One to add to your collection, Trinkets. The new kids, ready to erupt onto the post-punk block!

Exceeding their first Leeds show and headliner. Trinkets certainly left their mark at Royal Park Cellars a few weeks back! In a musical frenzy, unruly sax, clashing guitars, sharp cymbals and Bella's compelling conversational vocals and roars, fuelled the crowd into a whirlpool. A staple first gig for the group and certainly symbolic of what's to come for these noise seekers!

Where did it all begin?

Bella (front woman): It started when me and Alex were heading back from a Courting gig. We were talking about how we both had similar music tastes and wanted to start playing music like that. It took us a while to connect the dots but eventually one of us was like ‘wait. why don’t we just start a band together?’

3 ingredients that make up Trinkets’ sound?

Eoghann (sax): Spicy effects, weird noises, and novelty instruments

Gardiner (guitar): Anger, chaos, saxophone

How did the catchy name come about?

Bella (front woman): It came from Alex really, he used to decorate his flat with road signs he nicked and called them his ‘trinkets’ until one day the student accom found out and that was that. Never forget.

Eoghann (sax): We were always going to be called “Bella and the Trinkets” since pretty much the day I joined. Bella was too humble for that so we went with just Trinkets (honestly I think 80% of our fans still know us as Bella and the Trinkets though)

Demo ‘Circuit Laundry’, has an earthy punk sound reminiscent of the late 70s, which bands from the past inspire you?

Bella (front woman): I really look to the diversity of the sound in first wave of UK punk for inspiration, especially in female-led bands like X-ray spex and The Slits. My dad’s friend gave me Viv Albertine’s (of The Slits) autobiography when I was younger and that’s how it all started for me really.

Alex (bass): I’m a big fan of some of the earlier post punk bands like The Fall, so I like to think we play into the angular post punk sound that’s so popular today, that they started.

How has your sound evolved since your first demo, Circuit Laundry?

Alex (bass): I’d say it’s a lot less bass driven now, as circuit was originally written before we had two guitar players, we’re also a lot less afraid to play about with structure and harsher sounds now.

Is there a formula when writing as a 6 piece?

Alex (bass): Normally me, Fin or Gardiner will come up with a riff that we jam around for a while before Bella puts words to it and we add other sections.

Fin (guitar): It's very collaborative, everyone throws in ideas until the song comes together, and Eoghann tries to cause as much chaos on the saxophone as possible.

Bella (front woman): Lyrically, Alex and I are usually pissed off with something or someone and start just spouting random stuff about it, and before you know it something song-like appears.

What is your favourite song to perform?

Alex (bass): Greenhouse! It’s for sure our most ambitious tune due to its length and as a closer it really got the crowd going in London.

Fin (guitar): New Kick has loads of really fun parts to play, and the ending always makes me go a bit feral.

Eoghann (sax): I’m with Fin, New Kick is objectively our best song - it has the most sax lines and dance moves.

Gardiner (guitar): Cruel Britannia because it has the least sax lines.

Could you give us the title and story behind the song you think will be your first single?

Alex (bass): We've not overly planned this yet but we've been thinking about Cruel Britannia, it's our “pop” song about 90s nostalgia and how viewing the past through rose tinted glasses leads to historical revisionism. I also get to play a kinda sick lead line on the novelty strings on my bass.

Do your lyrics focus on any themes, how do they come about?

Bella (front woman): I usually try to write about whatever I’m feeling, sometimes that turns into something emotional, sometimes it’s more jokey and sometimes it gets political. It always comes from a genuine feeling though, whether that’s anger at something, jealousy, annoyance, etc. For me, honesty is really important. Like ‘Greenhouse’ I wrote about jealousy in it’s ugliest form. The place that song came from is not something I’m proud of and I as the narrator are by no means the ‘good’ character, but it’s true to how I felt at the time I was writing.

A lot of our songs come from stuff that’s annoyed us and we want to write a diss track about - paying for laundry, the automobile industry (two of us got hit by cars in December), Pryzm (I’ve accidentally ended up there three times which is three times too many). I also steal random phrases that sound cool from people around me, our lyrics are littered with Alex Mullholland quotes because he somehow always makes it sound poetic even if he’s just saying how tired he is (the most 5am midnight i’ve felt!)

If you could collaborate with two female musician, one from the past and one from present who would you choose?

Gardiner (guitar): Kat Bjelland and Björk.

Bella (front woman): Patti Smith for sure, I look up to her massively as a songwriter/poet. And Ke$ha. Sometimes I wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy also.

What 3 current bands are Trinkets raving about?

Eoghann (sax): Yard Act, Squid, Fontaines.

Alex (bass): Black Country New Road, Shame, Dry Cleaning.

Gardiner (guitar): Hum, Mad Season, Dismemberment Plan.

A Leeds based band you’d like to support?

Alex (bass): There are too many to name as the scene’s so exciting at the moment, but if I had to pick just one it has to be Mince, they're quite possibly the greatest band of all time. I’d also love to play with Bank Details some time soon, we started at the same time and have both massively motivated each other to get to the points were at, so it would be real full circle moment.

Bella (front woman): Yeah big up Mince (not just saying that because I’m flatmates with Jamie and forgot to take the bins out sorry).

Gardiner (guitar): New Damage.

What Leeds based venue would you like to play?

Eoghann (sax): Belgrave, it has such a cool vibe and the room has been full of energy every time I’ve seen other bands there. Plus, I heard the Dough Boys are huge fans.

Alex (bass): Brudenell or Wharf, brude was the place my dad would constantly talk to me about when I told him I wanted to go to leeds so that would be pretty huge. Wharf would also be amazing as it’s possibly the greatest pub of all time n me n my pals go there most days.

What is on Trinkets’ bucket list over the next year?

Eoghann (sax): Get in the studio. Write an album. Tour?

Alex (bass): Release a few singles, play to more people, have more fun, write more tunes.

Gardiner (guitar): Glastonbury headline slot seems reasonable.

Bella (front woman): Get banned from Stone Roses bar.

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Trinkets

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