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Check Out Trevor Zemtseff (a.k.a. Trevor Zem)’s Story

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Trevor Zemtseff (a.k.a. Trevor Zem).

Hi Trevor, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My name is Trevor. Some call me Terbor, or Terb. You can call me whatever you want. I was born and raised right outside Chicago and moved to LA when I was 18. I’m a freelance touring/recording drummer, as well as a producer and songwriter. As of late I’ve also been pursuing my own artistry under the name Trevor Zem. I love music (whoa). I love the outdoors, especially hiking and camping. I love kitties, kiwis, and other words that start with k. I’m constantly trying to let love guide my life instead of fear.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I grew up a mile outside Chicago in this lil town called Evanston. But my family was not on that rich suburban wave. We were definitely lower-middle-class. But despite the struggles, my parents, older sibling, extended family, and friends were always there for me. Damn near every concert I played, all the little league games, my folks were there. The drum lessons, the instruments, the extracurriculars, they found a way to pay for those things even when there was no money. I’m forever grateful for how much they cared and continue to support me in all my endeavors. They knew music was a tough career to pursue, yet they never dissuaded me. They believed in my work ethic and craft, which reaffirmed me to believe in myself.

Can’t forget about mental health struggles, too. Ebb and flow of anxiety has led to fluctuating depression. I think smoking weed when I was too young might’ve early onset that stuff, lol. But I’m always learning and trying to manage it. To channel it into my art. I’ve become honest with my emotions, and that allows me to be vulnerable in my music. I think it’s so important to be honest with yourself. But there’s a fine line between self-honesty and dwelling on your negative emotions. It’s crucial to feel your feelings no matter what they are, but also just as crucial to utilize those feelings to push yourself towards positivity instead of letting them knock you on your rump every time.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I started playing drums around age 10, after a short-lived stint where I thought I was gonna be the next Jimi Hendrix. I also briefly played the violin and clarinet, but drums brought out something different in me. Songwriting, production, recording, and arranging equally become my everything later in life. Shoutouts to my musical family, especially my mom, the former-Chicago classic rock radio DJ, my older sibling Tristan, the awesome multi-instrumentalist/songwriter, my uncle Glenn, the multi-instrumentalist who put drumsticks in my hands, and my dad, the avid music-lover.

When I first started drumming I was big into rock, alternative, metal, all that. I would pop down to my folks’ basement and play along with Blink-182, Slipknot, Paramore, Dream Theater, you know. My love for production started in 8th grade when Tristan gave me an illegal crack of FL Studio for the PC. Mr. Carmack, Sango, Sam Gellaitry, those were my production HEROS, those were the dudes. They’re still the dudes. Lots of different music inspired me, I wasn’t trying to confine myself.

Through my first (and one of the greatest) drum mentor(s), David Moss, I eventually drew a massive liking to jazz. High school was when I really dove into jazz, funk, gospel, and R&B. My favorite drummers were (and still are) Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Chris Dave, Justin Brown, etc. I did every band possible, in and out of school. Orchestras, jazz bands, drum line, pep band. Outside of school I played in hip-hop, emo, neo-soul, rock bands, and played at my mom’s Black Baptist church every Sunday. I used to do DIY Midwest tours with my two piece emo band from high school called Cipinko, hehe. You can find our old music on the interwebs. All of this kept me growing musically and working towards versatility. I love so many different kinds of music, and whatever can come out of their fusions. That fascination keeps you humble, there’s always more to learn. But on the contrary, I sometimes don’t even listen to that much different stuff. It can be good though, to see what you come up with with minimal external influence. Everything just works in waves I guess.

I went to college at USC Thornton for jazz. Between faculty and friends I received even more amazing mentorship. I grew so much musically and humanly. But not everything in music school was for me. I took a lot with me after and left just as much behind. Jazz school is a funny thing. How do you make this feeling-based music academic? I’m grateful, but school also reaffirmed how much I didn’t wanna play just jazz, and how much I didn’t wanna sound “academic” on my instrument. Jazz is a medium for me to freshly interpret any style of music I choose to play. I try to have one foot in the past and one foot in the present/future with my musical approach. The musical greats of the past give me the language to inform what I play/write now. Blend old with the new. Figure out my own creativity, ideas, and attitude within all this. I’m on the quest for my own sound. I wanna be raw and willing to go new places sonically. I love music where people are playing with a certain spiritual energy and intensity (at any dynamic), and they’re willing to make mistakes while going for that spiritual energy. I’m talkin’ everything from 60’s John Coltrane to DIjon. Those may be very different sounding examples, but they’re both so unapologetic and emotionally raw.

I got my first touring gig while I was in undergrad with my boy Mike, a.k.a. Mk.gee. We did runs/shows with Omar Apollo, Wallows, Still Woozy, Men I Trust, etc., and played festivals like Bonnaroo and Pitchfork Paris. Great times. Since finishing college I’ve toured/played with Quinnie, Jelani Aryeh, PawPaw Rod, and Sam Austins. With these artists I’ve opened for Mac DeMarco, Remi Wolf, Hippo Campus, Dora Jar, etc., and played other festivals like Outside Lands, Smokin’ Grooves, M3F, and Afropunk. I love all these cats to death; they’ve aided in my growth so much.

In early 2020 I started recording my own singer-songwriter music from my (former) bedroom in Chinatown, LA. I wrote tons of love songs. I wrote tons of songs about old breakup resentment. I wrote songs about taking the train in LA at 2am, songs about getting sick as a dog in Death Valley right before quarantine. I’m still finishing some of these songs now. I just wanna be authentic and create something that I think is sonically fresh. I dropped my first single on all streaming platforms in March of this year, called “Divine”. It’s got a music video that I’m super proud of (shoutouts Francisco Covarrubias). I dropped my second single in May of this year, called “Jeez”. That one’s got a visualizer (shoutouts Cody Samson). I hope y’all enjoy this musical journey with me.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
In early elementary school, I was kinda quiet and cynical, but then I became a social, positive, unapologetically goofy dude in middle school, and that opened up my relationship with myself, family, and friends. I think those traits have remained since. Me and my homies are often on that dummy goofy wave. But like I said before too, I’ve been fighting crazy mental health stuff for a while. I’m just trying to stay positive and be myself all the time, even when my brain starts goofin’ and gettin’ sad.

I used to play sports and all that. I was good at some, not great at all of em, but boy was a speedy lil dude.

My love for nature started when I moved out west. I’ve seen the most insane beauty in California and that inspires my humanity and my art. Shoutouts trees.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Caris Yeoman Nathalie Benshmuel

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