Analog Utah

Behind The Strings: Twin Systems

An Article/Interview about a Alt Rock Band from Utah.

It’s a cold December night, I’m sitting in Twin Systems’ band practice room, and hastily writing interview questions down on a piece of paper. The drums are vibrating in my teeth while I get distracted by their raw musical talent. Twin Systems is a band that needs no introduction, especially after the year they’ve had. They got a manager, changed their name from Cellar Dwellers to Twin Systems, won The Boardwalk’s Spring 2024 Battle of The Bands, played a show in Idaho, and came back a totally revived band. Composed of only three members, Twin Systems knows what it actually means to be in a band, they’ve played together since 8th grade and are an inspiration to many, including myself.

The Start Of Something Great

Twin Systems is made up of three members: Porter (singer and bassist), Beckett (Guitarist), and Trenton (Drummer).Twin Systems originally started out as Porter and Trenton’s sixth grade garage band. Although they were only 11-12 years old, I’m sure they felt like they were missing something, and that something was Beckett. They met Beckett in eighth grade and have been the three piece you know and love since. They have been playing as a trio for six years which they say has been a huge advantage to their sound. While listening to Twin Systems you can hear how cohesive they are with each other, they know each other well, and they know how each person plays even better. When I think of Twin Systems I think of synchronization, every time I see or hear them, they work together in unison, it’s almost like a machine. The trio also has a very distinct sound that can only be achieved by six years of playing together.

I have been to many Twin Systems concerts in my lifetime and something I always hear is “Wow these guys can really play”. I’m not being over dramatic and neither is the crowd because those guys can REALLY play. For being a three piece, they put out enough sound to sound like a five piece band. Their singer, Porter, has been quoted by  Michael Luce from Provo Music Magazine as “one of the best musical multitaskers I’ve seen in the local scene”. Their drummer, Trenton, is not only incredibly talented at drumming but also creative. Their, guitarist, Beckett, writes the most unique yet befitting guitar riffs that perfectly round out the Twin Systems sound. Speaking of sound, Twin Systems has always been very stylistically unique to the point that when I asked them to describe their sound they had a hard time pinpointing it. They described their sound as alt-rock but it definitely much more than that. Their sound is not something I can put my finger on so you’ll have to listen to them to find out!

Twin Systems on the Scene

While I do my interviews I find it important to talk about the Utah scene because that’s what we’re all about at Analog Utah! So of course I asked them all about the things they love about it! When I asked them what they loved about the music scene in Utah one thing that they said stuck out to me. They love how welcoming the music scene is and the sense of community that you feel when you’re apart of it. Beckett said that the music scene feels timeless because everybody is always present and engaged with what is happening and that perfectly ties into what Trenton said he loves about the scene: How alive it is. The Utah music scene is still relevant and even grows more everyday despite what many people might think and Twin Systems is one of the many bands that help keep it that way. To me they showcase what it means to be a band from Utah, they play for the enjoyment of playing, they always have fun on stage, they love everybody that they meet, and do it for the music. It’s like they are one of the many mechanisms that keep the heart of the Utah music scene beating.

A somewhat unique thing about Twins Systems is that they apart of the ever-growing alternative scene in Provo. They are mainly based in Provo and that can be tough for a non-indie band but they are happy to be doing it. Indie has always been super important to the Provo scene, it even has it’s own sub-genre called “provocore”, and it is a wonderful scene to see and be apart of. However, Twin Systems is apart of a new, budding, more alternative scene that’s sprouting in Provo right now. This is important because many bands have a hard time finding their place in-between the Provo and Salt Lake music scenes. For that I would consider Twin Systems and other alternative bands to be trail-blazers in the Provo scene!

While interviewing Twin Systems I asked them what their favorite thing to see in the crowd was and that is seeing someone stank face. More importantly I asked them what their least favorite thing to see was and jokingly said “no one” before they had time to answer but they actually had some pretty solid advice pertaining to having not that many people show up to your shows. Their advice was to keep going even if it feels disheartening because every musician has played to a crowd of small people. Although that question and answer seemed small to me at first, I think it really sums up who Twin Systems are as a band. They’re a group that really cares about the music and show it in the little things they say and do. They’re so passionate about what they do that they said they want to do it until they die. That’s some serious commitment. Following that question I asked them what the purpose of Twin Systems was and they confirmed everything I said with their answer. They said that the purpose of Twin Systems is to create music that is uniquely Twin Systems in order to bring people together with their art.

Their Favorites

Every interview, Analog Utah makes sure to ask the interviewees two very important questions; 1. What’s one album you think everyone should listen to during their lifetime? and 2. What’s your favorite type of analog media/medium? Here are Twin Systems’ answers:

1. What’s one album you think everyone should listen to during their lifetime?
   • Beckett said The Glow Pt. 2 by The Microphones
   • Trenton said Reptilians by STRFKR
   • Porter said The Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails
2. What’s your favorite type of analog media/medium?
   • Porter’s favorite analog medium are vinyls
   • Trenton’s favorite analog medium are analog synths
   • Beckett’s favorite analog medium are cassette tapes and/or vinyls

Overall Twin Systems are an amazing band that showcase that they know what it means to be a band. I loved interviewing them and can’t wait to see what else they do in the future! Thank you so much for reading this interview and happy New Year! See you in the next article!

WHere to find them

You can listen to their music on any music app under “Twin Systems”(Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, etc.). They also have a live show recording out on SoundCloud under “Twin Systems”. You can also follow them on Instagram: @Twin_Systems_Official

They also have an upcoming show at The Pearl On Main! The details are on the flier below!

You can listen to the full interview below

Sources: Provo Music Magazine: https://provomusicmagazine.com/2024/05/16/the-boardwalk-spring-2024-battle-of-the-bands-night-3/