We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Trevor Darden a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Trevor thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Well my story begins as a child learning the inside and outs as a musician early childhood. With a piano sitting in my grandparents living room. Or as they called it a ( Den )
Set aside from being partly raised from my grandparents I had been playing and learning melodies as a infant. Deciding how and when my life could turn out this way was not up to me or through my actual birth parents. My older cousin also taught nourished me as a musician he had been playing the trumpet. A marvelous instrument. He would sit down with me and go over certain scales that he was taught. My older cousin ( Antwon Boone ) was in a band. Not just a regular band or performing band but school band. Marching happily like ” The Saints Go Marching” I’m very happy and humble enough to be even in his midst as a young one to be intrigued by music. I would go over the scales as an early developing musician to teach myself new and advanced melodies that he was taught through school. I went on and learned wind scales myself even to be excellent at playing certain instruments like the ( Recorder, Flute, Brass instruments such as a saxophone) only in school. I remember when I first got into playing the guitar as a child getting a kid play guitar I think from the brand playskool or something like that. It was a child’s toy. But with plastic strings that fit like rubber bands. They were made of some type of elastic bindings to fit on this toy. I played it a lot and just play and play. I suddenly grew up to being around other adults who actually had real guitars. So that’s when my interest in learning how to play the guitar came to be from an acoustic. I never actually had lessons except maybe a couple notes and a guitar section to play from my neighbor when I lived with my Mom as a early teenager. My neighbor actually had quite a few guitars. An older gentleman who would play his guitar loudly throughout the quiet subdivision. So I was very interested right away into the sounds I heard. He would let me and my brothers come on over and play build fires and roast hotdogs or marshmallows. My love for the instrument grew even more being an early teen. So I was very appreciative from then on. I believe he was in a band. So a lot of years had went by now I’m In highschool. I had a standard acoustic guitar that I would bring with me to school occasionally not all the time but here and there. That used to sit in my brother’s room for a time he was not using. I’ve always been interested in playing learning what different frets and tunings I could use. Until now I was gifted a an actual electric guitar from a dear friend. His nickname is ( Trypp k ) we met at a guitar center in my city a local guitar shop for other instruments. He was really playing well. So I asked him is there any pointers he could give me. That maybe I had not been taught or taught myself by watching various ( Rockstar) on Television or, MTV, VH1 Etc. So with the brand new to me Electric Les Paul Classic edition from Epiphone that he had given to me as a gift that was old to him. Boosted my journey into becoming what I dream and aspire to be that of my own ( Rockstar ) i was very thankful. I created my own Melodies and songs recorded them myself using a standard android phone and a box cardboard cut out for a pop filter to initiate the sound for having that essence of a studio vibe. I took months and months and eventually a whole year to isolate myself to make my tunes and guitar playing skills come to life. So the risk from me being a well seasoned HipHop Artist/ that treated me kind of poorly even being recognized for my talents then with music blogs and other Labels interested in me took a big turn when Covid-19 hit the states. I found myself not performing not making music not being around music and to being around someone who did not look at me as a creative. So it made me feel feeble minded and not adequate as a creative like a joke sort of to speak. I take my passion very seriously and have fun with it as well. So I started doing what I really wanted to do for myself and that is to be a RocknRoll Musician/ Music Artist Singer for my own craft. I would love to start a band. I find myself writing music all the time and actually writing down lyrics to the tuning or frets i need to play with what notes to strum or down pick for the number of times i need to pick that chord. I work really hard on my craft I’m happy to get recognized even more through RocknRoll than HipHop. So I feel somewhat successful even getting this interview. So I sacrificed not making money or talking to any friends and not talking to my family to pursue my dreams and becoming a tiptop shape musician. It worked I found myself making my own songs from scratch. I appreciate everyone who has been apart of my journey in front of me. Thank the Lord. YouTube is where I post my early works as a guitarist SkaDanko XOXO ( Instrumental Only )
I seek management who could help me take my music career to the next big level. Since I know now that people love my music and makes me happier to provide myself with more creative works. Also seeking to be in a music studio and working for film scores, anime music scores, horror movie scores and other works I could get into also a dream of performing my music in front of thousands and thousands of engaged fans who love me.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

