Sometimes I randomly stumble upon a band and later forget how I found them. Transient is not one of them. I remember exactly how I found this awesome band. I heard their song “No Light” on The Sound 228 online radio station. And I was hooked. They became one of my favorite bands. Honestly, I love all of their songs they have put out thus far. I’m excited for the future of Transient. I truly believe big things are coming for this talented quartet.
Transient is a hard rock/metal band from New Orleans, Louisiana. It was the brainchild of veteran musician Jody Linnell, former bassist of Smile Empty Soul and 12 Stones. After starting out as a solo project, Linnell, who plays guitar in Transient, brought in three friends to round out the lineup – Trey J. Mollo (vocals); Emmett Shumate (guitar); and Phil Krohn (drums). Transient performed at the WCPR 97.9 CPR Fest in Biloxi, Mississippi in April, 2022, which included Nonpoint, Badflower, Seether, and 3 Doors Down. The band really started to gain a bigger following after that, and went on to play at various venues on the Gulf Coast in 2022. This past March, Transient was part of the lineup for The Sound 228 Rockin’ The Sound festival in Biloxi, along with bands such as Nonpoint, Adelita’s Way, and Gemini Syndrome. Now, the band is looking to branch out and perform in other areas of the country. Any fans who are lucky enough to catch a live Transient show will be blown away by their electric onstage performance.
The band is grateful for the support of Ms. Pepper Gomez, the founder of their record label, WakeUp! Music and WakeUp! Music Rocks. She is a champion for so many up-and-coming bands, not just the ones with her label. Ms. Gomez is truly a gem in the music industry, and anyone who interacts with her on any level is very lucky. Recently, Transient signed a booking deal with Full Circle Entertainment, a new project launched by Kevin Harris and Brandi Fontana. The band is managed by MVK Music Group. The members of Transient are thankful to The Sound 228 – Kevin Harris, Jared Seymour, Lisa Wills, Matt James, Michele Cregg, Brandi Fontana, Brent Kriner — for continuing to play Transient music on the air.
Recently, Transient released a three-song EP called Lotus. It’s a concept EP, according to Trey Mollo, and it contains an important message. I wanted to tell the story of Lotus, and Trey and Jody Linnell were kind enough to help me with the background. But first, a little about how Transient music comes to life.
Lyrics for Transient songs are written mostly by Trey, but they get funneled and filtered through the rest of the band. Trey comes up with possible names for songs based on feelings, thoughts, or anything that inspires him at the time. He’ll bring them to the rest of the band, and they’ll sit down and go through them. That’s what sets the whole vibe and tone for the song-writing process.
Writing the music for the songs is also a group effort. Emmett or Jody come up with ideas or riffs, and they’ll bring those to the band’s producer, Jonathan Dolese from KonKrete Studios. There are also times when Trey and Phil have their own ideas and input for the music. Trey says, “It’s truly a fun process”.
How to describe Transient’s music? Powerful and heavy. Melodic and intriguing. The dual guitars and thunderous drums, along with the combination of Trey’s clean and hard vocals, give the band a metalcore-ish feel. There are lots of intriguing guitar riffs and electronic elements that add to the songs. Trey has a fantastic vocal range that shows the emotions in the songs he is singing.
I was doing some research about the lotus flower and found this in an online dictionary: “Lotus flowers are beautiful flowers that are commonly associated with purity, inner strength and tranquility. They symbolize resurrection and new beginnings. The lotus flower is known for its ability to grow in muddy waters and rise above the surface to bloom with remarkable beauty.” As Jody said in an interview with The Sound 228, “the lotus is a flower that can grow from dirt and muck and mire and come out beautiful in the end”. This is the symbolism behind the progression of the three songs on the Lotus EP.
Trey shared with me that the Lotus EP was originally Jody’s idea. He brought it up while the band was getting ready to go into the studio. The band sat down and came up with the idea of naming the songs after different stages of the progression and growth of the lotus plant, and tying it into what we as people go through in life. In order — the birth and awakening, the struggle to grow, and then the strength to sustain itself — “Seed”, “Sow”, and “Thrive”. As Jody said to The Sound, overall, “it’s about empowering yourself, and finding respect and love for other people no matter what they believe in.”
