BIO
Welcome to the sound of TRANK. A contagiously intense, cinematic brand of heavy alt-rock. Or, as they half-jokingly describe it, "like silicium : not metal, but hard enough."
TRANK want "to make you jump & think at the same time."
Their music blends infectious, propulsive, angry energy, with a more seasoned lyrical look upon life and its trials than you'd expect from a band that sounds this powerful. Their songs capture the sort of world-weariness, cynicism and empathy that only comes with living a little - before you song- write; but their music & sound brings those feelings to life with irresistible drive and powerful flamboyance. A combination which very much defines their identity - between high-powered alt-rock, post-punk and modern metal.
TRANK are all French but write in English, a testimony to their lifelong love story with British and American acts, and influences too broad to list - from Deftones to Depeche Mode, Motörhead to Muse, Nick Drake to Nine Inch Nails, Pink Floyd to Porcupine Tree, REM to Rage. Like all these references, TRANK like to mine the darkest places in the human soul, pull out the worst of life's frustrations and anxieties, and turn them into moments of catharsis that they can share with people who recognize those same feelings - be it by experience or anticipation.
Before all, TRANK are united by a lifelong passion for music. Johann (drums) has known Michel ("MJ", vocals and programming) for years, from working in the same office - plus hooking up over machine-gun-fire discussions about favorite albums, and their long but increasingly frustrating experience in semi-pro bands. Julien (lead guitar) was a passionately self-taught guitarist with growing desire for a professional experience, and struck instant friendship with Michel after a first rehearsal revealed a shared vision. And David (rhythm guitar, bass) already had studio and touring history, notably with Oyabun, before he joined the family - and before that, learnt his chops watching VHS tapes of Slash frame-by-frame as a teenager. Music has been their "second life" for years - from their youngest age, growing up in different parts of France's "province." "People ask us - if you want to be in a band and make anything happen, shouldn't you be in Paris ? All of us landed jobs in Geneva and ended up enjoying life here (Haute-Savoie - next door to the Swiss border), including the local scene: there's a lot more of it than people think. It's not where you are - it's how far you want to go."
TRANK are a young band of experienced musicians - their blend of mature song-crafting and youthful intensity has lead them to open arena gigs for major acts like Deep Purple, Anthrax, Papa Roach or Disturbed. All four of TRANK's members have had stage and studio experience with a variety of projects & bands; but it was only when they met that the joining of their sensitivities sparked into a full-time project. The group in its current, final incarnation only formed late 2016 : "we all feel like life has taken its time, for all the right reasons, to get us together where we are; but now we're firing on all cylinders."
TRANK are also lucky to be surrounded with incredibly talented friends who have helped them realize their vision. Yvan Barone, their engineer and co-producer, has built an enviable reputation in Switzerland as a go-to sound man, with extensive experience in places like Montreux. David Weber, who runs Geneva's "Studio des Forces Motrices", where many of the band's tracks were recorded, has helmed a number of highly-praised French alt-rock recordings by a wide range of artists, from Treponem Pal to Mickey 3D. American aces like Brian Robbins and Andy Van Dette have now joined the tribe on mixing & mastering.
On the visual front, the band have worked with such talented photographers as Gabi Hirit or Esther Pink; the director of their first video, Jean Baptiste Andrea, co-wrote and directed three cult feature films - and in a bold move towards a second career, has become a Prix Goncourt winner for his fourth novel. And Alban Verneret, now established as TRANK's visual director, is a hyper-talented music video maker and fashion photographer. "That's a perk of having been around for a while : a lot of talented friends."
TRANK, after a series of singles in 2018 / 2019 which resulted in a series of high profile opening slots, have now landed on the European rock press radar : their first album, "The Ropes" in its deluxe "Monolith" Edition, was named"Album of the Month" in Rock Hard France and Italy as well as Powerplay UK in 2021. Its songs capture the band's unique blend of uplifting power & widescreen emotion, of layered sophistication and raw grit, of darkness & light; contrasts and contradictions which define the sound of the band better than a "genre" would. "Of course it's "angry" music. But it's also music that's easy to get into, whether you're a metalhead or not. We want to be intense but accessible : after all, it's still entertainment."