For now it’s just me in my brand That goes by the name ( Labea ) I’m a solo guitarist going by the stage name SkaDanko XOXO ❌⭕❌⭕ 😈🎸 and my own frontman for now. Which is totally fine I know is working very well for me. I would love a drummer and bassist and also another lead guitarist. The more the merrier as they say in production line of works. How I got into RocknRoll was watching This very interesting Animation Titled ( Fooly Cooly) Japanese Anime intrigues and sparks my interest with making music that I make now. So as a kid I was drawn to the band called ( The Pillows) a Japanese Punk Grunge Rock Band that is very popular. I believe they formed back in the 80s. So with that being fresh in my mind I stayed up all day and night just to watch this Anime just to hear their music and also enjoying the Animation being previewed on television early 90s for me. Especially when I had school to go to the next day or rather that morning. So it fueled me to be the aspiring musician I am today.
Also with influences from The Pillows ( Blink -182, Nirvana, Deftones, Motley Crue, Jimi Hendrix Band and also the Foo Fighters, Pink Floyd, Flogging Molly ( The Experience for me was very uncanny they way I play and into the very scales I play now. They have a huge influence on me and the way I make music even til today. For now I have no clients or anything. But that’s going to end after this interview is published. Thanks to Canvas also thanks to Voyage. Shout out Everyone in the Publicity Industry for Music And All Entertainers I Love you. I’m so very proud of how I became a great guitarist with abilities to come up with my own formula on playing and making great tunes for everyone to enjoy. Proudly naming myself The #1AnimeRockstarInTheUniverse Shout Out To My Cousins who are in the Music Industry as Illustrious Music R&B Singers. Legendary Singers. Roberta Flack my dear love and Diahann Carroll. My music talent comes from that side of the family. I love that title. Seeing how I grasp anime fans and more Goth/Emo type of fan base to those who enjoy Punk/Grunge/Psychedelic RocknRoll that is my lane. I love every bit of it even the creative process on how I make music to coming up with my own Melodies by watching an Anime and just having my guitar in my hands just let it flow my creative thinking and process of elimination take control and pour through my finger tips like water and currents that make a riptide into the guitar it just flows. Better self to explain to people who do not understand music it’s like a hot knife cutting through butter to spread on the bread. It’s just that easy to me and I love it. It’s so much fun and it’s not hard work to me but I work hard. I’m happy to engage more into the Asian culture that has the magnitude for my music to grow in certain cultures instead of just limiting myself into one specific geographic background. I’m known in the United States but I would love to spread more through the Asian heritage side of music. To eventually creating my own Animation into also making the music for the Animation. So I dream of that.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

There was a time where I wanted to reach out to the Japanese and Asian culture such as Korea, China, even to the Vietnamese people who enjoy Anime. I found myself scrolling through social media on Instagram. I found someone who was interesting that has their own snowboarding company. His name on Instagram is @Sin.Nico25 he is a Japanese Native. His snowboarding company is called @SeparateSnowboards I was intrigued by his way of snowboarding with combining Cosplay and having animation backdrops in his videos that he conducts with a team of creatives out there that I know of. They influence me a lot and so I reached out to Sin.Nico I told him my passion what I wanted to do and what I need done so I could snowboard to and have friends in Japan. So he he was very interested in my music right away. He made a video to my music I strung together with a recording app called ( BandLab) But he has helped me in ways where I could not reach myself. I’m very honored to have a friend like that. I’m very well organized when it comes to social media presence and reaching out to new fans and potential business partners that become friends first and foremost family ( kazoku ) So we keep in touch til this very day. So when I do experience Japan and all that is has to offer I will not feel alone. I wish to ride separate snowboards as well. My advice to those who start up a social media presence. First Know why your up there, second target your audience by your interest, third engage your role as you are to be seen up there, fourth have fun and be respectful to other creatives who have a bigger social media presence than you. Last not but least have fun. ❌⭕❌⭕ 😈🎸

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My soul mission is my very existence and why I play the guitar is to appeal to many different backgrounds around the world who enjoy Anime like I do. To create my own Production Of Animation to work with Curators and innovators of all sorts who could help me attain such a goal. Through my music alone and my mind and my personality I will succeed. I wish to perform all over the world and make my stamp into the world of Animation and have fans all over cosplay as my made up theme of characters that you see today popularized by anime cosplay today in Japan, Korea, China, and to also have a Asian Wife. With a authentic background of her country. Right now my Asian Instagram Crush Is @Ringo_lyn She is a Korean Singer, Actress,and also a Martial Artist. That would be most glorious as a goal to obtain. So I’m just being myself as I dig deeper into my music journey. Becoming a Top Kiaow Meow Anime Rockstar #SkaDankoXOXO I Am The Big Mamushi
I Am The Big SkaDanko
I Am The #1AnimeRockstarInTheUniverse
Since I Look like Jimi Hendrix
I’m Back From The Dead.
I do believe in Past Lives.
Now I’m SkaDanko XOXO
I Gotta Chill but not really.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @skadankoxoxo
• Youtube: SkaDankoXoXo

Image Credits
Dollskill Butter Fly Anarchy Shirt By Delia’s. Shout Out Shoddy Lynn