MANSFIELD, Ohio — If you keep up with the music scene in Mansfield, chances are you have run into Trouper’s band members. All of them have been around the scene’s block — a few times. And now, they have joined together to start up Mansfield’s newest band: Trouper.
The local band has technically existed for a little over two years, but its members were originally confined to a local married couple: Aaron and Jocelyn Nicolas.
The two were married in 2010. When they were first married they belonged to a band, The La De Les. The band toured together, made albums together and developed a reputation for making quality music. The band split in 2012 and the Nicolases moved to Mansfield. Once in town, they started managing Crossroad Church’s Coffee House and started making music together as Trouper. Jocelyn sang and played keys, Aaron also sang and played a variety of electronic instruments. They worked together on lyrics.
Managing the Coffee House allowed for them to invite musicians in for open mic nights. This is when they met brothers Max and Nick Dotson.
“They would come in and just play drums and bass. They didn’t even need vocals. It was so cool and everybody liked just listening to them jam,” reflected Aaron. “We always wanted to collaborate with them.”
But the Nicolases said they were called to move to Cambodia for a year. They left in 2013 and returned in August 2014. In Cambodia they taught at a campus for Asia’s Hope, a nonprofit based in Columbus. The Cambodians did not have a music program for the children at the campus, so they started one, said Jocelyn.
“[Being in Cambodia] gave us perspective on everything. It spoke to every area of our life. Aaron and I are both achieving kind of people. You put something in front of us and were just like, ‘work, work, work.’ We just realized that the world will move on without you. So it’s almost like this realizing of your insignificance, but then with that comes a new perspective on what is significant,” said Jocelyn.
When the couple got back from Cambodia, they invited the Dotson brothers to join Trouper; the brothers agreed. Max plays drums and Nick plays bass. They also recruited Jocelyn’s brother, Eric Biddle, to play electric guitar. Their first practices together proved successful, according to the band members.
Biddle said the band had written 12 songs in three practices.
“It really exploded out. We had really only practiced together like three or four times and then we had a full length worth of material,” said Biddle.
“I think it was just a symptom of all of us just being ready for something like this,” said Jocelyn.
The band members were unsure of how to describe their sound. After some discussion, they agreed their music falls somewhere between ambient rock, trip hop and … U2.
“I think it (our music) sounds like U2,” said Aaron, jokingly. “I think that’s funny though because that’s actually been in our conversations in talking about the songs we’re gonna be writing here soon for the full length — just letting stuff come out however we want and seeing what happens,” he added.
“It’s really hard to explain. We’re like Bellarive — but not really,” said Max Dotson.
Jocelyn said she enjoys Trouper’s honesty.
“It’s the most honest thing I have been a part of … It’s just honest. There’s no hidden agenda. It’s truly just an outpouring of where we’re at,” she said.
The name Trouper also speaks to their sound and overall feel. Jocelyn explained it as a reflection of elasticity, a representation of the band members’ transition into a new phase of musicianship.
The band practices together monthly, but every time it seems to bring forth new material. They plan on releasing a full length sometime in 2015.
But first, the band is getting ready to release a four-song EP on May 7, the same day they play at Crossroads Church in Mansfield; they open for Danny Gokey. The concert starts at 7 p.m. On Friday, May 8 they are scheduled to play in South Bend, Indiana. After that, they return to Crossroads Church on May 30. And on July 2 they plan on playing at the Audiofeed Music Festival in Urbana, Illinois.
For tour dates, visit their website, or listen to their EP on their bandcamp page.
