TREVOR BYSTROM BAND
TREVOR BYSTROM
An Independent Artist. Born and raised in Holmes Beach, a small barrier island south of Tampa Bay, Bystrom developed a passion for world music at an early age, falling in love first with the sounds of the Caribbean and later immersing himself in the work of a wide array of African artists. At sixteen, he began performing live and writing his own songs. Over the past decade Trevor played 1000’s of shows, and 100’s of Festival. Most recent collaboration Album “Mawanga & Bystrom” fuses American and Malawian culture into an adventurous, inventive, and deeply moving testament to our shared humanity.
STORY TIME
Trevor’s love of music and conservationist spirit was fostered from a young age. He was born and raised on historic Anna Maria Island by a musical family. He grew up attending music festivals all around Florida. By 16 he had written a handful of originals and began performing around local venues releasing a few live, and self produced albums with the help of Couch Music Education Foundation. In the summer of 2016 Trevor Bystrom attended the 5 week summer program at Berklee College of Music. Here he joined the World Music ensemble, which started to lay down the bricks for Trevor’s path to Caribbean and Afro influenced music. The ensemble was a group of 12 students covering songs by a couple african artists (Nneka, Richard Bona).
The next summer, Trevor opened up a recording studio on Anna Maria Island. He started producing a few artists, as well as working on his self produced 10 song album, “Water”. This album was influenced by Paul Simon, Rusted Root, Xavier Rudd and a few others. Once completed, “Water” received the BOMB award for best album in Manatee County. He took this album on the road, with tours in the Northeast.
Trevor started recording his new album, a big project stretching the boundaries of Trevor past music. He called on Pedro Arevalo, a Berkley grad and international touring musician, to help produce the album with him. This album brings out more latin, reggae, and calypso side. During a search for a percussionist, Trevor’s drummer James Hershey found Benny Maldonado, a next level Latin Grammy nominated percussionist based out of Tampa. He took on this band like it was one of his own along with his wife Judit Maldonado who is an incredible harmonist, and solid auxiliary percussionist. This project suddenly halted with the arrival of covid in 2020.
With no shows to play Trevor's passion projects blossomed. An artist he was collaborating with decided, with the current lock downs and loss of shows, to record a 6 song EP “Mawanga & Bystrom”. For the next year Trevor and Peter worked endlessly to create this album remotely from their own studios over 8,000 miles apart. A one of a kind album that fuses American and Malawian culture into an adventurous, inventive, and deeply moving testament to our shared humanity.
The Album was released weeks before the arrival of Trevor’s first son “Waylor”. Trevor continued to perform shows but tended to stay more locally based and be around family. With travel restrictions, higher costs, and shut down uncertainties made touring with Peter Mawanga unfeasible.
In August 2022 Trevor and his wife Katrina go on their honeymoon to Malawi and finally meet Peter in person.
Currently Trevor is busy performing around Florida for festivals, parties, venues, and The Anna Maria City Pier on top of the water most wednesdays. He has a big studio project in the works. Along with live album recordings in production.
