This past Friday evening, I had the pleasure of attending the “Friday the 13th,” themed indie-scene show at the Trappy Hour venue in New Brunswick, NJ. I went with the intention of photographing the performance of the new and upcoming band Spring State, who have recently put out their debut album, “Everything Must Grow,” on June 7 of this year.
Spring State’s sound is a love letter to growing up listening to punk, emo, and indie rock. “I didn’t want to sound like my idols, but I can’t say their influence isn’t absent on the record. I had to stop telling myself ‘This doesn’t sound like “My Chemical Romance” or “Taking Back Sunday,”’ and I had to ask myself ‘What does Spring State sound like?’” said AJ, the guitarist and front man.
While Spring State has been around for a little while now, with the release of their debut album “Everything Must Grow” they have exploded into the New Jersey independent scene with a fantastic performance at the Trappy Hour.
When asked what the major themes of the record are, AJ responded, “Growth, recovery, rebirthing yourself and overcoming past demons.”
The music combines a punk beat and rhythm with lyrics that certainly make you question your path in life, but in a positive way, asking if how you have been treated or how you have been treating yourself is actually the way you deserve to be treated.
“Deer antlers give symbolism of death and regrowth. Marigolds are a symbol of death, but also of remembrance,” he said.
The Trappy Hour was just one stop on a list of multiple venues Spring State will be playing in the coming weeks. On Sept. 21, they will be playing at MudFest in Asbury Park at the Muddy Waters Gastropub. On Oct. 19, they will be playing The Sound Fest at Prototype Paterson in Paterson, NJ. There is much more to come from Spring State, so to keep up to date with their shows and releases, their handle is @springstateofficial on all social media platforms.
Spring State gave a magically thrilling performance last Friday night. Their energy is extremely contagious, so much so they had the whole crowd dancing and moshing along to their music, with the band joining at certain points as well. Their sound was spectacular, their songs were blaring out the venue into the streets of New Brunswick, making everyone in attendance or just passing by feel like they are worthy of their own self love. Overall their presence lifted up the spirits of not only the venue, but the crowd of people who attended, along with an impactful lasting impact on the scene. I personally can’t wait to see them perform again, to work with them, and to photograph them in shows to come!
