NEWS
NOV 21st, 2024 - BREAKING NEWS
TRANK LAUNCH SECOND VIDEO FROM UPCOMING SECOND ALBUM
Following up on "TWENTY FIRST CENTURY SLAVE", TRANK now release new single & video "QUEEN OF THE BROKEN", also from their new album due November 29th, "THE MAZE".
A sharp contrast to the raging pulse of “Twenty First Century Slave”, “Queen of the Broken” reveals a more romantic, open-hearted side of TRANK's alternative hard rock. Propelled by an earworm riff and an epic chorus, “Queen of the Broken” is “arguably our most optimistic song - it speaks, in a roundabout way, of the hope that the wounds life inflicts help us to open up to others, rather than isolate ourselves from them. It's sort of athe positive flipside to Neil Young's "Like a Hurricane", which is a song we admire and love.” Directed, as ever, by Alban Verneret, the video for "Queen of the Broken" is a nod to classic Sci-Fi literature, from Dune to French writer Alain Damasio's “La Horde du Contrevent”. The band hope you love the song and film as much as they loved making them - stay tuned for the rest of the album !
NEXT LIVE DATES
Manoir Pub - Click above for info
New album release party - with Spit Reckless
INFO & CONTACT
OCT 24th, 2024
TRANK LAUNCH FIRST VIDEO FROM UPCOMING SECOND ALBUM
After three years of hard work and tribulations, TRANK are about to unleash their second album, due November 29th, 2024 - and entitled "THE MAZE". And as a forerunner, today they launch new single "TWENTY FIRST CENTURY SLAVE".
A powerful slab of controlled anger denouncing the excesses of social justice warriors and the on-on-line cliques of "self-appointed freedom fighters who are, in fact, enslaved by their own minds", the single bears TRANK's signature alt-heavy rock sound, blending hard rock-influences and a relentless drive with a touch of technology to get its point across in the catchiest way. "It's probably one of the most direct, in-your-face songs on the album, and we thought it'd make a good, pretty unambiguous statement about how things are going to be on stage as well." Accompanied by a dystopian CCTV-tinged video courtesy of band director Alban Verneret (and featuring Swiss celebrity Lorianne Valentin, as well as band biker friends I Cinque Del), the single is out now on YouTube and all the usual digital platforms. Stay tuned as we get closer to the album release - more changes coming to this site very soon !
JUL 08, 2024
NEW TRANK LINE UP GETS ROARING RECEPTION AT R4 FESTIVAL
A picture is worth a thousand words : checkout the vibe at the end of the very first set ever performed by TRANK mk3, on July 6 at R4 Festival in Revelles, France. We could NOT have dreamed a better audience or reception. Thank you to all involved - the wonderful audience, fellow acts and the incredibly kind and effective R4 team. Check out our TRANK Instagram account for more pictures and videos !
JUL 02, 2024
TRANK ANNOUNCE NEW LINE-UP & FESTIVAL APPEARANCE !
"Ch-ch-ch-ch-changeezzzz", as Bowie once said.
A lot has happened in our absence, since that infamous first album, "The Ropes" (don't have it yet ? Rock Hard France and Powerplay UK and Italy crowned us "album of the month", and you still haven't bought 12 copies each ? That's bad).
First, Julien, our friend and co-founding guitarist, has decided to leave - and refocus on other priorities outside music : we will miss his flamboyance as much as his sense of humour (we should probably put out some best-of compilation of his comedy moments, but he remains our friend, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours.
The change in question, decided months ago, has accelerated discussions already underway between us - about the evolution of TRANK and our desire for change, both in the studio and on stage, in terms of sound and line-up.
The desire to switch to two guitars for even greater sonic depth and power had been there for a while, and so two new members are now joining the ranks of (drum roll) TRANK mk3.
Nicolas (silver tie) is a long-standing friend of Michel's : they are both members of the the salt-&-pepper musicians' club , but also, more importantly, they did share years of playing together as part of the Geneva-based cover band in which they both learnt their chops, in a previous life (their "almost-only-pepper" phase). A seasoned guitarist with a powerful, engaging style, somewhere between high-class hard rock and ass-kicking funk-metal, he brings a groove to the band's lead parts that's sure to be a hit on stage - and later in the studio.
Arnaud (all in black), recruited after much searching among the band's connections ("we want a guy who' won't be a wallflower and is at least as maniacal about the details as we are"), plays the bass with stunning technical virtuosity, but also tons of propulsive power; and his style adds a level of sophistication to our songs while staying true to their emotionally intense nature, and to the balance between light and dark that defines their atmosphere. Like Nico, but with his own style, he also shares our love for quality sound - and, much to his own chagrin, our deplorable sense of humor.
Last but not least, our very own David (the blue giant who won't fit on the sofa), until now officially our bass player - but clearly a multi-instrumentalist all the way, has passed the bass baton to Arnaud, and grabbed a guitar. A Slash fan since his teenage years, he has done a fantastic job of performing most of the guitar work on our forthcoming second album (more on that later), as well as on the cover of "Take Me Out"we have just released as an appetizer. And he continues to share the backing vocals, on stage, with Johann (the guy on the other armrest).
Johann and Michel, a bit like the old-timers from The Muppets Show, remain in their respective roles on drums, backing vocals and dubious puns for the former; vocals, synths/programming (managed by Johann on stage) and chronic bad mood for the latter.
So, what can you expect ? To hear TRANK's identity gently evolve - our sonic universe, somewhere between heavy alternative rock and electronic-tinged post-punk, is still there, but with an even "bigger", groovier sound. After weeks of hard rehearsal work, TRANK version 2024 will make its live debut this Friday, July 5th at the Festival Rock R4. We hope to see many of you there, but even if there aren't as many of you as there are of us, without going so far as to lend you the sofa, we'll do everything we can to make sure you remember the evening, for all the right reasons.
Welcome Arnaud & Nico, mazel tov to David in his new role, and see you all very soon on stage.
(photo : Esther W. Pink)
JUL 01, 2024
TRANK RELEASE "TAKE ME OUT" COVER VIDEO
And here it is : the first news from camp TRANK in ages, a cover of "Take me out" as originally created by Franz Ferdinand. The title means a lot to us : first, it's our parting gift to TRANK co-founder & lead guitarist Julien, who had come up with the idea of covering this personal favorite of his, and has since then decided to leave the band and focus on other, non-musical priorities in life (more on that in the post above). Second, we have been working very hard to complete our upcoming second album and are now at mixing stage - and we're getting cabin fever, as we can't wait for you to hear the new songs both in their studio form and on stage. Last but not least, we're all French, and there are things going on around us right now that do make us want to be somewhere else...
Says lead singer & programmer Michel, "we really wanted to bring the song into our universe, our sound, which typically feels much heavier and more intense than the original version of the song did (we DO love the original, but if you're going to record a cover, might as well make it your own). So we gave the lyrics a new meaning - about someone wanting to be taken out of their own mind, some fractured personality talking to the other sides of themselves and wanting to be reunited with them. "Take me out of my straightjacket", sort of. That gave the whole thing a much more intense, dramatic, cinematic feel, which is - hopefully - reflected in how we've changed the way it sounds. It's still got tons of energy and you'll want to dance to it - but it's darker as well, and that's how we like it. We hope you love listening to it as much as we did reinventing it !"
