trevor Hall Live

"Songwriting to me is a practice of getting out of the way," says Trevor Hall. Given his prodigious talent, no doubt the 18-year-old singer/songwriter is on to something. Trevor's new six-track Geffen EP will give music fans a clear look into the musings of an artist well beyond his years. Recorded live at the Mint and Hotel Café in Los Angeles, the new EP features Trevor on acoustic guitar joined by percussionist Leon Mobley (of Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals) and bassist Sean Hurley. The disc marks Trevor's first major label release following his 2004 indie debut "Lace Up Your Shoes" which was produced by Jon Alagia (Dave Matthews, Jason Mraz and Liz Phair). Trevor masterfully weaves folk, hip-hop and reggae influences into a rootsy acoustic-centered style. On "Under the Blanket," "The Rascals Have Returned" and "Beautiful Lunatic," he sings smart supple lyrics often in a coiled half-whisper ("traveling bhodisattvas transform madness into opera/oh the sky is falling but there is plenty of room to breath"). Ballads like "When Cocoons Become Butterflies" and "The Lime Tree" pulse with the heart and recklessness of youth. Despite his age, Trevor is a veteran performer, having launched his career at 15. A native of Hilton Head, South Carolina, Trevor started writing at age 14, inspired by artists like Ben Harper as well as legends Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix. His development took off when he moved to the mountains east of Los Angeles to attend the Idyllwild School for the Performing Arts. "It totally transformed me," he says. "Being there opened me up to new cultures, new sounds and new possibilities." Soon, Trevor secured management, and began playing and recording out of his new Southern California home base. Trevor spent last summer touring with Steel Pulse and has since opened for the likes of Ben Harper, Jason Mraz, G-Love and Donavon Frankenreiter. Trevor has aligned himself with many charitable organizations and performed last year on Capitol Hill in Washington DC for the Arts Advocacy Council along with Bob Weir and other luminaries fighting to keep the arts in public schools. He is also an avid surfer, and recently performed at two benefit concerts for the Surfrider Foundation although with his career in full swing there's been little time for him to hit the beaches. Having just graduated from high school, Trevor is devoting all his energies to his career. And while the accolades are already pouring in, he doesn't like to think about the whirlwind to come. "I'm just in the moment," says Trevor. "I still feel that I'm only beginning to explore the possibilities of my music. But music is everything I have and everything I can give."