What are you guys working on right now?

J: The next release for The Holy Mountain Analog Band, called O! Mighty River, is nearly complete. As well, we’ve been transitioning from being The Holy Mountain Analog Band to Joshua&Trison. We also have a side project called, This Year’s New Sinatra.

T: Some material for Joshua&Trison. Finishing up the next record for The Holy Mountain Analog Band.

What genre of music do you play?

J: Outsider Music? Trison will likely tell you we play Pop Music if you ask him, though we don’t have a repeating chorus anywhere in any of our sets.

What are your summer plans?

T: I’m doing summer school so I’ll be mostly preoccupied with that. I’d like to do a motorcycle trip if there are a few days off somewhere down the line. In terms of music/shows we have the photography zine launch with Alexa, Sam and yourself coming up! We’ll maybe also try to set up a show with some people in town that we’re into. That’s something we should be more active about I think. Maybe.

J:  Training in martial arts with Ashleigh Walker at Second Nature Athletics. Camping. Free B-movies in the park. And we’ll be playing the release of a photography zine collaboration between yourself, Samantha Hart and my dear friend, Alexa Babiuk towards the end of June.

What were some of your fears putting this duo together?

T: When we first started playing together I was probably worried about differing tastes or ethics. That quickly went away. I’ve yet to meet anyone whose tastes agree more with mine.

J:  None. We are formerly a sextet ensemble that reduced to two. That was the inspiration for changing the band name to Joshua&Trison.

Do you ever get nervous going on stage?

J: No. But I get shy afterwards. I haven’t learned how to receive a compliment gracefully.

T: I can get nervous if we’re playing something new. But I think we’ve practiced our material enough and know what we want to do to a point where we feel pretty comfortable onstage. We’re professional amateurs.

Favorite movie(s)?

J: The Holy Mountain. Neco Z Alenky. Valerie and Her Week of Wonders. Marketa Lazarova.

Does Joshua have any annoying habits?

T: He makes me laugh too much.

When was the last time you and Trison had a disagreement?

J: I don’t think we’ve had a disagreement or argument in the five years we’ve known one another. Trison is the most tolerant person I’ve ever met.

Does being in a band get you a lot of ladies? Who is more of a ladies man?

T: Joshua is Cook St. Village’s Ryan Gosling.

J: Ha! Trison is the popular one. I’m pretty shy at shows, though I’m not shy at any other time. I’m pretty happy to sneak away after we finish a set.

Who are some of your musical inspirations?

J: Trison. Philip Glass. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Efrim Menuck. Vincent Gallo.

If you could play a show with any band, who would you play with?

T: I can’t think of anyone specific. Anyone we like and are into really. We have a project(that I’m plugging now) called This Year’s New Sinatra that I think would be cool to share a set with some noisy bands in a basement somewhere. I’d like to find a drummer and turn it into something maybe Greg Ginn, Brian Wilson and 90’s John Frusciante might do if they got together. Sloppy!

Is creating music a good outlet for difficult times? How do times of adversity inspire you?

T: I don’t think either of us see the act of music making as a supportive resource. It’s just something we do that’s evidence of our lives – some people build houses, we record little songs. Sometimes the bricks all line up, other times we have to really work to find a way to make them fit. Or reconsider using bricks!

J: Inspiration has never interested me as much as work ethic. I guess I’d rather be good than lucky.

Who is the driving force behind the band?

J: I’m more prolific and conceptual. And then Trison does everything else. If it weren’t for him, the songs would never leave my bedroom.

Trison, what was your first impression when meeting Joshua?

T: He’s musically fearless and open to anything.

How did you meet?

J: I, in typical vague fashion, posted the names of 10 directors, 10 composers, and 10 poets on craigslist. Trison was the only person to respond.

Why did you agree to do the interview for The Grit of It?

J: Community. Collaboration.

Do you think you have True Grit? Who else do you know demonstrates True Grit in their life?

T: I don’t know about myself. I can say that the people in my life who face adversity and whose integrity really inspire me are the people who are opening up dialogues of gender, race, class, and the power dynamics and marginalization that come from them in mainstream culture.

What are some challenges you’ve faced in the past year. How did you overcome them?

J:  It’s been a really productive and positive year for me. I work hard everyday and never take short cuts. Challenges become strength building opportunities so growth is imminent.

T: I think in the past year I’ve been more focused on confronting challenges themselves. To recognize struggle and be willing to work through it is something that’s more conscious to me. Finding a will and a way.

Joshua, can you tell me a silly story about Trison?