Directed by Alban Verneret for Dissension Productions - check out the YouTube credits for more info & details.
AUG 22, 2023
TRANK INTERVIEW AHEAD OF ZOOLOO FESTIVAL PERFORMANCE !
Three quarters of TRANK recently gave a slightly unhinged, if quite typical, interview to the kind folk running the Zooloo Festival in the Geneva area, where the band are due to perform on August 25th (details here). It's all in French... But it should give you an idea of the mood in the ranks right now. Enjoy !
JUL 13, 2023
TRANK RELEASE NEW LIVE-IN-THE-STUDIO VIDEO !
As we work on the composition and recording of our second album, we thought we'd share another song from that infamous "live-in-the-studio" session at Studio des Forces Motrices : a live-to-tape rendition of our own "Illustrated Girl". Recorded at Geneva's Studio des Forces Motrices, where Young Gods and other pioneers of European rock and indus-metal recorded their greatest albums, "Illustrated Girl" is a signature TRANK track that features on our album "THE ROPES" - and balances alt-rock tension and furious romanticism; Rock Hard France praised the post-punk flavor of the song when they chose "THE ROPES" as their "ALBUM OF THE MONTH" a while ago. Michel explains : "The idea for the song goes back to Ray Bradbury's "Illustrated Man", whose body is covered with tattoos that come to life to each tell their own story: the idea came to us that, among our friends, many wear tattoos that would say a lot if they could come to life, because the story of each of them is full of difficult moments they've known how to get through. The song is about this way of transcending these moments through the beauty of drawing." It's also an opportunity for Julien to showcase his signature blend of flamenco-inspired guitar staccatos and soloing, making good use of his Manson guitar's built-in touchpad - and beloved Whammy pedal. Yes, guitar geeks, we love you too.
Enjoy, stay tuned for more, and thank you for your support !
(Video credit : Alban Verneret)
FEB 27, 2023
JOIN TRANK AS THEY PERFORM LONG-OVERDUE LOCAL DATES - GET A FEEL FOR THEIR LIVE SOUND WITH NEW LIVE-IN-THE-STUDIO VIDEO !
So we love to do things backwards : we cut our teeth touring Eastern Europe as the opening for major acts in 2018 / 2019 - and now, after an extended post-COVID break, we finally play the area we live in : check out the flurry of dates.
The Geneva area, both on the French and Swiss side, is packed with fantastic small-but-attractive venues and cool festivals, with great audiences badly in need of rock energy. And it seems all of a sudden they've realized we're in the vicinity ;). Here's the list of dates and places where we've either just played (sorry...) or will be playing (a-HA !) :
19/11/2022 : Eternal Metal Festival - Barakason - Geneva (CH). What a blast !
11/02/2023 : Habère-Poche Music Festival - (France). What a MEGA blast !
03/03/2023 : Guitare en Scène selections - Le Brin de Zinc - Chambéry (France)
17/03/2023 : Hellfest Warm Up, L’Atelier - Cluses (France)
05/05/2023 : M&O Music label showcase - Rock ’n Eat - Lyon (France)
13/05/2023 : I Cinque Del Bikers Festival - Geneva (CH)
02/09/2023 : Rock in Town Festival - St Gallen (CH) - as headliners !
The first couple of dates have been an absolute blast, although they were also happy-sad because our new bassman, Cristobal, has been forced to give up on joining the band due to life circumstances which, as they do, did get in the way. We wish Cristo the best, and our David has now picked up the bass again - but in the meantime, he's also worked out a way of sharing guitar duties with Julien for studio recordings, and worked with Michel to create a system that lets him double up his bass with a "virtual" rhythm guitar when playing live, to fatten the sound during Julien's solos - Royal Blood style. So we're firing on all FOUR cylinders, and in between dates, finding time to record the follow-up to our first album...
Last but not least, we're finally taking the time with band co-producer and engineer Yvan Barone to mix the results of our Live-in-the-studio lockdown session from last year. Performed in the conditions of a concert in the recording room of Geneva's Studio des Forces Motrices (a frequent base for industrial pioneers Young Gods & Treponem Pal), the set was typical of our live performances - down to the inclusion of live favorite "Call Me / Personal Jesus" cover mashup.
Enjoy,stay tuned for more, and thank you for your support !
(Video credit : Alban Verneret)
MAR 20, 2022
TRANK GETS RECOGNITION FROM THE INTERNATIONAL ROCK PRESS !
We should probably start by apologizing for not even taking the time to wish every one of you a happy new year : blame it on the flood of good news and the hard work that we've been up to (still : happy belated new year !).
While we're dealing with the frustration of not playing live for so long by working VERY hard on the second album (more to come on both the playing live and the new songs...), we've received extremely cool news to lift our spirits, and hopefully yours : the recent reissue of our one-year-old first album, "THE ROPES - MONOLITH EDITION," has been given the accolade by the INTERNATIONAL ROCK PRESS !
In the UK, PowerPlay Magazine have given us a month-best 8/10 rating, praising "an incredibly strong release" and "a truly cross-genre album." At the same time, Rock Hard Italy have made us Independent Album of the Month, with a month-best 8.5/10 rating and boundlessly enthusiastic words for "an album of extremely high standards throughout, which dispenses emotions of indisputable depth with a rare, measured elegance. A real concentrate of intensity and inspiration."
Last but not least, at home in France, "THE ROPES - MONOLITH EDITION" got voted best album of 2021 by the readers of major online mag "RockMeeting" - pipping Iron Maiden's "Senjutsu" at the post. Needless to say we're unbelievably proud of all of this, and it's gotten us fired up for our soon-to-be confirmed return to the stage... Stay tuned, and thank you for the support !
DEC 08, 2021
TRANK CELEBRATE "ROCK HARD" AWARD WITH NEW VIDEO "SHINING"
This week is big news week in TRANK camp. First off, "THE ROPES - MONOLITH EDITION" has been named "Album of the month" and given a glowing review, along with a 2-page interview, in France's top selling rock mag, "ROCK HARD." Having grown on a steady diet of music press and learnt everything from it in the days before everything was available on line, the band are deeply moved and honoured so see their work celebrated by such a great title.
As if in celebration, the band also release the new video for the album's opening track, "Shining." Directed, as ever, by Alban Verneret, the film alludes to the idea behind the song : "Shining" talks about how so many of us so often feel compelled to create a falsely perfect image of their lives for others to watch and enjoy. "It's true on social networks of course, but also in so many life situations like job interviews. And the people you lie to - they know you're lying, but they're addicted to the lie and it becomes a sort of dance of mutual dependency." We hope you enjoy the song and video as much as we enjoyed making it - don't hesitate to send as many friends to it on YouTube as you can... Thank you for your support, and see you soon !
NOV 05, 2021
TRANK LAUNCH "THE ROPES - MONOLITH EDITION" DOUBLE ALBUM !
The band are INCREDIBLY excited to bring you their first album, "THE ROPES" - in an all new two-disc version available in both physical & digital formats.
Indeed, fans and friends - TRANK’s "THE ROPES" is now getting the Deluxe release treatment, with distribution by M&O Music, a new master by Andy Van Dette (Porcupine Tree, David Bowie), and a bonus disc of 12 remixes, created by a variety of artists (French techno act Mokroié, indie producer Aura Shred) and engineers who have worked with some of the band's reference acts (Young Gods, Nitzer Ebb). Says the band : "The album, as we initially self-released it (in France, late 2020), already sat at the crossroads of many influences, from Soundgarden to early Muse via Depeche Mode and 80's electro-post-punk : adding those remixes to it now is a fun way to push the electronic side and get people to discover new sides to the songs, without losing the blend of fire and ice that makes them TRANK songs."
