Royal Trux
| Company type | Musical duo |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Defunct | 2001 (initially) |
| Fate | Reunited 2015–2019; disbanded again |
| Headquarters | United States |
Key people | Neil Hagerty, Jennifer Herrema |
| Products | Alternative rock music albums and performances |
Royal Trux was an American alternative rock duo active initially from 1987 until 2001, and later reunited from 2015 through 2019. The group featured Neil Hagerty on vocals and guitar alongside vocalist Jennifer Herrema.
History
Before forming Royal Trux, Hagerty was a member of the Washington D.C. garage punk outfit Pussy Galore, led by Jon Spencer, prior to relocating to New York City. While building underground recognition with Pussy Galore, he simultaneously explored his own creative direction with Herrema under the Royal Trux name.
Their self-titled debut album, Royal Trux, was released in 1988. After moving westward to San Francisco, they followed up with the avant-garde double LP Twin Infinitives. The band’s next release in 1992, an untitled record, marked a shift away from experimentation toward a rawer lo-fi aesthetic recorded on an 8-track machine.
For their fourth effort, Cats and Dogs, Royal Trux expanded their lineup by adding guitarist Michael Kaiser and drummer Ian Willers. This album showcased more melodic songwriting, which led to a contract with Matador, although a planned album under this deal never came to fruition.
Amid the post-1991 surge in major labels courting underground acts following Nirvana’s breakthrough, Royal Trux secured a lucrative three-album agreement exceeding $1 million with major label Virgin. This partnership aimed to enhance Virgin’s indie credibility. Utilizing the advance, they purchased and transformed a house in Virginia into a recording studio where they worked on their own material as well as projects for bands like The Make-Up. During this period, they also overcame previous struggles with substance abuse. The band’s lineup grew to include bassist Dan Brown, drummers Chris Pyle (briefly) and Ken Nasta, along with percussionist Rob Armstrong for some time.
In 1995, the band released Thank You, predominantly recorded live with producer David Briggs, followed by Sweet Sixteen. Despite gaining mainstream attention—Herrema notably appeared in Calvin Klein advertisements—Virgin reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with Sweet Sixteen. Royal Trux chose not to produce a third album for Virgin and returned to the independent label Drag City.
Under Drag City, Royal Trux issued Accelerator (1998), Veterans of Disorder (1999), and Pound for Pound (2000). Additionally, they released the triple-LP compilation Singles, Live, Unreleased, EPs such as 3-Song EP and Radio Video, along with various video and online projects.
Crediting themselves as Adam and Eve in production roles, Hagerty and Herrema disbanded Royal Trux following the release of Pound for Pound coinciding with their personal breakup. Both artists pursued solo endeavors under Drag City: Hagerty continued under his own name and as The Howling Hex; Herrema performed as RTX before adopting the moniker Black Bananas.
The duo reunited in 2015 for live performances including appearances at California’s Berserktown festival and New York’s Webster Hall. They continued touring across the United States in 2016 and performed their first UK concert since reuniting at Victoria Warehouse in 2017.
Their 2017 live release, Platinum Tips + Ice Cream, garnered favorable critical reception. Early in 2018, Royal Trux transitioned from Drag City to Mississippi-based indie label Fat Possum Records, which subsequently made their back catalog available via streaming services. A new studio album was anticipated for early 2019.
On March 1, 2019, Royal Trux unveiled White Stuff, marking their first studio record in nearly two decades through Fat Possum Records.
In a March 2019 interview, Hagerty announced his exit from the band citing disagreement over approval of the album. Herrema countered by noting Hagerty’s history of inconsistent touring participation. Due to legal complications involving Herrema, the promotional tour planned for White Stuff was canceled on April 30, 2019. Since then, both members have indicated that the reunion has effectively ended.
Legacy
Royal Trux has left a profound mark on a wide array of underground music acts. Dan Koretzky, co-founder of Drag City, remarked, "Just as countless listeners of the Velvet Underground formed their own bands, those who followed Royal Trux pushed themselves beyond conventional limits, both musically and otherwise." In 2015, Stereogum described them as "the most misunderstood band in indie rock," emphasizing their dedication to innovation rather than image or commercial safety. Their mission was to dismantle traditional rock ‘n’ roll and rebuild it through their unique artistic lens, producing work that continues to resonate.
Dan Hancox from The National News identified Royal Trux’s impact in the raw blues-infused energy of The Kills and The White Stripes, as well as the sharp guitar work characteristic of Interpol. Among their admirers are Jamie Hince and Alison Mosshart of The Kills, Bobby Gillespie from Primal Scream, Stephen Malkmus of Pavement, and Derek Miller of Sleigh Bells. Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth credited their debut album as a significant influence, lauding its experimental audacity and fearless approach.
Nate Young of Wolf Eyes highlighted Twin Infinitives as one of his preferred records due to its pioneering use of technology. Collaborator Will Oldham acknowledged Royal Trux as "hugely influential" in shaping his artistic path. The band MGMT attributed their own bold creative choices to Royal Trux’s inspiration, with Benjamin Goldwasser praising them as "exceptional songwriters" adept at cleverly disguising pop elements. Additionally, Alexis Taylor from Hot Chip named Royal Trux his favorite group, recognizing their influence on live performances and musical ethos.
Studio albums
- Royal Trux (Royal, 1988; reissued by Fat Possum, 2018)
- Twin Infinitives (Drag City, 1990; reissued Fat Possum, 2018)
- Untitled (Drag City/Domino, 1992; reissued Fat Possum, 2018)
- Cats and Dogs (Drag City/Domino, 1993; reissued Fat Possum, 2018)
- Thank You (Virgin/EMI, 1995)
- Sweet Sixteen (Virgin/EMI, 1997)
- Accelerator (Drag City/Domino, 1998; reissued Fat Possum, 2018)
- Veterans of Disorder (Drag City/Domino, 1999; reissued Fat Possum, 2018)
- Pound for Pound (Drag City/Domino, 2000; reissued Fat Possum, 2018)
- Hand of Glory (recorded in 1989; released by Drag City/Domino in 2002; reissued Fat Possum, 2018)
- White Stuff (Fat Possum, 2019)
Compilations
- Singles, Live, Unreleased (Drag City/Domino, 1997)
- Platinum Tips + Ice Cream (Drag City/Domino, 2017)
- Quantum Entanglement (Fat Possum, 2020)
Remix album
- Pink Stuff (remixes by Ariel Pink) (Fat Possum, 2019)
Singles and Extended Plays
- "Back To School" paired with "Cleveland" (Drag City, 1993)
- 3-Song EP (originally released by Drag City/Domino in 1998; reissued by Fat Possum in 2018)
- Radio Video (issued by Drag City/Domino in 2000; re-released by Fat Possum in 2018)