We Say…
Formed in the Summer of 2018, Personal Trainer are a queer garage-pop trio, splitting their time between Philadelphia and Brooklyn. They formed after meeting at Vassar College, in quite possibly our favouritely named place on the planet, Poughkeepsie. Molly, Melina and Alix bonded over, “a shared love of academia and Alanis”, and the rest is quickly becoming history in the making.
While both live dates and recorded material are a little thin on the ground, there was more than enough to be excited about with the recent release of their debut single, Backyard, shared via the House Of Feelings label. Backyard is a track laced with teenage lust and longing, a tribute to all the lost loves that came from not being sure of who you are or what you want: “the air was hot and heavy, I should have kissed you on the mouth”, they sing, equal parts lascivious and regretful. Musically, this manifests as a potent middle-ground of early Waxahatchee DIY-bedroom pop and crunchy Hole-like grunge, a track that’s both strikingly modern and subtly retro. The band have promised a new single, What’s Left, in the upcoming weeks, so strap yourself in for what is looking like a musical thrill-ride you won’t want to miss.
They Say…
FTR: For those who don’t know who are Personal Trainer?
We are Personal Trainer! We are a garage-pop trio of women based out of Philadelphia and Brooklyn. We met as students at Vassar College where we immediately bonded over a shared love of academia, Avril, and Alanis. We would describe our sound as a vocals-driven rock band with a throwback grunge style and a singer-songwriter sensibility.
FTR: What can you remember about your first show?
Technically the first show we ever played as Personal Trainer was at Archie’s Big Heads outside of Philly in 2018. We used to use headsets when we performed so we could better focus on our instruments. It was so fun! Maybe we should bring that back…Everyone was chain-smoking inside and playing pool and nobody knew who we were but it was still incredibly exhilarating. We felt like josie and the pussycats when they play the bowling alley.
FTR: Why do you make music? Why not another art form?
For us, music feels like a natural form of expression, something that we’ve each been using privately since we were little to process complex emotions and record/work through thoughts. That moment when you finally distill this monster of a feeling into a simple hook is hugely addicting. It’s also something that we couldn’t do without each other’s support and this is an extremely important element of it. Playing in a band forces us to collaborate and to be extremely honest with each other. It’s a shared healing. It’s ephemeral. Everytime you play a song you get to discover a little more about yourself and your friends.
FTR: What can people expect from the Personal Trainer live show?
Queer-friendly environment, cute outfits, tight harmonies, a healthy dose of self deprecation, yelling and screaming about our feelings :).
FTR: What’s next for Personal Trainer?
We are super stoked to be releasing the next single, “What’s Left”, from our debut EP in the upcoming weeks! We’re also sooooo so excited to announce our first east coast tour!
Here are the dates!
5/20/20 Baltimore, MD-Hotel RL
5/21/20 Wilmington, VA-1984
5/24/20 Boston, MA-Breathe Studios
5/26/20 New Haven, CT- Cafe Nine Buy Tix here
5/28/20 Amagansett, NY- The Steven Talkhouse Buy tix here
5/29/20 New York, NY – TBA
5/30/20 Philadelphia, PA – Good How Are You Fest hosted by Paper Scissors Media
More dates TBA!
They Listen To…
Vagabon – Every Woman
Anna Wise and Erik Kramer – Precious Possession
Samia – Someone Tell The Boys
True Dreams – The Scum
Hoku – Perfect Day
Backyard is out now via House Of Feelings. Click HERE for more information on Personal Trainer.
For The Rabbits 