The original, single-disc version of "THE ROPES" was released small-scale and entirely independently - and garnered dozens of unanimously rave reviews across the French indie on-line press, to the point of being picked up by French distributor M&O Music. M&O will distribute the album in its all-new, double disc incarnation online via digital distribution behemoth Believe Digital - and in brick-and-mortar stores via legendary metal label Season of Mist.
As ever, TRANK and visual director Alban Verneret have paid special attention to creating a design that does justice to the content - and please believe us when we say the physical 2-CD digipak is a thing of beauty. You can order it on line by clicking HERE, or on the sleeve below - or you can find all the links you need to download or stream the album by clicking HERE. You can also buy the double CD in a SIGNED version from the "Store" page of this site, as well as the SIGNED single disc - we have now sold out the standard single disc version, so you should hurry up !
Whichever way you choose to buy it, we hope and trust that you will enjoy, not only the intensity of the original songs - but also the way the remixes take them to the edges of TRANK's sonic territory. Enjoy, share with your friends, and if your local shop doesn't carry the CD, feel free to tell them they should... Thank you so much for your continued support, and let us know what you think of this new version of the LP !
SEP 23, 2021
TRANK RELEASE NEW REMIX AND VIDEO AHEAD OF "DELUXE" ALBUM !
Today, TRANK release « In Troubled Times (Twelve Inches of Trouble Version) »,
an exclusive remix with a spectacular 3D video created by the band’s visual director, Alban Verneret. Available on YouTube, Spotify, iTunes etc, this brand new remix precedes the release of a 2CD Deluxe "Monolith" version of the band’s debut album, « The Ropes », originally released late 2020 to unanimously rave reviews from the French Indie & metal press – which celebrated its rich, powerful & intensely catchy blend of alt rock, metal and electronic post punk.
TRANK’s « The Ropes – Deluxe Edition » is due November 2021 and will include the album’s 12 original songs, mixed in NYC by Brian Robbins (Bring Me the Horizon, Asking Alexandria) & mastered by Andy Van Dette (Porcupine Tree, David Bowie)... But it will also include 12 STUNNING REMIXES created by David Weber (engineer for the Young Gods), Mokroïé and Aura Shred (both cult French electro acts), and Greco Rossetti (who has recorded Nitzer Ebb), plus the band themselves.
The name of this first remix, « Twelve Inches of Trouble », is a reference to the golden age of the twelve inch single – and the pioneering remixes the band grew up with, from the likes of Depeche Mode, The Cure or Nine Inch Nails. « TRANK is a band of diverse influences, some of them more obvious than others in the original tracks; we hope that these remixes will be an opportunity for fans of electronica, industrial music and post-punk to discover our sound. »
Check out the video here, stream / buy the single at https://backl.ink/148626756 - and don't forget to like, comment and subscribe directly on YouTube - TRANK remains a fully independent band and every little bit of support helps. Enjoy !
FEB 23, 2021
SIGNS OF LIFE - THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY WEAR...
As promised a while back, you can now ORDER your very own TRANK fan T-shirts - in limited quantities so go get yours now ! Created by our visual director Alban Verneret and inspired by the lyrics and videos of the band, they are quality items that will help you wear your love for TRANK proudly. Stocks are limited so get them while you can - and we will be back shortly to tell you more about a fantastic bunch of stunning remixes that will expand the sound of TRANK in all sorts of surprising directions. See you soon & keep sharing !
NOV 12, 2020
FANTASTIC ALBUM REVIEWS... AND T-SHIRTS COMING SOON !
Well - the virus stops us from defending our first album "The Ropes" on stage, but others are defending it for us - French alternative rock writers and journalists are literally flooding us with outstanding reviews.
We will very soon be posting some of those on the site, so you can get an idea of the sort of enthusiastic, passionate response the album is generating among French critics and rock lovers (you can find most of them on our Facebook page in the meantime, as well as the many interviews that surrounded the album release)... And maybe help us get the same sort of thing going in YOUR country ? In the meantime, we are overwhelmed with the love we're getting - and very pleased to see that in the views of title track video "The Ropes", which has just passed 100,000 plays on YouTube.
Also, you will very soon be able to wear your love for TRANK on your sleeve : in the next couple of weeks, we will be opening a new version of our online shop, which will also feature a very nice looking range of quality T-shirts.
Thank you for your continued support - we are DYING to play again for you on stage, we truly hope that the release party of the album - now moved to May 15th, 2021 - will NOT be pushed back another time, but in the meantime, rest assured that every word and gesture of support from you means a lot to us. See you very soon - dressed up in TRANK gear and ready to rock !
SEPTEMBER 15, 2020
TRANK LAUNCH 1st ALBUM AND NEW SINGLE VIDEO, "THE ROPES"
It's finally here. The first album by TRANK, "The Ropes", is available today from most download and streaming platforms, or as a limited edition digipak CD (signed or standard) from this site - and the title track video is out on YouTube. TRANK's first full-length album, “The Ropes”, is fuelled by the energy and experience gained on arena stages opening for major acts like Deep Purple, Papa Roach, Anthrax and Disturbed, as well as hours of painstaking studio work spent honing their epically intimate sound. Exploring the lyrical theme of relationships and the multiple ties that bind us, "The Ropes" sums up the signature TRANK sound - an intensely catchy blend of alternative riffs and post punk atmosphere, in equal parts dark and fiery. The band are already being flooded with fantastic reviews, which will be posted here.
You can download the album from iTunes here - as well as most other digital platforms, but you can also get your limited edition digipak CD, standard or signed by all four members of the band, from the "Shop" page of the site.
The striking video for title track "The Ropes" is also out today, and visible on YouTube here, or on the"Videos" page of the site. Created by band friend and visual director Alban Verneret, the film showcases the incredible talent of three shibari artists, whose bondage ritual tells the story of the "ties that bind us, knowingly or not" - and is at the center, not only of the video, but also of the album design. .
Keep an eye on the band's Facebook page for more news and reviews around the album : we couldn't have done it without you, and we can't wait to hear what you think of it - or to play it live for you. Thank you for your support and see you soon !
SEPTEMBER 01, 2020
TRANK ANNOUNCE ALBUM PRE ORDER AND TITLE TRACK VIDEO TEASER
It's finally here. Signed copies of TRANK's first album, "The Ropes", are available for pre order on the band's web site before the release of 09/15/2020, and the band has unveiled a teaser for the title song's bondage-theme video. TRANK's first full-length album, “The Ropes”, is fuelled by the energy and experience gained on arena stages opening for major acts like Deep Purple, Papa Roach, Anthrax and Disturbed, as well as hours of painstaking studio work spent honing their epically intimate sound. Exploring the lyrical theme of relationships and the multiple ties that bind us, "The Ropes" sums up the signature TRANK sound - an intensely catchy blend of alternative riffs and post punk atmosphere, in equal parts dark and fiery. The striking video for the title track, created by band friend and visual director Alban Verneret, showcases the incredible talent of three shibari artists, whose bondage ritual tells the story of the "ties that bind us, knowingly or not" - and is at the center, not only of the video, but also of the album design. Go to the "Shop" page to pre order your signed copy of the CD, visit the band's Facebook page for the teaser - and thank you again for the support : you are the ones who made this album possible.
