Lee Trent (formerly known as Trent Woods) is a multi-instrumentalist, arranger, session/touring musician, and songwriter based out of Nashville, Tennessee. He spent years honing his craft while living in his hometown of Martinsville, Virginia. He put his aspirations to the test by moving to Nashville. After years of playing gigs and festivals as a "Side-man" Trent decided to take his songwriting skills to another level. His new and upcoming single, Optimism emphasizes the feeling of being humble with love and happiness when finding that special person after soul searching.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey Lee Trent, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
My brother got me heavily interested in music when I was just 5. I was inspired by bands like Jimi Hendrix, The Who, and Smash Mouth just to name a few! A lot of people in my family play music as well, so I was around it all of the time!
What is your creative process like?
A lot of times, when writing and/or composing, I often hear sounds in my head that I want to go back and create! Sometimes, I will write something while practicing different techniques on my guitar. Some days are better than others when it comes to writing lyrics.
Your latest song is 'Optimism'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
At the time (not too long after the lock down of 2020 started), I was couch surfing and I was temporarily living with my friend that is also the producer and engineer for 'Optimism', Brett Hoffman. I've always been inspired by his creative process and his approach to writing. I'd also split with my ex a while back. I guess you could say a combination of that feeling of being single and having musical inspiration from Brett started the formation of the song. From there on, Brett started a progression on his Ableton programming and I finished writing the lyrics in less than an hour. I moved out of the house I was living in around that time, not because of the financial struggle the pandemic caused, but my long-time friend and former roommate was going through an addiction problem. I did not feel comfortable about living with him because he became unpredictable and we ended up having a "falling out". Who knows what would've happened if I never moved out of that house? Maybe 'Optimism' would've never been born.
What was the most difficult challenge you faced?
The most difficult challenge(s) I ever faced was when my Dad lost his battle to cancer while I was 17 and then losing my close friend of 10 years, Terry. He passed away due to a car accident (he was my roommate that I was living with just before 'Optimism' was created).
What is the biggest mistake you have made within your career to this point?
The biggest mistake I ever made was getting 'high' or drunk before showing up to a show or session. As far as I'm concerned, it was the most unprofessional move I ever made as a musician. I've been sober for a long time now but for years, I had a drug and alcohol problem.
How do you know when a work is finished?
When I am ready to release something, I have to be satisfied without asking others what they think of it. Sometimes, in certain cases, it can be wise to ask others how they view something, but in the end, when it comes to writing and releasing music, I am a firm believer in being my own judge and not asking others what they think of it. I've always felt that if I have to ask others what they think of the product that I am working on, than I feel that it's the back of my mind telling me that I am not %100 satisfied with the outcome of it.
What are your long term goals?
My long term goals are to produce not just myself but other up and coming artists. I'm always motivated to work on something! I've thought about getting back into teaching music too!
Do you have a mentor or coach?
I've always considered my guitar teacher, David Oakes as my mentor and coach! He lead me to the path of having a more professional attitude and motivated me to practice and get better. David also pushed me to really kick off my music career to another level by moving out of my hometown and going to Nashville! He is a very encouraging person and I'm grateful to know him!
What memorable responses have you had to your work?
My friend who also happens to be one of the members of Wilco, Pat Sansone told me I'd written a great song while I was in the process of recording one of my older singles, 'Warm Winter Collision'. That song was released under former artist name, Trent Woods. It really meant a lot to hear that from Pat considering the fact that he is an amazing songwriter and musician!
What are your plans for the future?
For the future, I want to keep backing up other artists as a hired gun but I also want to keep writing and releasing music so that people can actually hear what my true musical personality sounds like. My other big plan is to produce and record other artists.