Mother, Drum, Repeat: The NATCH’s Trish on Making it All Work

18 Apr Mother, Drum, Repeat: The NATCH’s Trish on Making it All Work

by Marisa Torrieri Bloom 

I first met Trish and her husband Chris nearly a decade ago, right before we embarked on the Girls Rock Girls Rule 2007 tour with their band America’s Sweetheart and my band MM & The Underage Hotties. Neither of us were moms back then, so there was plenty of time to practice, play, and plan for the future.

In 2010, everything changed as Trish and Chris welcomed their daughter Myla Sol into the world. Today, they live in Vermont, dividing their time between parenting, serious work, creative endeavors (they recently launched Good Body Products, a totally organic body care product line), and two rock bands (The NATCH! and The Fantastic Partnerz).

While life has definitely changed, Trish’s musical chops certainly haven’t. Her drumming style is still snappy and tight, and her band’s sound — self-described as a cross between “The Clash, Breeders, The Minutemen, and The Police” — as cool and fluid as ever (psst, take a listen here).

The NATCH! drummer/rockmommy Trish with her daughter Myla Sol helping out

Recently, we caught up with Trish as she embarked on a string of East Coast shows (they played New London, CT, on Friday 4/15, and are playing NYC on Saturday, 4/23).

The full exchange follows:

ROCKMOMMY: You’ve been playing with The NATCH! for a long time. How has being a mother shaped or influenced your music?

TRISH: Yeah, we’ve been around a bit, we toured a lot but then took a long break for [having a baby], plus our bass player, Paris, got married in Mexico but now we’re back! So, Myla Sol, my 5 1/2 year old, has been with The NATCH! since the womb, recording, touring until I was 9 months, then we did and still do the ear plugs and noise protection head phones thing.

I feel like I’ve done it all with a kid! I’ve practiced and recorded when she was nursing, played shows with her standing on the back of my seat hanging on my shoulders while I play, and let her sit on my back when I was up front singing. There have definitely been moments where I just didn’t think I could do it but we just pushed through it. What’s key is having understanding and helpful bandmates, friends, and family to make the whole thing work — if I didn’t have the supporting people around it would be very difficult or next to impossible! I am blessed.

So in The NATCH!, we all write lyrics and songs, and take turns lead singing — we love throwing everything into a pot and mixing it up NATCH style. Now that Myla is older and talks a lot she has definitely given us some silly and twisted ideas for songs. It’s been fun, challenging as hell sometimes, and really real but I was going to play music no matter what.

RM: If music is not your full-time job, how do you make time for it, while having a little one?

TRISH: Music is my half time job. I play in two bands, The NATCH! and The Fantastic Partnerz and between both bands I’m one busy mama. I also have a new business, Good Body Products, a 100% organic body care product. Everything is plant based and handmade in small batches. I couldn’t imagine it any other way. My husband, Chris, is the guitar player in both bands and we’ve been playing together for over 14 years. I basically play music and make products every single day and couldn’t image a more fulfilling way to spend my life. Myla is involved with everything from helping the band with plugging in pedals and passing out set lists to then helping us tend to our medicinal herb gardens and labeling our product jars. Last year she came out with her own brand of organic body glitter gel and it was a hit at the Farmer’s Market Kids Day.

RM: How many hours a week do you practice?

TRISH: When Myla was small, it would be as long as possible, 15 mins, 30 mins and I’d be happy to get those in. Now she’s much older and I generally practice one to three hours per day and that includes partially on the kit, practice pad and just writing and then least once or twice a week with full band(s).

RM: What are your plans for Spring and Summer 2016?

TRISH: We’re going to finally release our debut CD this summer!!! We’re super psyched to finally get it out. We’ll also be playing as much as possible. We have gigs in Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire, and hopefully a tour through the Midwest with our buddies in Cleveland at JIB Machine Records and Chicago.

RM: What advice do you have to other rock mommies out there, trying to find time for their craft (and maybe other things like going to the gym), while balancing work and parenthood?

TRISH: Make it part of your day no matter what. If you can carve out 30 minutes to 1 hour, do it! Just the nature of being a mom, you will rock that time so hard because it’s so coveted!

UPCOMING SHOWS: 

4/23: The NATCH! are playing Parkside Lounge, 317 E. Houston Street, NYC. 10 p.m.

—- Marisa Torrieri Bloom is a writer, guitar teacher, mom, and the founder of Rockmommy.