Michael Trent is a 'Winner'

Michael Trent's solo album, "The Winner," has made some ripples in the waters of the Charleston music scene.

Trent, also known for his work with his wife, Carry Ann Hearst, and his New York-based rock outfit, The Films, decided that working with two bands just wasn't enough. He recorded the solo album on minimal gear at his house with the help of other local musicians.

The album features Bill Carson on guitar, Jack Bird on drums, Nathan Koci on horns, Josh Kaler on the pedal steel, and Hearst's vocal talents. Butch Walker also is featured on a few tracks, and The Film's bassist, Jake Sinclair, not only laid down the bass tracks, but mixed Trent's album as well. The songs on the album chronicle Trent's time on the road.

"It's about a lot of different things," he said. "A lot of it I was writing when I was on the road with The Films. It was a busy time. When I got home and I just sat there for a minute. It's just the way I felt about myself."

The album was released on Shrimp Records in late April to much critical praise. Shrimp Records is a small, Charleston-based record label started by Joel Hamilton and Owen Beverley of the Inlaws, Carson, Hearst and Trent.

"We kicked around the idea for a while," Trent said. "Ever since I came to Charleston, everybody's always played in everybody else's bands. We just decided to get organized. It's still in the budding stages, but it seems like it's getting there. We've got plans to put out 45s and other vinyl, so I'm psyched about that."

"The Winner" is available through digital download, but the vinyl is in the works and should be available before the end of the summer. It will be available locally through Fifty-Two.Five and Monster Music.

The album is what one would expect from a Trent musical endeavor: a singer-songwriter format with a strong pop mentality. The quality of the recording is on the high end of lo-fi, which is very fitting for the songs. The timeless tunes can only be described as vintage, and reminds the listener of better days gone by while remaining exciting and novel.

Trent also has been touring the West Coast with Hearst, doing split sets on the road together. They recently shot a video for Hearst's song, "Hell's Bells," which was featured in the closing credits of this week's episode of "True Blood," the popular vampire series on HBO. Aside from that, he has been touring with The Films throughout Europe, primarily in the Netherlands and Germany, for their latest release, "Oh, Scorpio."