AUG 15, 2020
TRANK RELEASE NEW SINGLE "BEND OR BREAK (2020)" !
Next up in the series of single releases preceding their first album, "The Ropes", due September 2020, TRANK are revealing "Bend or Break (2020 Album Version)."
A hugely successful live number which blends a powerful, intense alternative metal feel with singalong choruses, "Bend or Break (2020)" asks the question of "who dominates who" in relationships of power, and despite its obviously sexual overtones, also speaks to the resilience of each of us in the face of pressure from the outside - a theme that resonated very strongly with Eastern European audiences, with whom the song went down a storm. Like its predecessor "Undress to Kill (2020)," the song was first released in 2018, as part of a trio of singles which had gotten the band the attention of rock giants Deep Purple, Anthrax, Papa Roach and Disturbed : after triumphant opening sets for all of the above in arenas across Eastern Europe, the band decided to re-record those songs for inclusion on their first album, with new performances, recording and mix - a sonic upgrade which reflects the quantum leap in the power and drive of their act, honed upon those gigantic stages. The accompanying video was shot by their friend and visual director Alban Verneret, who also designed the upcoming album visuals - and it features the beauty and burlesque talents of band friend "Mamzelle Viviane." The song is available on YouTube, all the usual digital platforms (be sure to look for the "2020 Album version") - and on this page for download. Enjoy, like and share - and stay tuned for the next single plus full album release on September 15th !
JUN 30, 2020
TRANK RELEASE NEW SINGLE "UNDRESS TO KILL (2020)" !
Continuing the series of single releases preceding their first album, "The Ropes", due September 2020, TRANK are unleashing "Undress to Kill (2020 Album Version).
The song is a high-powered blend of alternative rock, metal and post-punk electronics, with a lyrical theme in keeping with the rest of the album's focus on the complexity of relationships. "It's not about serial killers or anything - it's about how some people don't just dress to kill, they also UN-dress to kill, meaning, they're so obsessed with the notion of impressing whoever they might be having sex with for the first time, that their ego takes over what should be a moment of sharing, and turns it into something poisonously self-centred." The song, first released in 2018, was one of a trio of singles which had gotten the band the attention of rock giants Deep Purple, Anthrax, Papa Roach and Disturbed : after triumphant opening sets for all of the above in arenas across Eastern Europe, the band decided to re-record those songs for inclusion on their first album, with new performances, recording and mix - a sonic upgrade which reflects the quantum leap in the power and drive of their act, honed upon those gigantic stages. The accompanying video was shot by their friend and visual director Alban Verneret, who also designed the upcoming album visuals. The song is available on YouTube, all the usual digital platforms (be sure to look for the "2020 Album version") - and on this page for download. Enjoy, like and share - and stay tuned for further releases !
MAY 11, 2020
TRANK RELEASE NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO "CHROME" !
Well, it was a long time coming, but now it’s here : TRANK are pleased to celebrate the start of gradual de confinement in their home country with the May 11th release of the 1st video and single from their upcoming 1st album, "Chrome".
The song is a tribute to the band's biker friends : the lyrics are a "prayer" of sorts in celebration of their love of freedom and the open road, and the music is quintessential TRANK - high-power alternative metal blended with post-punk electronics into an intense, irresistible ride. The video was shot during the band's breakthrough live performances opening for such major acts as Deep Purple or Anthrax in Eastern Europe, after their early singles caught the attention of both giant acts - as well as Disturbed and Papa Roach. Recorded in France with band co producer and seasoned recording engineer Yvan Barone, the song was mixed in NYC by Bring me the Horizon and Avenged Sevenfold engineer Brian Robbins, and mastered - also in NYC - by Andy VanDette (Porcupine Tree, David Bowie...). “Chrome" is taken from TRANK's first full-length album, "The Ropes", due for release later this year - more details to follow. Many thanks again to the fantastic crowds in Riga and Moscow who supported us as well as they did - we hope you enjoy seeing yourselves on screen :).
ARCHIVE
JULY 15, 2019
TRANK THANKS EASTERN EUROPEAN FANS BEFORE HEADING TO STUDIO
TRANK have now completed their mini-tour of Eastern Europe with massively successful opening gigs for Papa Roach in Vilnius, and Disturbed in Bucharest - as well as a fantastic reception by Ukrainian fans at Kyiv's legendary Atlas Weekend Festival. The band are now fully concentrating on their first full length album, and will continue their now-established tradition of sharing news and behind-the-scenes about the process of making the album on their Instagram and Facebook accounts. We hope to be ready with the finished product by the end of this year - including not only the album but at least TWO new videos for songs that will appear on it. We'll be sure to keep you posted, and in the meantime, thank you so very, very much for your continued support. See you very soon !
JUNE 27, 2019
TRANK GET FANTASTIC RECEPTION IN BUCHAREST WITH DISTURBED !
Well - this might sound like it's becoming a habit, but you never get used to that sort of feeling - in all the right ways. Despite less than ideal conditions (blistering heat, and a 7:30 PM start in full daylight...), the crowd of devoted fans assembled in Bucharest for Disturbed's first ever performance there gave TRANK - also in town for the very first time - a properly incredible reception. The atmosphere in the city's beautiful Arenele Romane was already hot before we hit the first not - but it was white hot by the time we left the stage. Thank you so much, Bucharest - here's another city that made it to our list of "must-come-back-to" destinations for future concerts, be it as openers for a big headliner - or in support of our upcoming first album. We had a chance to chat with many of you right after the concert, we're delighted with how the conversation now seems to continue on social networks - and we promise we will return the favor and come back whenever we get a chance. In the meantime, next up is our appearance on the rock & metal stage of the Atlas Weekend Festival in Kiev, on July 9th... See you there !(Picture credit : Anca Coleasa)
JUNE 11, 2019
TRANK GET TRIUMPHANT WELCOME IN VILNIUS WITH PAPA ROACH !
This officially goes down as our favorite concert so far, and the competition is tough. The crowd of Papa Roach fans in Vilnius gave us a fantastic welcome - one for the books. In fact the kind people at Compensa Hall told us they'd never heard that sort of reception for an opening act before... We also test-drove a couple of all new songs that will feature on the first album and they went down a storm. Thank you very much to the Vilnius crowd for being such a wonderful audience, and to Papa Roach for having us and being such a class act, on stage AND off. See you soon, Vilnius - that's one promise we intend to keep !
(Picture credit : TomNodalPhoto)
MAY 28, 2019 TRANK TO PERFORM @ LEGENDARY ATLAS FESTIVAL
After our opening gigs for Papa Roach in Vilnius (Jun 11th, 2019) then Disturbed in Bucharest (Jun 27th, 2019), TRANK will round up their short list of of selected live dates appearances for the summer of 2019 with a performance on the rock / metal stage of Ukraine's legendary Atlas Weekend Festival, on July 09th, 2019. The festival drew over 400,000 music fans towards its 8 stages last year and it will be a privilege for us to play the same event (and maybe get to play fanboys as well) with an incredibly diverse range of artists, from Liam Gallagher to the Vaccines via Hooverphonic and Black Eyed Peas... Well worth interrupting the recording of our first album for a few days. Plus, as you can tell from the sponsor's logo on the official poster below, there'll be crisps. See you there !
