troubadour

Bio:

These San Jose natives are stirring the underground music scene from a deep sleep with a redemptive message and an unmistakably unique sound. With an emphasis on story-telling shaped by lessons from deep relationships and literature, the love-child of Robbie Ernst was realized early in 2008.

With their debut album “It grows and grows and grows,” it is easy to see that their influences are as diverse as the members. Robbie drew on friends and classmates to embody the vision he had spent years creating in his home studio. Now with talent to back his vision, Troubadour exists to roam the land and move people like the music that moves them.

To know Troubadour’s music is to know its members. Few bands exhibit the kind of transparency that is found in their lives and music. Each member brings something necessary and different to the band. Beach’s unique and groovy lead riffs, Kompelien’s foundation building bass lines, Dias’ solid beats, and Ernst’s constant, in-your-face rasp and tasty shape shifting rhythm guitar create textures that have not been heard before by MAN! If you do not listen to Troubadour and walk away different, you were not listening close enough.

-Alex Woodrow at ..Content Magazine..

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Since early 2008, Troubadour has set out to make music that will move their fans the way music has moved them. As avid music lovers, Troubadour is inspired by an eclectic mix of bands ranging from Pedro the Lion and Radiohead, to Refused and Fugazi. The result is their sonically exhilarating debut album "It Grows and Grows and Grows". Although at times very aggressive, there are always layers of nuance underneath the rough exterior. On top of this, Troubadour has developed a way to push the listener right to the edge, and then abruptly land you in a calm and simple place, that can only be described as beautiful.

Not only does Troubadour look to move you sonically, but vocalist/guitarist Robbie Ernst brings out all the stops lyrically. He seems to be first and foremost a story teller. There are both dark tales of troubled familial relationships, and heartbreaking allegories about the human condition. But no matter what the subject matter, each song is permeated with hope. Even at the darkest times Ernst's cries for relief are answered in small ways. The darkness of this album is less like the middle of the night where the blackness weighs on you from all directions, and more like the darkness of the very early morning. It is technically just as dim, but you can feel that the light is just over the horizon.

- Charles Minn ..

Member Since:

February 11, 2008

Members:

&rew Beach - Guitar

Derrick Reyes - Bass

Jeremiah Dias - Drums

Robbie Ernst - Guitar/Vox

Jared Kauk - Violin/Synth/Musical Abilities Squared

Sounds Like:

Directed by Peter Lindsey