Hagerty and Herrema stated many times that they couldnвЂ™t care less if they lost an audience and gained a new one after each album. There was a lot going on underneath their outward appearance, they just didnвЂ™t care if you found out, and it was all on the albums as evidence for anyone to hear anyway. And, after all, junkies donвЂ™t usually shrewdly write a dream major label contract, shop it around, and walk away winners, laughing all the way to the bank. In a retrospective article about the reissue of Veterans Of Disorder by Ian Svenonius, David Pajo (of Slint, Tortoise, and Stereolab fame, among others) discussed a conversation with guitarist David Grubbs, regarding Hagerty and HerremaвЂ™s production work on an early Palace Brothers single (вЂњCome In/Trudy DiesвЂќ), in which they both realized the level of genius they were dealing with. Their intelligence and abilities, while often hidden behind socially awkward, introverted personalities, were certainly not lost on those they worked with (as bandmates or in the role as producers). Whether it was their reputation, appearance, music, or all of the above, Royal Trux spent the bulk of their career being misunderstood.ДЄside from her post-Trux musical projects (detailed below), Herrema has gone on to create a line of jeans for Volcom, designed jewelry and art, and has given talks on Southern rock at places like Princeton University, among other artistic ventures, while Hagerty has painted, as well as written two books, one of which was a science fiction novel ( Victory Chimp) about a chimp investigator who exists in the вЂњmultiverse,вЂќ using wrestling as a metaphor to tell the story. Case in point, while playing the side stage at the 1993 Lollapalooza, Herrema even had to endure вЂњAxl Rose!вЂќ heckles from the crowd. The downside, of course, is that it took attention away from the music and likely lost them fans. Herrema becoming the first model for Calvin KleinвЂ™s вЂњHeroin ChicвЂќ campaign in the mid-вЂ™90s may not have helped this stereotype either. At times they didnвЂ™t do much to evade it, having famously squandered a rather large recording advance early in their career from Matador Records on illicit substances and then deciding not to record for the label. Unfortunately, for the entirety of their career, the stereotype of the вЂњjunkie coupleвЂќ followed them.

Hagerty, certainly the yin to HerremaвЂ™s yang, was shy, quiet, socially awkward, and usually let his playing doing the talking. Herrema was usually decked out in skin-tight jeans, boots, tons of jewelry - often with duct tape wrapped around her wrists and/or legs, hiding behind her long blonde hair and aviator shades. Hagerty and Herrema have always exuded and oozed coolness and individuality. The band handed in the first Drag City release, the вЂњHero/ZeroвЂќ 7вЂі, and shortly thereafter, the seminal double-LP Twin Infinitives. Not long after, their Pussy Galore connections got the attention of Chicagoans Dan Koretzky and Dan Osborn, who were starting a record label (to be called Drag City) and asked the band for music. All parties relocated to New York City in the mid-to-late вЂ™80s, and in 1988, Royal Trux released their self-titled debut. For the first few years, the band would serve as more of a side project of sorts to HagertyвЂ™s main gig as a member of the Jon Spencer- and Julia Cafritz-led Pussy Galore (whom Buzz Osbourne of the Melvins once accurately described as вЂњindustrial rockabillyвЂќ). They soon coupled-up and began Royal Trux, seemingly around the same time, circa 1987. when Hagerty was in his early 20s and Herrema her late teens. Hagerty and Herrema met in Washington, D.C. What is true is that their music has stood the test of time and sounds just as, if not more, relevant today than it did when conceived. It wasnвЂ™t always pretty, but good art often isnвЂ™t.

Their goal from the outset was to deconstruct rock вЂnвЂ™ roll and put it back together as they saw fit, with their own artistic vision. In a world where experimenting and taking chances with music often takes a backseat to image and playing it safe, Royal Trux flipped the script and did the opposite because they could, and because, for them, it was always, and only, about keeping themselves interested and happy with the music. On the surface, theyвЂ™ve never been the easiest to digest upon first listen, from Jennifer HerremaвЂ™s gravely grunts and growls, to Neil HagertyвЂ™s decidedly un-indie guitar workouts and snarling backing vocals. But their influence can be seen in contemporary bands like Liars, the Kills, Sleigh Bells, MGMT, Primal Scream, of Montreal, and others. Royal Trux just might be the most misunderstood band in indie rock.

Royal trux singles live unreleased rar