After meeting during their time at the University of Southern California, Quinn D’Andrea, Georgia Greene, and Lauren Jones formed the viral band Trousdale. Known for their magical three-part harmonies and genre-blending sound, the trio quickly hit TikTok virality and hasn’t looked back since.
After their Europe and UK tour last winter, they played Andrew McMahon’s Holiday From Real and Okeechobee Festival. Ahead of their summer tour, they have made a stop at the High Water Music Festival in Charleston, SC.
In an interview with Melodic Magazine shortly after their High Water set, Trousdale opened up about performing at the festival, pre-show rituals and more.
You guys have had some time to cool off after that incredible set. How are you feeling?
Lauren: Feeling good! That was so much fun! I feel like when we play earlier in the day during a festival, you never know how many people are gonna show up and I feel like people really showed up today and it was just such a fun time.
Quinn: Yeah, it was great!
You’ve played a lot of festivals in the past — Okeechobee and Bonnaroo a couple years ago — how does this feel to play at bigger festivals like that, but also to be playing at more intimate venues?
Georgia: It’s so funny because I feel like this one felt bigger than those in in a lot of ways just because, like Lauren said, the crowd was so engaged and we just had such a fun time. So it feels super similar in that way, and honestly even better because the crowd was really into it.
Lauren: Yeah. I feel like you get the pluses from each, of doing like an intimate show and an intimate set, like you really can emotionally connect with people just because you’re physically closer to them. But then with the bigger shows, I think it’s a different type of energy and one that we haven’t experienced as much as the smaller, more intimate settings. And so it’s really exciting when it happens. I feel like that set was one of those bigger moments for sure.
I know you guys have toured with a couple artists that are on the lineup for this weekend. How does it feel to sort of share that stage with them again, like Maren Morris and Lake Street Dive?
Georgia: Oh my God! It’s literally like, it feels like we’re all back together. It feels like a reunion, like the luck that we all get to be here and we are gonna sing with Maren later for a song at the end of her set, which is so exciting. And everybody’s just so nice on both of their like teams and everybody in both of their bands. It just feels so, so, so nice.
What is on your guys’ festival or even show survival checklist?
Georgia: The water.
Quinn: Well, I have a fan that you can like, of course, physically fan yourself with. I feel like that’s really good to have. You gotta level up to the electric.
Lauren: Yeah, I would say a battery, like a rechargeable mirror with a light on it. That’s always very go-to. You never know how lighting is gonna be when you’re doing your makeup and having the mirror. And I would say just like a sweater too, because I feel like tonight’s probably gonna be a little different ’cause of the humidity is so high, but I feel like always as soon as the sun goes down I’m just freezing.
Georgia: I just remembered also, yeah, Advil. Oh, powder for your makeup and tampons just in case you get your period randomly. And there was another one that I had that just totally escaped… deodorant. Because the stink… spray-on deodorant so that it doesn’t, you know, and also perfume.
You guys have already kind of answered this, but if there was anyone from the lineup that you could have had join you on stage – I know you just said you’re about to perform with Maren Morris – but if there was anyone else that could have joined you on stage, who would it have been?
Lauren: Ooh, there’s so many.
Quinn: Could we do ’em all? Everybody.
Lauren: I mean, I feel like maybe Brittany Howard. That would be really cool. She’s such a force of nature.
Georgia: But also Rachel from Lake Street Dive because she is actually featuring on one of our songs on our deluxe album that’s coming out. So if she came out for that, that would be awesome.
I know it’s only the first day but have you guys had a chance to explore the grounds or see any of the other sets?
Georgia: We have not at all. Like we got here and immediately started setting up and so now I feel like within the hour that will begin and we’re gonna just go to the festival like as if we were just going, which is like the tights off. We’ll take our freaking tights off, take the tights off. That’s the best part of doing something earlier in the day like this. Then you can just go and be a music listener.
Is there anyone you’re particularly excited to see?
Georgia: I personally am so excited to see Lake Street Dive and Maren Morris again, and we’ve just loved watching them. I am really excited to see Alabama Shakes ’cause I’ve never seen them live.
Lauren: Genuine fans of all the people that we’ve opened for.
Quinn: Yeah, I think maybe we shared a festival with Brittany Howard’s solo project, so we’ve seen her solo set before, but never with Alabama Shakes. So it’ll be fun to kind of compare the two and, yeah enjoy the music.
While you were on stage, was there a moment you were hoping to create for someone who has never heard your music before?
Lauren: I think we are always trying to connect with anybody who might feel alone or feel like they’re not being seen in some aspect of their life. And just between the three of us, because we’re also different and we bring such different energies to the show, I think we have a good chance of connecting with somebody, and more than that, like a few people at least, that are going to get something emotionally gratifying out of it. And I think we also just wanna make people have fun. So we’re trying to move around and bring the vibes even through the heat, especially people standing out there in the sun, it’s warm out there. We gotta give them a great show.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Lauren: We’re so happy to be here and it was such a fun time. Our deluxe album comes out May 15th!
Trousdale will kick off their Growing Pains tour on May 29 at Terminal West in Atlanta, GA. Tickets are available here.
They will also be playing the Newport Folk Festival in Newport, RI, and Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion in Bristol, TN.
Growing Pains (Deluxe) is out May 15. Pre-save the album here.
Keep up with Trousdale: TikTok // Instagram // YouTube
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
