The Unique Voices Club #5: Lindsey Pavao/Trophii

Every Friday, I write a post about unique singing voices not commonly heard in mainstream music in an effort to educate emerging artists and music lovers and inspire them to embrace their own quirks. This week I'm writing on Lindsey Pavao and her band Trophii.

I will include a forewarning that a good chunk of these Unique Voices Club entries will feature artists from singing competitions. Especially The Voice, which tends to attract unique types because you're not judged based on what you look like and so you might sound different to how you look. I figured that you figured that out from last week's entry. And since we haven't had a lot of famous people come out of that show (with the exception of Melanie Martinez, though she wasn't even a finalist), it makes sense that we share more music of people who have been on singing competitions.

I was inspired by Sacramento-based Lindsey Pavao's soft-spoken approach to Bon Iver's "Skinny Love" back on the second season. And with much more instrumentation than the original. Reminding me of Halsey, although her season was way before Halsey became a household name. So more accurately, with her breathy vibrato moments and the ability to belt despite her natural quietness, she counts Bjork and Fiona Apple as her influences. And she auditioned with Trey Songz (hip hop which contrasts with her alternative/indie vibe) and managed to convince Christina Aguilera, who we all know loves the big soulful voices, to want to be her coach.

Prior to the show, Lindsey had never even sung for more than 40 people. And had cripplingly low self-esteem. And now, after she was singing to millions of people all over America watching her on TV, she released a CD called The Symptom (can't find it, sorry) based on her depression and anxiety that was exacerbated by being surrounded by other much better artists on the show who knew what they wanted and how to market themselves. And in the months after the season ended where she had to promote herself and didn't really now what that was. Friendly reminder that reality TV isn't real despite the name. And even singing competitions push a narrative about an artist that really only makes up a small percentage of what that person is. And that winning a singing competition (or even just being on one, in Lindsey's case; she was a semi-finalist) doesn't guarantee that some bigwig label is gonna snatch you up and you'll be as big as Beyonce.

Though with less Spotify listeners than her solo page right now, Lindsey has embarked on a duo project with Sacramento indie rock mainstay Richie Smith, called Trophii. The two connected after a Radiohead tribute show when Richie was looking for someone with similar vocal and musical abilities to his ex-wife that had abandoned their musical project following the divorce. And afterwards, Lindsey seeked assistance on her own music, and a partnership was formed. Their Instagram and Bandcamp bios describe them as "dream-pop," which I didn't know was even a genre (it's a subgenre of alternative rock). And as I'm listening to their debut album Vitamins and Flowers (recorded in their living rooms like most DIY indie musicians) and how Lindsey's soft breathy vocals cloak over the guitar layers, I'm picturing a psychedelic acid trip with groovy colors and some surrealist dream imagery. Kind of like that dreamscape in most cartoons where the character is clearly dreaming but they're walking around in some desert area with angels and melting clocks like that Salvador Dali painting.

I've linked all the songs and albums I refer to all over this post. So go give Trophii a listen, and follow them on Instagram, and Lindsey on YouTube here, so that you're up to date on all the new music and can support an artist you might love!

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Stay educated,

Alexia