Today we’d like to introduce you to Trevor Finlay.
Hi Trevor, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was one of the lucky (or cursed) ones that knew what they wanted to do from a young age. Music, anything and everything to do with it.
I started playing guitar at the age of 9, my first band was when I was 12 and my first professional gig was at the age of 15.
On my first tour as a guitar player, I played a show in the middle of nowhere at a bar with a hotel attached to it. There were no bouncers, only a loaded 12 gauge shotgun and a bat with nails sticking out of it for protection. We stayed at the hotel in a room that had a mystery powder lining the walls, there was no shower, the tv only got 2 and a half channels (I include the half because the third came in depending on where you stood in conjunction with the television) and my bed was at a length-wise 45 degree angle. I distinctly remember laughing to myself thinking “God help me, I love this. This is going to make for a great story later.” I’ve been in the game ever since.
I moved to Nashville about 18yrs ago – not to be the “next big thing” but rather to be around people like me, that live, breathe and exist to play, write and create music. Recently, I’ve been releasing new music and videos that I feel are the best of my career, and I travel quite a bit. And thankfully, the hotels have gotten a lot better.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’d like to answer that with something that I promise will be relevant to the question.
I have this theory that musicians/artists go through four distinct phases.
Phase one is Idealistic. That’s when you think your music is going to change the world, or at the very least, set it on fire like Bill $ Ted’s Wyld Stallyons.
Phase two is Realistic. You have been playing gigs and you realize that maybe world domination won’t happen, but you can play gigs and have a good time, maybe make some money and have some fun.
That leads us to Phase three, which is Cynicism. This is where we lose a lot of people – they “grow up and get real jobs”. You’re not making much money, you’re not having much fun, you’re tired of being generally ignored and you get screwed over one too many times.
If you stick with it, you get to Phase four, which is Philosophic. You have an off night – no worries. You’ll get ’em next time. You get screwed over – well, shit happens. You don’t work with the people who screwed you over in the future. You remember why you’re doing what you’re doing. For me, it’s because playing, writing, recording, and releasing music is profoundly satisfying. I love it with every fiber of my being.
I try to spend most of my time these days in Phase Four, but I still have moments in the other three.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am one of the fortunate ones that gets to be a full-time musician, and I wear every hat that that occupation comes with these days. Primarily I am my own artist, but I’ve also spent a lot of time as a hired gun (guitarist) for people way more famous than me.
My most recent project is something that I am very excited about – I’m in the process of releasing new music on all the streaming services. My first song came out in June of 2026, and is called “Shut The Hell Up”, which is about saying things too quickly without thinking it through first. It’s been getting some attention and the feedback has been really positive. And as luck would have it, a brand new song just came out today (Aug 2026) called “A Little Too Much”, which is about the constant bombardment of information and opinions. There are more songs coming out in the fall and next year as well.
As for what sets me apart? That’s difficult to answer. I can tell you that I always show up with a positive attitude, and I’ve had a lot of comments about the fact that it looks like I’m having a great time when I’m on stage. That’s because I am! I’m there to have a good time and everyone’s invited to join in.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I think choosing to be a musician is the same as any entrepreneurial venture. When you release music, you take on the financial investment – only now, it’s a bigger risk because you’re not necessarily moving physical product but trying to stand out and get people to pay attention in a world that is very noisy. But in the end, you have to believe in your vision and hope that others will believe it too.
But as I said before, writing, recording and releasing something new is profoundly satisfying. I feel like I have things to say and I’ll keep saying them. And in the end, there’s going to be a hell of a treasure trove for people to find.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://trevorfinlay.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trevorplaysguitar/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trevor.finlay1
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TrevorPlaysGuitar2
- Other: https://tiktok.com/@TrevorPlaysGuitar