MAY 27, 2019 TRANK TO OPEN FOR ALT METAL GIANTS DISTURBED
TRANK are proud and excited after official confirmation that, hot on the heels of their opening gig for Papa Roach, they will (alongside cool alt-rockers Fall Has Come) open for Alt metal legends Disturbed in Bucharest on June 27th, 2019. This will be another great opportunity for us to perform for an Eastern European audience with a great reputation, and share the stage with true giants - and one of the few live dates we'll be playing this year, in between recording sessions for our very first album. See you soon, Bucharest !
MAY 15, 2019 TRANK TO OPEN FOR ALT METAL GIANTS PAPA ROACH
TRANK are proud and excited after official confirmation that they will open for alternative metal giants Papa Roach in Vilnius on June 11th, 2019. Papa Roach are one of the acts that pioneered alternative metal and have been rewarded with huge critical and commercial success for the power, originality and variety of their output - and their current sold-out tour will feature TRANK as opening act for its one date in Lithuana's packed-out Compensa Concert hall. After fantastic dates in Riga, Latvia (opening for Deep Purple) and Moscow, Russia (with Anthrax) last year, we are obviously delighted to discover one new eastern European audience for one of the very few select dates we'll be playing this year, in between recording sessions for our very first full length album. See you soon, Vilnius - we're looking forward !
MAY 14, 2019 TRANK INTERVIEW WITH THE ROCK METAL PODCAST
Among the interviews we've had recently, we thought we'd share this one with Jon, of the very cool Canadian blog "The Rock Metal Podcast" : it sheds some light on the meanings of some of the songs, as well as some info about the band's plans for 2019 and the upcoming first album proper. Enjoy !
APR 02, 2019 "UNDRESS TO KILL" GETS ONLINE INDIE PRESS COVERAGE
After its official exclusive début on French cult web radio show "Le Tohu Bohu sur VL.", TRANK's fourth official video, for single "Undress to Kill", is now available on YouTube - and the single can be streamed or downloaded from iTunes, Amazon and all the usual places, plus this site. Just like the 2 preceding films, this latest one was directed by the much-talented Alban Verneret and effectively closes the trilogy started with "In Troubled Times" and continued with "Bend or Break"... And it's getting picked up and noticed literally by dozens of webradios and webzines in Europe and Canada. Some of the interviews will be posted here - as well as upcoming live dates - although there won't be many because the band will spend most of the year shacked up in the studio... In the meantime, Enjoy and share as much as you can - and thank you for your support !
FEB 20, 2019 "UNDRESS TO KILL" NEW SINGLE & VIDEO RELEASE !
Following its exclusive debut on cult French web radio show "Le Tohu Bohu sur VL", TRANK's new single, "Undress to Kill", is now available to stream and download from all the usual places - plus of course this site. The video was again directed by the extremely talented Alban Verneret, and concludes the trilogy started with "InTroubled Times" and continued with "Bend or Break." Enjoy and share as much as you can !
EDIT : the video has now been replaced with the new version of the song, re-performed, re-recorded and re-mixed in 2020. Enjoy :)
DEC 24, 2018 MERRY XMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM TRANK !
Merry Xmas and a Happy new year to all of you from TRANK ! We'll remember 2018 as the year we got to prove ourselves on giant arena stages, opening for legends Deep Purple and Anthrax (not bad for a fully independent French band...). We'll be back in 2019 with 2 new singles & videos followed by our 1st album - In the meantime, thanks to all for your continued support, and see you very soon on stage !
DEC 18, 2018 NEW INTERVIEW BY CULT FRENCH WEB RADIO
Following a very successful opening concert on the last date of Anthrax's world tour in Moscow's 5,000-seat Cition Hall (more details further down), TRANK (well - half of TRANK) had the pleasure to sit for an extensive interview with the fantastic team of "Le Tohu Bohu", one of France's top rock radio shows, with - among others - the incredibly talented show host Sébastien Crépinior and legendary French musician, critic & writer Pierre Mikaïloff. You can replay the interview in Audio via the link below - and find out more about how the band works. Enjoy !
DEC 09, 2018 TRANK HIT IT BIG @ ANTHRAX OPENING GIG
Thank you so much to Anthrax for inviting us to warm up their audience for the FINAL concert of their 2018 world tour - and to their incredible audience for giving us the welcome of a lifetime. A picture says more than 1,000 words - which considering we must have been asked for at least 1,000 fan selfies afterwards (a lot of which are popping up on Instagram these days), makes a LOT of words... Thank you Moscow, you rock and we hope to be back there soon !
NOV 9, 2018 BREAKING NEWS - TRANK WILL OPEN FOR ANTHRAX !
Now it's official : after opening for hard rock legends Deep Purple in Riga this summer, to an incredibly enthusiastic, packed audience of 16,000 fans, TRANK have now been chosen by Anthrax to open for them at Moscow's "Cition Hall" on December 9th, 2018. The band are obviously proud of having the honor and privilege to warm up the stage for one of the founding acts of thrash metal - and are very much looking forward to giving their best to deserve the vote of confidence. See you there !
NOV 5, 2018 NEW LIVE INTERVIEW BY GENEVA WEBZINE
So - we've been away for quite some time, as we were busy recording the next 4 tracks in the band's repertoire and preparing for some BIG NEWS to be shared later. But we're just about to break the silence - at 7:00 PM on November 7, 2018, we'll be sitting with the lovely people of On Stage Music-Live, a Geneva-based web radio and network of music fans who want to know a little more about us - who we are, how we work, the music we love, our favorite sins, etc. Click on the image below for more details - if you're in Geneva then you're welcome to attend; otherwise, the interview will air on theirFacebook page shortly after recording. Speak soon ! UPDATE - the interview went great (as in, everyone survived) and you can watch it here... If you speak French :). And the BIG NEWS mentioned above is in it !
OCT 15, 2018 IN THE STUDIO RECORDING NEW SONGS...
...Which is why you have't been hearing from us. We have four new songs in the making - we've spent the better part of the mast few months polishing them to a standard we were happy with, and have started recording them at our usual dwelling place in Studio Des Forces Motrices, hosted by friend and studio boss David Weber, with our "5th man" Yvan Barone overseeing the session. We'll be publishing the results in 2019 - in what form ? More to follow...
AUG 23, 2018 NEW VIDEO "BEND OR BREAK" OUT NOW ON VEVO
TRANK's second single and video of 2018, "Bend or Break", is now out on VEVO - as well as Apple Music and all the usual suspects - as of August 23rd, and you can also watch it on the PLAY page of this site. The film picks up exactly where its predecessor"In Troubled Times", also shot by Alban Verneret, left off - and features the beauty, talent and grace of band friend and multi-talented dancer, actress and performer Virginie Georges - better known in the world of burlesque as "Mam'zelle Viviane." More details and stories about the song and its making of in the next few days and weeks - in the meantime, feel free to share, like and comment on YouTube / Vevo - we are a fully independent band and your support is what keeps us going !
