After a run of singles earlier this year that showcased his versatility, San Diego-based artist Trevy James returns with ‘Never Give In’, a roots reggae anthem that cuts straight to the core of resilience and truth. Built on deep basslines, militant drums, and a vocal delivery that blends defiance with his signature smooth tone, the track captures Trevy at his most grounded yet.
For Trevy, ‘Never Give In’ is a reminder, as he puts it, to “always stand firm in your truth, authenticity, and purpose, no matter how hard the world around you says otherwise.” With a background that spans roots reggae, lovers rock, and vintage R&B, plus years of performing across San Diego’s music scene with groups like Psydecar and Heaping Teaspoon, Trevy’s music carries the weight of tradition while staying wholly his own.
We caught up with Trevy James to talk about the inspiration behind “Never Give In”, the evolution of his artistry, and what’s next as he builds toward his highly anticipated new album.
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Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got started in music?
I’ve been involved in music my whole life. I was born into it. My dad is a reggae keyboardist as well, so from day 1, I was surrounded by reggae music. It was only a matter of time before I followed suit. I started studying piano at age 12 and from that moment on, I knew that this is what I would spend my life doing.
Who are your biggest musical influences and how have they shaped your sound?
I’m heavily influenced by Sade. In my opinion, that entire catalog represents the perfection of music. The seamless blending of musical styles that they perfected, from R&B to reggae to jazz and beyond is what inspires me to find unique ways to bring vastly different genres together in my own music. Michael McDonald is another huge influence. To me, he’s the greatest vocalist/keyboardist of all time. I have learned a lot from studying his approach to writing, both lyrically and musically. Finally, bringing it back up to the current era, Chronixx has been my biggest influence within reggae for many years now. I strive to bring the same level of soul, truth, and artistry to reggae that he has so masterfully displayed over the years.
Was there a specific moment or experience that made you decide to pursue music seriously?
I had almost given up in all honesty. My time at Berklee College of Music hadn’t led me to a clear path to full-time pursuit and I (foolishly) felt that mid-20s was too old to have not yet “made it” in music. I was working as a brewer in San Diego and had a mishap where I slipped and almost fell into the actively boiling brew. That close brush with a severe accident put into perspective what was really important. I quit that job not long after that and have been pursuing music full-time ever since.
Can you walk us through your typical songwriting process?
I really don’t have one consistent process for writing. Some of my songs start with single line, phrase or title idea that I build around. Others start with a piece of musical inspiration that lyrics are added to later. Others sit as fragmented ideas on my hard drive for years until I finally find the missing pieces to the puzzle within me. The one thing that’s crucial for me is to always take note of and absolutely never trash every idea that comes to me, no matter how small. They almost all eventually lead to a completed composition.
How do you find inspiration for your music and lyrics?
I get a lot of inspiration thematically from my personal life. I’m a very personal and honest writer. Day to day emotions, thoughts, and experiences are the things that I write about. Musically, I’m just so inspired by such a broad range of bands and artists from the ’70’s all the way until today. So subconsciously, I’m always finding ways to pull from those influences and bridge them into something unique.
What themes or messages do you hope listeners take away from your music?
I aim to be a messenger of authenticity, righteousness, and love. Love for oneself, love for your partner, love for your brothers and sisters, and Jah love across all facets and moments of life. I’m just an individual artist… still, and oftentimes frustratingly so, trying to find my path toward fulfillment of my wildest dreams within music.
What challenges have you faced as an emerging artist in the music industry?
Today’s music landscape is just such a vast ocean of recordings and songs. More music is released every day right now than the entire year in 1989 and that volume makes it extremely hard for your music to find the right audience. A great independent song is essentially a needle in a giant haystack. Figuring out the right ways to present my music in ways that might allow for that needle to be discovered is consistently the greatest challenge at this stage.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of your musical journey so far?
The recording process of my upcoming album, Grey In The Beard, has been the most rewarding experience so far. My recording collaborators and I really just grabbed the reins and dedicated ourselves to recording and producing these songs in the exact way they deserve. It can feel daunting and risky to consistently rent studio time and commit to recording an entire album 100% with live instrumentation, especially without the support of a label. But it was extremely important for me to not take digital production shortcuts in attempts to achieve the most dynamic sonic palate possible. I’m extremely happy with the result, my writing and session playing chops drastically improved, and I feel we captured the most authentic expressions of these songs possible.
How do you stay true to yourself and your artistry in a constantly evolving industry?
I always maintain my faith in Jah and remember that my dreams, visions, and goals did not pop into my head by accident. I’ve been inspired to approach music in a contrary manner to how the vast majority of my peers in the industry do for a reason. I have a strong faith that as music becomes more and more robotic and sterile, we as a species uniquely connected to creating and experiencing music are going to inherently crave a more human sound. When that pendulum swing comes, I’ll be here in my lane more than happy to fill that need.
What can fans expect from you in the near future? Any upcoming projects or tours?
The full LP, Grey In The Beard, is scheduled for the end of this year, late November-early December… sometime around then. All of my current efforts these past handful of years have been pointing to this release, so I’m super excited to finally share this full body of work. I’m planning some stage shows to support the release locally in San Diego and my goal is to then find more opportunities to play the music in other cities across the U.S. in 2026.
Where do you see yourself and your music career in the next five years?
Wow… five years from now definitely feels like it’ll bring a huge shift. I just got married a few months ago, so if all goes to plan, I’ll be raising my first child by then. The emotional depth that becoming a parent will undoubtedly bring will definitely come through in the music I’m writing then. Professionally, the goal is to by then be finally achieving my longstanding dream of being a fixture in the reggae festival scene and have the opportunity to share my music with likeminded lovers of Jah music across the world.
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Listen to Trevy James’ new single ‘Never Give In’ below.
