Self-styled nu punk band Cherie Amour just dropped their debut album Spiritual Ascension through Equal Vision Records, continuing their incredible stretch of firsts. Since the band changed their name from One Life To Lead in 2021, their trajectory has kicked into overdrive.
Cherie Amour embarked on a cross-country tour this summer in support of Broadside before playing on their first massive stage, Four Chords Music Festival. All of it leading up to their debut album, a smorgasbord of sounds from heavy rock to punk to dance to pop.
The catchy, hook-laden album benefits from excellent musicianship and the steady hand of producer Alan Day (Four Years Strong). Spiritual Ascension is the next step in the band’s incredible run. We caught up with vocalist Trey Miler to talk about the album.
How does it feel for Spiritual Ascension to be out?
Trey: I am so pumped. I told people, my close friends and stuff, I feel like we made it awhile ago… we recorded in August 2021 and all the mixing and mastering last November.
What’s the journey been like the last few years, releasing singles and then going across the country with Broadside this fall?
Trey: Since we changed our name and became Cherie Amour in summer of 2021, it’s been super accelerating… once we signed and everything, it was a whirlwind. Go. Go. Go. Now you are dropping singles; now you have an EP; now you are going on tours with bands we are fans of.
What’s the overall vibe and message of the album?
Trey: The vibe, there are two types of songs, songs where I am exploring parts of myself. At times when we were recording the album, I was reading a lot of different religious texts… Buddhism, Hinduism… I am trying to gleam what I believe from them, (my) spiritual perspective. Part of it is also me trying to work through my spiritual health issues… and some of it is some of the fun songs where I am trying to lift myself up.
I feel like “Losing Control” personifies Cherie Amour. It has a dance beat, but that heavy, chunky guitar in the background. A perfect Cherie Amour combo.
Trey: Yeah, that one was really different. It is actually super left field, even for us. I thought it was a gamble to throw it on the album. But the last day we were in the studio, a few people from the record were visiting, and they loved it. And I think it’s a banger.
Tell me about “God Be A Woman.” I think fans are going to love that track.
Trey: Lyrically, that was one where I was asking what do I believe from a spiritual standpoint… ancestors please be the guide, that was a theme that I got from studying African religions where there is ancestor worship—and I thought maybe if I can connect to my past family and they have some advice for my current family. Another link, “I’m disconnected from my roots and searching for answers”… I went to church a lot when I was younger and it is about that… it is a touchy subject with so many people… and I hope a lot of others can relate to that.
What about “Low And Lean”? I can see a lot of fans gravitating to that one.
Trey: “Low And Lean,” it’s just an electric piano in the pre-chorus, and it feels so soothing. And there is part where I am not rapping but chanting on the breakdown… it was one of the last things I added to anything in the studio. I was listening back… and on the breakdown, I thought I heard something there and thought it could be a girl’s voice. So we played with it. Also, “Your Mind’s Eye,” that one I like because that was one of the fun songs I wrote about just hanging out with a girl I liked at the time. We would just play video games, drink tequila, and smoke on Friday nights.
You worked with Alan Day from Four Years Strong on this project. How valuable was he?
Trey: I love Alan. For one, he is just a great guy. Super fun. But when it comes to working with him musically, he is really excited working with bands who do stuff outside of the norm… We have the punk elements and have stuff that keep it fresh. He doesn’t try to talk us out of anything that might sound ridiculous. And for me personally, he pushed me on “Sin City”… I wrote a hook, and he said that sounds like a verse, and he said, “I think you have a better hook than that.”
You were the opening band at Four Chords Music Festival. How did that feel?
Trey: Man, it was, like, the best experience ever because we don’t get to play stages that big. I had all this room, and I was jumping up and down and playing by the barricades… it was cool to hang with the other bands and vibe with them… I was super nervous to start.
What do you hope listeners take away from your debut album?
Trey: I hope that anyone else who ever had a similar up bringing as mine, or in their later teens or 20s and are thinking about what their life is about…I made my life what others want it to be until about 25…I hope that anyone who hears that can relate to it and not feel alone.
What is next Cherie Amour?
Trey: We are leaving in a couple weeks touring with Capstan, In Her Own Words, and Shallow Pools. We are going to have a bandsgiving for Thanksgiving. After that, it’s kind of wide open. We don’t have any tours yet… we are always working on demos. We will probably go back into the studio at some point at the first part of next year to work on our next album.
We are super pumped for the tour? Anything else you’d like to add?
Trey: It’s really cool this time for the release to be anticipated by people… when we did our EP, we were brand-new to the world. Now there is a certain level of expectation because there is a little bit of pressure… it’s been cool to see our community grow. I’ve seen people who didn’t know each other previously become friends talking online and going to shows… if I were going to boast or brag about it would be that we have helped people create friendships.
Photo courtesy of Cherie Amour