JUL 11, 2018 NEW VIDEO "IN TROUBLED TIMES" OUT NOW
The video for "In Troubled Times", the new single by TRANK, is now available to watch on Youtube (plus on the PLAY page of this site) - and the single will soon be available on all the usual digital download and streaming platforms. The video was shot by excellent director Alban Verneret - and brings to life the idea and atmosphere of the song with suitably demonic aesthetics. We hope you love the whole package as much as we're proud of it - if you do, recall we are a fully independent band and we need your help to spread the word... So share it as much and as often as you can. Thank you for your continued support - and see you in a month for the release of the next one !
JUN 04, 2018 TRANK SCORES MASSIVE HIT @ RIGA ARENA
Well, a picture (such as the one below, shot by Alban Verneret) says more than 15,000 words. Many thanks again from TRANK camp to the fantastic audience of the June 3rd Deep Purple show at the sold-out Riga Arena - 15,000 rock lovers who gave us the best reception and sang along to songs they'd never heard before. We hope to be back there again soon !
JUN 02, 2018 DEEP PURPLE ENDORSE TRANK IN THE PRESS !
Ahead of our opening gig in Riga for Deep Purple, June 3rd, 2018, we've had the pride and privilege of getting the band's endorsement in the local press. Quote : "If we appeared in the XXIst century, then, probably, our music would be very similar to TRANK. They have the right words, the guitarist takes the right chords and, of course, the right rhythm sounds, which makes your heart beat twice as fast as usual. In TRANK, our people play one hundred percent." One of the magazines in which the article appears describes us as "an exceptionally interesting band", and the "perfect fit" to celebrate Deep Purple's 50th anniversary in style. Needless to say we feel incredibly proud of receiving such an honor from proper rock legends DP... legends on stage, legends off stage (photo credit : Alban Verneret).
MAY 04, 2018 TRANK CHOSEN TO OPEN FOR DEEP PURPLE !
TRANK will have the immense privilege to open for rock legends Deep Purple on the occasion of their 50th anniversary concert, in Riga's Arena, Latvia, June 3, 2018. We obviously feel bottomless amounts of pride. And a little panic at the thought of performing in front of 15,000 people. And yes, part of why we were chosen is the new song and video that you haven't seen yet. But they're coming, in May - promised. In the meantime, Riga's actually not THAT far, so maybe... See you there ?
MARCH 30, 2018 NEW TRANK SINGLE ANNOUNCED !
Now confirmed : TRANK's new single, "In Troubled Times", will be released on all the usual digital platforms in May 2018. This includes YouTube where you will very soon have a chance to watch the video for the single, as directed by Alban Verneret - who is also responsible for the sleeve design below. More details to come upon release... Watch this space.
MARCH 12, 2018 ...ANY MINUTE NOW...
Yeah, we know. We ARE the slow kind of perfectionists. But at long last, we've completed the mix of the first of the three new songs to be released before the summer - it's now gone off to mastering, so hopefully you should be able to feast your eyes and ears on the first of our next three videos within two, three weeks tops. We hope you agree the result was worth the wait - cross fingers :).
In the meantime, heartfelt thanks to the wonderful audience that supported us on March 9th for our performance @ Geneva's "L'Abri", where we took the stage following yet another outstanding and moving performance by our friends the Bear's Towers. The venue sounds great - all the more so with our friend David Weber at the mixing board... And we were given a properly royal treatment by the lovely staff, whom we hope to meet again soon !
JANUARY 1, 2018 BEST WISHES FROM TRANK !
Well - it's all in the title, really. We're busy completing the mixes for our next 3 singles - and funnily enough, the videos are already finished... As of next week we'll start posting pictures and - maybe - stories about the shoot. In the meantime, make sure to come see us perform live if you're around Geneva on March 9th - we will share the stage at L'Abri with our good friends and fantastic musicians, Bear's Towers.
And of course we're looking forward to seeing you there !
NOVEMBER 21, 2017 THREE NEW SONGS & VIDEOS + LIVE DATE
But where have they gone ? Why no news ? Well - because we're busy doing stuff that will make the news. That clear ? No ? Read on then.
TRANK has recently signed a management contract with a great bunch of people. As a result of that we will soon be entering the studio to record three new songs ("singles" in XXth century parlance) - after which we will shoot one video for each. If the plan comes together, the first of these videos should hit somewhere around February or March 2018, and the other two will follow in short succession.
For further details, and pictures of the recording as well as the video shoots, watch our Facebook and Instagram accounts - and of course here on the band website, where you can still play and download our first 6-track E.P. as you wait for the new stuff to be released. In addition, we will be celebrating all of this on stage with a live performance in Geneva - the date is Mar 09, 2018 : find out more on the calendar on the right side of this page - we hope to see you there.
SEPTEMBER 29, 2017 LOTS GOING ON - ON STAGE & ON SCREEN
On stage, we've just had our own version of an on-stage marathon. On September 23rd, we played our first-ever 2-hour concert for our biker friends of the I Cinque Del Association, test-driving 7 new songs and a few selected covers (extensively reworked to match the TRANK sound) in the process. It was a fantastic and incredibly well-received experience, and we're looking forward to recording the songs in the studio so we can share them in their proper, fully-realized form... And we're working on making that happen by the end of this year.
On screen, we've learnt that French TV Channel C-Star will put the video for "Take the Money & Run"on rotation at the end of November ! We still love both the song and the video directed by our talented friend Jean Baptiste ANDREA, whom you may have noticed is all over the news right now with much critical acclaim surrounding the release of his first novel (the guy has every talent conceivable). We'll keep you posted as we hear more - See you soon for other news !
JUNE 12, 2017 TRANK'S NEW LIVE UNPLUGGED VIDEO IS OUT !
The second song taken from our short "Live unplugged" session at Geneva's Alternate Studios is finally out ! After our own Illustrated Girl got the acoustic treatment (check her out on youtube, about 32,000 viewers have done so already !) we set out to create a low-key, all-acoustic, hyper minimal cover version of one of the band's favorites - and one of pop's all-time classics, Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence". While the original's stunning melody and lyric were carried by cutting edge electro-pop production work (courtesy of the band's then sonic supremo Alan Wilder, and co-producer Flood), we had a shot at going back to the songs roots as a ballad. Hardcore fans will know the original demo was recorded at a slow, almost funeral pace with just Martin Gore's voice and a harmonium - we didn't go quite that far, but we thought it would be an interesting tribute to the genius of the band to give their song the "live in the studio" acoustic treatment. The band means a lot to us, and we hope you enjoy the version (excuse the pun). Check it out on the "Play" page - and see you soon for more news !
JUNE 10, 2017 TRANK LIVE @ LE TRANSBORDEUR !
Aaah well. Emergenza is over for us ! We still had a great time - and Johann was voted Best Drummer of the night, so we're not coming out empty-handed. Thanks to all the fans and friends who came to support us and gave us a fantastic crowd response. Being up against mostly local groups from Lyon with their following close by, we didn't quite get enough votes to qualify or win - but thanks to you we had a fantastic time. Congrats to the winners (Behind locked doors, a great sounding harmonizing folk trio) as well as the other acts there - with a special mention to our friends Bear's Towers when had the tough job of opening the night, which they did as brilliantly and movingly as usual - and see you soon for pictures from the show - as well as other TRANK news :).
MAY 09, 2017 TRANK'S FIRST LIVE TV APPEARANCE !
