’re band is mission is to write songs that make you feel a certain way.
It started out as four guys in a small rehearsal room and overtime it has grown into something meaningful.
How would you describe your sound to someone who's never heard your music before? What emotions or imagery do you hope to evoke in a first-time listener?
that’s always a tough question. It’s really hard to describe your own music. It’s a lot like looking in the mirror. I’d say we’re a band that jumps all over the place. Guitar music is kind of our anchor. In terms of emotion and imagery, it all depends on what song you’re listening to. Yellowhammer is an angry song and we want people to feel that.
Is there a specific live photo or press image that, for you, really captures what The Trusted are about (both sonically and emotionally)?
our photographer Jordan White does such a great job of capturing what we’re all about. I’d say the shots we did for our self-destruct are my favourite. It’s just us for against a white backdrop in black-and-white. They’re very simple but I find them extremely authentic. We like to think that our music comes from the heart so authenticity is key.
Your music has always had a cinematic quality, and “Yellowhammer” feels like a massive, emotionally raw step forward. How did that influence the visual direction for this release?
on a surface level, obviously the song is called yellowhammer so we wanted to incorporate the colour yellow in some way. Yellow is such a distinctive statement of a colour. In terms of the content we wanted things to look and feel angry.
Do you feel like visuals help bridge the gap between how a song sounds and how it feels? Especially with a track as layered as “Yellowhammer”?
100%. Visuals are so important in this postmodern internet age. We want to make sure that yellowhammer not only sounded big but also had a strong look. We wanted this song to hit you in the face. Hopefully we’ve achieved that.
Your promotional imagery covers a wide spectrum. From the heavy, serious black-and-white shots to the cold blue tones of the “Self Destruct” era, and the warmer, retro-feeling photos that bring a sense of fun. We’ve been loving the range. All of these visuals have been created with Jordan White. Can you tell us how that collaboration started, and what it’s like working together creatively?
I went to school with Jordan so we’ve known each other for awhile. Jordan has a great eye for visuals and takes our shoots very serious. He’s a very laid-back guy but he’s also very creative. He’s always up for trying things and he enjoys it when we push the boat out.
What’s been the most fun shoot you’ve done so far, and what’s been the most challenging? What made each of them stand out in those ways?
they are all really fun! We always play music in the background while doing photo shoots. You can often find us dancing in between shots, haha.
The most challenging part is probably trying to make every shoot distinct. We like to think of each song as an era with its own visual style. We try our best to make each group of photos its own character.
Looking at the evolution of your visuals from early releases to now, what’s changed the most?
I think with each shoot, we become more comfortable standing in front of the camera. Over the years we’ve learnt how to stand and what to do with our faces!
You’ve played more than 300 shows and built a serious live rep. How important is live photography in capturing the energy and honesty of your performances? Do you have a regular photographer or do you approach it show by show?
Jordan comes to a lot of our shows and tries to capture as much as he can. However, it really is show to show. We’ve met lots of cool photographers at various gigs who have caught great shots. We are quite an energetic band on stage so it’s really important for us to capture that raw light energy in the pictures. We want people to feel the vibe through the frame.
What makes a great band photo in your eyes? Is it all about atmosphere, connection, tension, or something less tangible?
all of these things are really important. I think a great band photo has a clear distinct vibe. Authenticity is also key. It needs to feel real.
You’ve mentioned artists like The 1975 and The Killers as influences, two bands known for bold visual identities. Do you draw any inspiration from their visual approach, or do you try to carve something separate from that lineage?
100%. We’ve learnt a lot from their visual styles. Both of these bands make great music and their pics represent this perfectly. We find that very inspiring.
You’ve built a solid online presence. How do visuals factor into growing that audience on platforms like TikTok and Instagram?
we live in a visual age. People connect to moving images and pictures arguably more than ever. We’ve always wanted to make sure that our pictures and videos pack a punch. Our little trusted universe needs to be visually and precise.
If you could dream up a perfect photoshoot, one that fully captures the essence of The Trusted right now, what would it look like? What would be the setting, the mood, the story?
because we are currently in the yellowhammer era, I think a picture of the four of us in a empty big yellow room would be awesome. Something straight to the point. That is what we’re all about.
Are there any visual artists or photographers, past or present, that you’d love to collaborate with? What draws you to their work?
I would love to work with Anton Corbijn. He has snapped loads of my favourite bands and I love his style. Who knows, maybe one day……
And lastly, what’s next for The Trusted as we move through 2025? More music, visual releases, gigs on the horizon?
we’ve just been in the studio recording new music and we can’t wait to share it with the world. Also loads more gigs incoming!