I came up with some of my own ideas about each song on the Lotus EP, and shared them with Trey, who responded with some more insight. The first song is “Seed”. To me, this song is about someone who is trapped in darkness, looking for the light to stay alive. Things seem dark, but the seed symbolizes that there is always an opportunity to come out of that darkness. Trey told me that was a great interpretation. He shared that the thought process for “Seed” was dealing with internal conflict and struggles. It’s a song about finding yourself and believing in yourself, while battling being complacent and succumbing to the negative around you. It also describes being self-aware and knowing “Hey, if I keep living this way I will never survive”, and the understanding that there’s always a way out, if you keep climbing for the light, because the light will bring you to life.
The second track is “Sow”. When I listen to “Sow”, it makes me think of when the seed is planted and needs to develop strong roots in order to grow. It’s about hope for a better future. Trey says it has a bit of a deeper meaning – it’s about letting go, and staying strong against the pressure of the world, even when everything is crashing down around you. Trey describes himself as an empath. He says he tends to “soak up the emotions around him”. At the time they were recording this song, the world was going through a lot. The day they tracked the vocals for “Sow”, Russia declared war that morning. Trey explains how he was feeling. “It’s in the news – you open up your phone and it’s the first thing you see every time. It’s the topic of every conversation. I’m in the vocal booth, which is basically the size of a closet. It’s completely soundproof, and in between takes it’s just silent, and I’m looking at my phone and just stewing in my thoughts. This sinking feeling in my stomach started to set in, and I just couldn’t help but think, ‘Wow, this is just crazy, how fast things change in the blink of an eye.’ For all we know, this could happen here. Our lives can be turned upside down in an instant.” Trey says he finished up in the studio and called some friends back home because he felt like he needed to reach out to them. It was a reminder that our lives are just way too short.
The final part of the Lotus story is “Thrive”. This song is an anthem of sorts – it’s the triumphant ending. The flower has bloomed and now has a strong foundation and a new beginning. It’s a song about evolving and becoming a better version of yourself. Trey says I’m spot on with my interpretation. “It’s a song about progression, inner strength, and victory. About pushing through the bullshit in life and hitting your stride and succeeding. One of the thoughts I held onto while tracking this song was ‘success’ – never backing down, never being afraid to change into that final form. So, you are correct. This song is indeed an ‘anthem of triumph”.
I also wanted to share some of my thoughts on the music videos for the three Lotus songs, as they are all tremendous. Transient filmed all three of the videos with Elynia Productions in Texas. What stands out to me the most in the videos are the lighting effects. They help to set the tone for the videos, as well as tie in with the theme of the songs.
In the “Seed” video, the dirt and roots and darkness are depicted, but there are also flashes of light throughout, which symbolize hope. This is highlighted in the lyrics:
“My sentiments in denial
They hold me on trial
A dichotomy of life
Brings me closer to the light
To the light
To the light”
The fire is symbolic of the light coming through the darkness.
The video for “Sow” has a different feeling. Yes, there is still darkness, but more light comes through the shadows. It looks like neon lighting effects to me, which make it brighter. The light will lead you out of the darkness, with the ultimate goal of finding something better in the end.
Lastly, the video for “Thrive”. The lotus flower has finally bloomed! It is a symbol of triumph and overcoming darkness. In an interesting twist, Jody Linnell appears in the video as a character based loosely on an idea he had for a “defector” from an underground group called “The Lotus Society”. This defector is trying to free the lotus flower from the society. It definitely added a mysterious element to the video, and Jody had fun doing it. The light at the end of the video from the face covering and the lotus flowers is the ultimate symbol of escaping the negativity and darkness.
I definitely recommend listening to the three songs on the Lotus EP — “Seed”, “Sow”, and “Thrive” — in order to get the full idea behind the concept. There is a great theme of overcoming darkness and negativity and finding a better version of yourself.
Coming up for Transient is the New World Order Tour in Texas with SevVven and Third & Delaware. Check out Transient on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and the band’s website.
Photo credits:
Spade Image
Chris Montgomery
Annie's Awesome Rock Blog 