With a 15 year friendship stretching back to childhood, it’s no wonder why musicians Conor Rayne (bass, drums, guitar, production, vocals, songwriting) and Gabriel Schnider (guitar, keyboards, production, vocals, songwriting) are able to be so emotionally transparent through their songwriting. Performing as Trash Pals, these two companions encourage authentic expression by embracing the spectrum of feeling, from the darkest moments to the brightest sensations. Their latest single ‘Sonya’ is no exception as it navigates quietude and inner reflection in order to accept change.
With this ethos in mind, ‘Sonya’ has an inviting sound with steady rhythms, organic textures, and easygoing melodies. The subtle beach-rock influence injects a laidback atmosphere into the minimalist percussion and lofi guitars. Fronting this warm soundtrack is an equally soothing vocal that placidly present the poetic-like lyrics, “all long long, swirling songs, fading melodies, her mother sang to her, “won’t tell you things will be okay, just let you take it day by day.”” What we love about this soft maternal message is that it doesn’t pressure the listener to transform their life or push themselves beyond clear boundaries, instead it’s a realistic appreciation that life is hard and we’re all doing our best.
Adding further context to this gentle indie-pop track, Trash Pals explain: “‘Sonya’ tells story of a young woman who falls asleep in her seat at a concert despite spending a hefty amount on her ticket. With her head on the shoulder of the stranger next to her, she takes in the music happening before her and wakes only to the thunderous applause at the end of the performance. By the final chorus we learn that she is there because the songs are “fading melodies / her mother sang to her.” Is she there because the songs remind her of her mother? Is it her mother singing them to her from the stage? Or are these songs her mother once sang to her, long ago? The distance between Sonya and the music she is listening remains ambiguous, but one thing is clear: this is, for her, the way she is processing something and the best way for her to do so, even if from the outside it may seem hard to understand. To learn her in this way is to respect her fully, and it is here that her friends can perhaps be the most understanding and compassionate.”
‘Sonya’ is another compelling addition to Trash Pals‘ growing catalog, a journey that only began in 2023, but has so much further to go.
You can also listen to ‘Sonya’ in our Shades of Pop playlist.
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