After months of fundraising and performing, at the beginning of last month the Trinitones embarked on a trip down under to Australia. This trip marked the group returning the visit by Australian a capella group, the Trinity Tiger Tones, who came to Ireland last year and performed with the Trinitones in the Bello Bar. Spending three weeks touring the country, the group started off in Sydney with a performance on ABC Radio Sydney’s breakfast show. Not forgetting their Irish routes, the group serenaded three Australian Rose of Tralee contestants, including Brianna Parkins who is now well known for speaking out about abortion during the 2016 competition. Other appearances included performing at the Chapel of Saint Paul’s College, The Australian Club, the Irish Consulate and last but not least the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House.
Leaving Sydney behind, the group headed for Melbourne whilst stopping off on the way in Katoomba to shoot their video for their newest release. The “Clash of the Tones Round Two” took place in the Melbourne Athanaeum, as they joined forces with the Trinity Tiger Tones for arguably their greatest gig of the trip.
The tour marked the end of an era for the Trinitones as it was the last time singing with the group for eight of the members. This closing of the chapter proved even more significant as four of the eight had been members since the group’s inception six years ago. Sam White, a member of the group, explained that it was “in their honour, we shot the video in the most spectacular location that Australia had to offer: Katoomba’s Blue Mountains, which is located just west of Sydney”. White went on the describe the Trinitone’s cover of Bob Dylan and The Band’s I Shall Be Released as “the story of these eight (finally) moving on”. The tour, as well as the recording and producing of their newest track, obviously meant a great deal to the members as, of the eight who have now departed the group, five were alumni with two having travelled from Boston to make the trip.
Speaking about their newest release, White describes it as a departure from previous covers, saying: “it’s something a little bit different from what we usually produce.” The song strikes a more sombre note, while still providing the rich vocals that the Trinitones have become known for. The vocals, however, are not the only noteworthy aspect of the release as the quality and talent of the singing displayed is matched by the cinematography of the music video. The colours and vibrancy make for an aesthetically pleasing video, while the Blue Mountains provide a stunning backdrop, complementing the poignant tone of the song.