Well - that was quite a moment for us : on May 9th, Paris station IDF1 gave us our first ever TV appearance. Show host Jacques Jakubowicz, better known as "Jacky", has a cultish TV show there during which he showcases artists whose work he wants to support - and we were lucky enough to be one of those; a couple of us in the band were huge fans of "Platine 45", the pioneer pop show he used to run in the early 80's, as well as his participation to "Les Enfants du Rock" alongside the likes of Philippe Manoeuvre & Antoine de Caunes... We were treated to a live interview, followed by the broadcasting of the "Take the Money & Run" video, followed by a live acoustic performance of "Accidents", which can be found - in a much louder-sounding version on our 6-track EP, "Midlife Noises".
A massive privilege, a pretty nerve-wracking experience - and all in all a fantastic moment, largely due to the friendliness and professionalism of Jacky and his crew. A big thanks to them ! You can watch the replay of the second part of the show (in which we were featured) by clicking the screenshot below - enjoy, and don't forget to leave a comment on the page !
APRIL 21, 2017 TRANK STEAL SHOW @ EMERGENZA FESTIVAL
After a triumphant set on the night of April 21st at Lyon's CCO, TRANK have qualified for the next round of the Emergenza festival - a performance at legendary concert venue "Le Transbordeur", also in Lyon, competing against another 11 emerging independent acts from the area. It is the second time that, with the support of a small but dedicated group of supporters who made the trip for us, we win over a crowd at the festival - and make it to the next round. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to the fans and friends who again showed us unwavering support (with extra special thanks to the Cinque Del people - and Aurélie, who also took the shot below), to the fantastic crowd who gave us the loudest and best response we could hope for, the dozens of audience members at the packed-full CCO who hadn't come specifically for us but did give us their votes, Solene & the Emergenza team - including the technical crew - for a flawless experience, and the cool new bands we got to hang out with. More details to come soon on the next steps - starting with a confirmation of the date for the next round : for now, assume it's June 10. See you soon on stage !
APRIL 21, 2017 OUR FIRST LIVE UNPLUGGED VIDEO IS OUT
In February 2017, TRANK went to Geneva's Alternate Studios for a live-and-unplugged recording session, in the company of trusted producer and engineer Yvan Barone, remaking a few of their own songs (taken from their first 6-track EP, "Midlife Noises"), as well as a much-loved cover along the day - into a much softer and intimate style compared to the massive sound of the originals. The band setup a few cameras to give their fans and friends an idea of what the experience felt like : today we're sharing the first excerpt from the session, a radically different version of one our own songs, "Illustrated Girl." You can see it on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_Zg0Z759Uc - or go to the "PLAY" page and try it there, as well as other videos from the band and our full 6-track EP, "Midlife Noises" - on which the original version of the song appears. More coming soon.
Thanks for your support - enjoy !
APRIL 08, 2017 TRANK @ EMERGENZA FESTIVAL
TRANK stole the show at the March 23rd selections for the Emergenza Festival in Lyon - with the packed crowd of La Marquise giving the band a most rousing reception. As a result - we're on and qualified for the next round, on April 21st, in Lyon's CCO. A rare chance to catch the band as well as other up-and-coming alternative acts - and cast a vote for us ! See more details by clicking the link at the bottom right of this page - and thanks to all for your support.
MARCH 01, 2017 NEW LIVE DATES COMING
Here's a couple of chances to catch TRANK live in the coming weeks : first we return to Geneva's "La Tanière / Champmeslé" on March 18, upon second invitation from the kind folks of AllMadness Geneva (always nice to be wanted back) for a night we hope will be just as great as the first, with pop-rock Geneva outfit "Tricks & Stuff" opening the proceedings. Then it's Lyon and infamous boat / rock venue "La Marquise" on March 23 - as we've just been selected to take part in this year's edition of the International "Emergenza" rock festival. More details after the links on the right side of this page - hope to see you there !
FEBRUARY 13, 2017 UNPLUGGED LIVE TRACKS COMING !
The band have just completed two days of recording at Geneva's "Alternate Studios", performing a four-song live unplugged session. Three of our own tunes, all taken from our 1st 6-track E.P., have received the "acoustic" treatment - plus one cover from one of the band's favorites. The session was produced by "official fifth member" Yvan Barone, who is busy mixing the tracks as we write these lines : as soon as mixing is complete, we will start posting the results. We hope you enjoy playing them as much as we enjoyed making them - and in the meantime, you can watch the youtube announcement of the session here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09mVmPODJ_o&feature=youtu.be. Thank you for your support, and see you soon !
JANUARY 14, 2017 FANTASTIC GIG IN GENEVA
Thank you from the whole band to Geneva's "La Tanière" - recently rebranded "Champmeslé", a great Cavern-style club where we performed last night in front of a fantastic crowd who gave us a great reception. Thanks as well to the "AllMadness" folks for organizing the whole event, Yves and Ian for the sound - and club owner Jo, as well as his staff, for welcoming us. We had a fabulous time and it seems we weren't the only ones - as we've been asked to come back and play the place again, which should happen sometime in March. Keep an eye on this page for more details as they come in - and in the meantime thank you for your continued support.
JANUARY 08, 2017 COOL REVIEWS COMING IN
While most of us in the band would agree that 2016 was a tough year on a lot of levels, and the making of our very first E.P. and video were pretty much the only great news to look back on for us, 2017 seems off to a much better start : after passing 110,000 views on YouTube with the "Take the Money& Run" single video, we're now getting very cool reviews. First from the "Musique-Alliance" website, who picked up on the video - which they loved as much as the song ("Trank's music is absolutely fantastic - see the full review at http://www.musiquealliance.fr/4943-clip-groupe-trank-ecrit-realise-jean-baptiste-andrea.html); and now from "Batteur Magazine", who published a raving review of our "Midlife Noises" 6-track E.P., with only one thing they didn't like - it was too short and they want a full album (working on it, people; working on it). You'll find the full review here : https://www.batteurmag.com/article/rayon-laser-308/. Here's to hoping more will follow !
JANUARY 01, 2017 TRANK'S FIRST VIDEO HITS 115,000 VIEWS !
And so we've celebrated the new year with the 115,000th YouTube view of our first video, for lead single "Take the Money & Run". After months of writing, recording, mixing and mastering the song - alongside the other 5 tracks on our first E.P., followed by weeks of hard work to make the video with director Jean Baptiste Andrea and cinematographer / editor Julien Gayot, it feels very gratifying to see the results snowball into a much bigger audience impact than we could have hoped for. Thanks to all for the support - and best wishes again from the whole band !
DECEMBER 07, 2016 TRANK'S FIRST VIDEO IS OUT !
What can we say - we're impossibly proud of it. The video for "Take the Money & Run", our first single, is available on youtube - and also on this site's just-launched "Play" page, as well as a Thank-you video dedicated to the Kissbankers who made it all possible. Now - we're a fully independent band with no record company support, so we count on you to share as much as you can... Enjoy !
NOVEMBER 03, 2016 VIDEO SHOOT COMPLETE FOR TRANK
Well, it's in the can. Six weeks of writing, storyboarding and pre-production, two days of field prep, two days of shoot : we now have the footage need to make our first ever video, for "Take the Money and Run" - from our first E.P., "Midlife Noises". Director Jean Baptiste Andrea, cinematographer Julien Gayot, his young assistant Quentin as well as the brilliant cast and crew and the band themselves are thrilled with what they have seen from the footage. Post-production and editing work is happening these days for a video release hopefully before Christmas 2016. In the meantime, we will be sending out proper rewards to our KissKissBankBank contributors in the coming days and weeks - no need to do anything in addition what you have already done : help us make it, and fill out your details. We'll take care of the rest - in the hopes that you will love the results. Stay tuned !
