The Santee, California artist, Trit95, doesn’t need the bells and whistles. With an entire catalog created in his bedroom, Tristan Lilyquist perfected the hazy, indie-infused synthpop that feels innocent and pure—like the confessions written in a teenage diary. Trit95 began during the height of the Soundcloud era around 2017 and gained traction to listeners far and wide, “influenced the twee-pop anthem throwbacks made new again by the Tumblr era.”
This fusion of swirling, honey-laden sounds are now assembled into a self-titled compilation release of songs from 2017 to 2021 by Dream Recordings with its lead single, “Candy.” The sophisticated sweetness of the track sits somewhere between contemporaries Secret Attraction or CD Ghost, but with the simplistic charm of Jesus & the Mary Chain. Listen below:
Trit95 will be out on June 28th—we caught up with Lilyquist to chat about Trit95’s quaint beginnings and the band’s promising future.
What has the transition from writing music in your bedroom to playing on stages with peers such as Body of Light, Secret Attraction, and CD Ghost been like?
I started making music in my room with no intention of ever really sharing with anyone, spurred by the indie bands I was listening to at the time. And going from making music in secrecy to performing in front crowds has been far from natural for me. I am always a nervous wreck before performing but it’s always worth it after. Being able to share the stage with those bands and others that I’ve looked up to has been surreal. Everyone has been very supportive and helpful and I’m grateful for that.
The compilation is a time capsule of tracks from the late 2010s through the Covid era, did you notice any markers in time where your sound began to morph?
I feel like the sound has remained relatively similar. As time went on I feel myself struggling to not over complicate the songs and just keep it simple! Making music on the DAW nowadays the possibilities are endless. Which is has its pros and cons.
What were your initial inspirations? And have they changed over time?
Initially probably just whatever feelings I had at the time. Mainly probably just some young romance type of thing. Time has just been flying and as I get older I feel the importance of trying to write some wrongs of the past and finding my way. As I’m sure is the same for most people my age. I envy how some artists can find inspiration out of anything. I’m just trying to stray away from being hyper dramatic and creating something that is true.
Are there overarching themes in your music? Did you discover any threads when compiling the compilation?
One thing I noticed is that I have reoccurring lyrics that have turned into my go-to words. So I’m going to have to limit myself from using those in the near to possibly long future. When I was given the opportunity to compile these songs it was overwhelming thinking about how so much has changed and so much has not.
It’s still so wild to me that you could make studio quality music on a $200 dollar laptop from Walmart.
Do you find that having limitations in production (ie working in your bedroom versus a studio) helps in the creative process?
Making music in the bedroom is the coolest thing ever. Knowing that you could make something bedside that you could share the world could have an impact. It’s still so wild to me that you could make studio quality music on a $200 dollar laptop from Walmart.
What is next for Trit95?
I want to get a solid live set together and set up a tour. I have never really left the southwest and I want to see the rest of America. Got a collab in the works with a artist from Germany “ Flawless Issues “ that I’m excited to share. Try to get back on the skateboard and not spend too much time at the bar haha!
Pre-order Trit95 here.
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