Trevor Menear dropped out of the sky in 2007 making his first appearance on Yoko Ono and Warner Bros. Records joint effort Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur. Along side 50 other artists which included Willie Nelson, Ben Harper, Regina Spector, Jakob Dylan, The Cure, Jackson Brown and U2; The 22yr old Chicagoan recorded his version of Lennon's "John Sinclair" with an antique Meissner 78rpm record lathe, cutting directly into a vinyl acetate. This raw introduction was more than enough to set him apart from the rest of the cast, foreshadowing the classic roots inspired nexus of his original writing.
His debut Introducing Trevor Menear released under indie label Shangri-La, reveals an accessible blues-pop hybrid. His expressive voice bolstered by his plangent, nuanced guitar work, immediately conjures up images of Duane Allman and Jimi Hendrix. Following with the independently released EP Boots For Alice, Menear's music continues to span an eclectic gamete that gains him notoriety among heritage jam fans, art-loft acidheads and many others in between.
The recent sophomore full-length Some Kind Of Sunshine promises the same raw blues based formula along with many other sources of inspiration, one being Co-Producer and bassist Billy Mohler.
"Destroyed & equally energized by its musical versatility, it's a young songwriter's coming of age. Bold singer-songwriter classism dressed up in nasty guitar tones & jazz drum/percussion from the get go. The songs are as soulful, confident and complete as anything I'd heard from a male singer-songwriter in very long time. The guitar playing something from another planet; emotional, raw, smooth, brutal, jazz, punk rock, folk, r&b and blues all melting together. It's the blues for sure; but it's also the kind of ambitious record that triggers childlike moments playing the air guitar, imaginary drums and other kinds of ridiculous, joyous motions–anti-blues moves. This record is soul science, child's play, a blues bomb, a face shredder, a pop tarte, a tear trigger, a folk fister and a heart pumper. For all of the genre-hopping it attempts & succeeds at, 'Sunshine' is just a deceptive, drop-dead, beautiful pop record created by an old midwestern soul tipping its creator's hat to influences past & to the miles ahead – still unknown and searching." – Andy Whorehall via Sock Monkey Sound.
Currently residing in Silverlake, CA, Menear continues to play locally both on his own and with a varying pool of musicians behind him. He is known for constantly experimenting with his live performances.