OCTOBER 23, 2016 TRANK'S CROWDFUNDING : A HAPPY END !
Thanks to the generosity of the band's friends and fans, we now have the funds required to shoot the video for our first single, "Take the Money and Run" - the shoot will take place before the end of October, 2016, and editing and post-production should be complete in time for a video single release before Christmas. The band, director and team are all excited to make the project happen, and incredibly grateful for the support of everyone who helped. We hope you enjoy the results - and in the meantime we'll be seeing you on stage.
OCTOBER 08, 2016 TRANK DEBUT NEW BASS PLAYER LIVE
TRANK performed a fantastically well-received concert at Geneva's Undertown, a well-reputed concert venue with one of the best stages and sounds in the area. The gig was a four-band showcase organized by our friends and partners at GVA Pro Studios and also featured on-the-rise alternative acts No Roots, Donkey Shot and Ultima Ratio. But even more importantly for us, this was our first live performance with new bass player David, who has just picked up the bass after our friend Max had to leave the band for personal reasons. The band wish Max all the best, and a warm, official - and overdue - welcome to David, who already fits in seamlessly with the rest of the gang and performed a fabulous set - to which he brought his own hard-edged style and sound, honed for years of extensive touring experience with a long list of bands and styles, ranging from blues-rock to punk to metal and stoner. We can't wait to go back to the studio with him to record our second batch of songs - but you will get other opportunities to see us on stage with him even before that. Stay tuned... And if you want to find out what David looks like, go to the Gallery section for pictures of the Oct 08 show, shot by über talented Geneva photographer, Laura Gilli.
SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 TRANK CROWDFUNDING UPDATE
Want some news about how the crowdfunding for our first video is coming along ? In a word : nicely. Very nicely, even as we seem to be on track to reach the project's goal - and be able to shoot something that looks as good as we want it to. Thank you for your support, and a special thank you to the many people who have contributed already - be it funds or exposure, every little helps !
SEPTEMBER 08, 2016 TRANK ON KISSKISSBANKBANK
The band are in pre-production phase for the upcoming video of lead single "Take the money and run" - and, true to the title of the song, they need money before they can run. So they have created a crowdfunding project page on Kisskissbankbank.com - and made a pledge video for it. To check it out and decide if you want to help, go straight to https://www.kisskissbankbank.com/fr/projects/trank-clip-du-1er-single-take-the-money-run - and thank you for your support !
AUGUST 28, 2016 "MIDLIFE NOISES" AVAILABLE ON CD !
"Midlife Noises", the first ever, 6-track release by TRANK, is now also available as a limited edition digipak CD - you can order it from the new "shop" page of this site, either as a standard or signed edition. Hope you enjoy looking at it - and listening to it - as much as we enjoyed putting it together - let us know !
JULY 14, 2016 "MIDLIFE NOISES" AVAILABLE... EVERYWHERE
"Midlife Noises", the first ever, 6-track release by TRANK, is now also available as a download on the most popular music stores : iTunes, Amazon and Tidal) as well as the largest streaming sites (Deezer, Spotify...). If you'd rather use those than download from the TRANK site home page - you can do that as of today. Note that the CD-resolution versions of the songs remain available to download straight from the site's home page - they will take longer to download because of the higher resolution, but they will also sound better. Regardless - enjoy, review, and share as much as you can !
JULY 09, 2016 "MIDLIFE NOISES" DOWNLOAD AVAILABLE HERE !
"Midlife Noises", the first ever, 6-track release by TRANK, is available to stream and download from this site (see "home") in CD-quality audio. In addition, the EP will become available on the most popular music stores (iTunes, Tidal etc) and streaming sites (Deezer, Spotify...) within the next couple of weeks. Last but not least, for those of you who enjoy playing old-school "physical" discs as much as we do, a high quality digipak CD will be available to order from this page early august - with the first 100 lucky buyers enjoying the privilege of a band-signed copy (you never know - might be worth a fortune on auction sites a few years from now) (yes, one track was nearly called "wishful thinking"). Stream the songs for free, buy them if you like them (click on "buy album" or on one of the individual songs to be taken to a secure Paypal payment page), and don't hesitate to send us your (nicest...) comments - or sign up for our newsletter so you stay afloat of everything new on the site as it happens. Share as much as you can, thank you for the support, and enjoy the songs.
JULY 07, 2016 TRANK MASTERED BY ANDY VANDETTE
The final master of the 6 tracks making up TRANK's first ever release, "Midlife Noises", has just been approved by the band. Mastering was done by Andy VanDette, a world-renowned, NYC-based sound engineer with a stunning track record - which includes the "At the Beeb" sessions collection by David Bowie, or Porcupine Tree's fantastic sounding "In Absentia." Only a few more days to wait until you can judge the results for yourselves - on this site as well as iTunes, Deezer, Spotify and a few other on-line places to stream or download from - not to mention of course, a good old-fashioned physical CD.
JUNE 22, 2016 TRANK ANNOUNCE FIRST E.P. "MIDLIFE NOISES"
French rock band TRANK are proud to announce the release of their first ever E.P., "Midlife Noises". Available as an old-school digipak CD and digital download from iTunes and Amazon as well as streaming on Spotify, "Midlife Noises" captures TRANK's signature blend of infectious power, hard-rocking beats and full-on, flamboyant performance with an intense, raging brand of world-weary introspection. Ahead of the July release, advance track "Take the money and run" is available to stream on the "home" page of this site in a pre-mastered version. (EDIT : this version has now been taken offline, since the mastered version is available as part of the E.P.)
JUNE 22, 2016 FIRST VIDEO WITH CULT DIRECTOR
Taken from TRANK's first E.P., "Take the money and run" will get the video treatment from feature writer & director Jean Baptiste Andrea, whose cult thrillers "Dead End", "La Confrérie des Larmes" and noir-comedy "Big Nothing" have gained cult following and built his reputation for darkly stylish suspense and quirky humor. The lyrics of the song describe the inner struggle between creature comforts and integrity - to the world and to one's inner calling : Jean Baptiste is working with the band to capture the tension that underpins the song in a metaphorical rather than straight manner - the script is in the works now, and the final shoot will take place in October 2016.
JUNE 21, 2016 TRANK'S FIRST EVER LIVE PERFORMANCE !
Live debut : ticked. In the typically shambolic atmosphere of French "Fête de la musique", and after months of honing their set in the cosy environment of GVA Pro Studios, TRANK have now had their baptism of fire on stage, and for the small but passionate audience as well as the band, it was a blast. And yes, the first EP was written, recorded and mixed before we'd even hit the stage. Because we like to do things the wrong way around. You should get used to it : it'll happen again. As soon as our first EP arrives we'll go shopping for further live dates - so stay tuned.
JUNE 19, 2016 WELCOME TO TRANK'S WEBSITE
It's all in the title, really. We hope you enjoy the site and take the time to play the songs, and read as much info about the band as you see fit. See the "contact" page if you want to get in touch with us.