Trapt

Trapt Overview:

Trapt make melodic hard rock that leans heavily on metal-tinged guitar riffs and soaring choruses. Based out of Los Angeles, the quartet, led by frontman Chris Taylor Brown, formed in 1997 in San Jose. Trapt have gone through several lineup changes, although the constants in the group have been Brown and bassist Peter Charell. The band toured for several years, putting out self-released material in the hopes of attracting label interest. Finally in 2001, Trapt signed to Warner Bros.

The Hit Debut:

Trapt’s first album, simply titled Trapt, was released the following year, featuring guitarist Simon Ormandy and drummer Aaron Montgomery, who became the band’s permanent drummer after several players came and went. Trapt enjoyed platinum sales, thanks to the steady airplay of “Headstrong” and “Still Frame,” which both went to No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. The band’s brand of hard rock occasionally incorporated elements of rap-rock and thrash, while the single “Echo” demonstrated a penchant for moody mid-tempo ballads.

The Sophomore Slump:

2005’s Someone in Control didn’t match Trapt’s chart success and was also less distinctive musically. Part of the problem might have been Trapt’s evolution into a polished hard rock band that had smoothed down its rough edges, which were part of the band’s early charm. Someone in Control felt calculated and professional, although the single “Stand Up” possessed the fire of Trapt’s debut.

Moving to Eleven Seven:

Warner Bros. and Trapt parted ways after Someone in Control. The band later signed with Eleven Seven, the label of Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx. Trapt’s first record for Eleven Seven was 2007’s Live!, a collection of concert performances and two new studio songs, “Stay Alive” and “Everything to Lose.”

A More Diverse Third Album:

In August 2008, Trapt released their third studio album, Only Through the Pain. The record was the band's first with new guitarist Robb Torres. Highlighted by more power ballads than earlier offerings, Only Through the Pain also made room for reggae rhythms and Police-style melodies. The first single, “Who’s Going Home With You Tonight?,” was a hit on rock radio, and the album peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard album chart.

Current Lineup:

Chris Taylor Brown – vocals
Peter Charell – bass
Aaron “Monty” Montgomery – drums
Robb Torres – guitar

Key Trapt Songs:

“Still Frame”
“Stand Up”
“Ready When You Are”

Discography:

Trapt (2002)
Someone in Control (2005)
Live! (live album) (2007)
Only Through the Pain (2008)

Trapt Quotes:

Chris Taylor Brown, on how the band first got together.
“Pretty much back in the day around ‘97 we used to watch bands like Papa Roach and Dredg play out in San Jose. We thought they were sick and decided to start jamming.”

Chris Taylor Brown, on the band’s name.
“Growing up in Los Gatos, [California], parents want to go there because it’s a really nice city with no crime and a good education system, that kind of stuff … You feel like you’re being watched, and that you’re living in this little bubble and don’t know anything that’s going on outside of it. The name Trapt came from the feeling that you’re stuck in one place and you can’t get out and you can’t do what you want because you have so many restrictions.

Aaron Montgomery, on his philosophy of life.
“My motto is, everybody has a dream job – and right now, somebody out there is working your dream job. Why not you? Somebody's gotta do it, so why not you?”

Chris Taylor Brown, on “Headstrong.”
“That song was just like a response to how people in the music industry try to sway you to make certain kinds of music, and we were just kind of p***ed off about that. I wrote that song for those people in the music industry and everyone in general just to let them know I’m not going to back down from what I believe in. We can’t listen to other people. We have to be our own band and make our own mistakes.

Trapt Trivia:

• Before Trapt signed with Warner Bros. in 2001, the band produced a 1999 self-released album called Amalgamation. In 2000, Trapt released a second collection, Glimpse.
• The band toured with Papa Roach before even having a record deal.
• Trapt formed in high school, but the band members went to different colleges. Brown and former guitarist Simon Ormandy studied at UC Santa Barbara, while bassist Peter Charell went to UC Santa Cruz.
• Initially, Trapt were signed with Immortal Records, but the two sides had a falling out when the label reportedly thought the band didn’t sound enough like Incubus.