Trey
was born in Florence, South Carolina on January 19th, 1969. His father is
Lloyd Lorenz, the director of a local job-training program and his mother
Bernice, a history teacher at local Wilson High. Both parents and Trey sang in
church. Trey learned to read music through a brief stretch of piano lessons.
When Trey met Mariah, he was in his junior year at Farleigh Dickinson
University, majoring in advertising. Since then Trey has been touring with
Mariah Carey as her backup singer, since her first promotional tour in 1990,
for her debut album, 'Mariah Carey.' Not only touring, Trey has written songs
with Mariah and they have become very close friends.Trey has continued to sing with Mariah Carey. He has co-written songs for Mariah's album and continued to do background vocals. Trey toured with Mariah in 1998, singing "Let's Make This A Night To Remember," with Mariah's other backup singer Melanie Daniels. Trey also toured with Mariah on her "Rainbow Tour," in 1999 and then again in 2003 on the "Charmbracelet Tour," singing "I'll Be There," and leading the background singers in a song called "Friend of Mine."
Trey Lorenz sings backup vocals on Mariah Carey's latest album 'The Emancipation of Mimi.' Trey vocals are featured on four songs: 'Get Your Number,' 'I Wish You Knew,' 'Joy Ride,' & 'Fly Like A Bird.' Trey has been present on the promotional tour for the album.
Hi Trey, how are you? We finally got connected! I hear you’re performing in Texas tonight.
Yeah we are! It’s really hot out here and a friend of mine lives here so she’s coming to the show. At this point we’ve got the show down and everyone’s comfortable with each other so it’s going well.
So you’re just in the hotel room relaxing before the show right now?
I usually take an afternoon nap before having to go to the venue but this is a pleasant distraction having you call me.
How do you feel having completed a record by yourself after so long?
It’s been a long time since I’ve done a project by myself, I think it’s been fourteen years that I had my solo album out. I better do it now while I’m still sexy!
Tell me about Mariah’s involvement in this project.
Mariah and I always joke that we were two years old when we started. We decided to call the CD “Mimi Presents…” because she’s helped on a song or two but for the most part these are songs that I’ve done over the past four or five years. Every time we go on tour I don’t have any new material of my own to perform. Mariah’s fans are great, they are constantly asking her if I’m doing anything and it’s weird for me because I’m totally not the celebrity type. Eventually I just thought it was time to go ahead and do it. Mariah was gracious enough to lend her name to it.
I heard the track Pisces a few days ago, what’s the story behind that?
It’s rare that I write songs that are too personal because I want people to be able to relate. It’s about a friend of mine who’s a Pisces and I hadn’t seen her for a long time but when I did see her she was really cold which wasn’t her personality. Honestly, I just like the way Pisces rhymes with icy! Mariah’s singing the background vocals on that song.
Are there any other songs that we should know about?
One of my favourite songs on the album is It All Comes Back Around. As I’ve become older I’ve become more interested in the world. I’ve been blessed to be able to travel around the world and meet a lot of different people, the world almost seems smaller. I’m against war and all that nonsense; I guess I shouldn’t say that with the war going on right now. I’ve been to so many places and I must add that I love London…
Now that brings me to a very important question, when are you and Mariah coming over here to tour? Tell me the truth!
You know what there hasn’t been any talk of a European tour which I was really disappointed about because we always go to Europe. They’re adding dates to the tour but I don’t exactly know how it works, maybe the Europe promoters have to request it or something. I know we’re going to Japan for two weeks and they’ve added a show in Hong Kong but that’s the last I’ve heard personally. I don’t think there will be a UK tour with Mariah but everything changes around here so keep your fingers crossed, they might try and do something at the top of the year. She might just release a new CD then come over with that.
Is Mariah around you at the moment by any chance?
She’s on vocal rest at the moment which I probably should be doing myself! It’s where she doesn’t talk a day before the show and everything she needs to say she writes on cards.
What are the plans for your album?
I don’t even know if we’re releasing the record or have any agreement for distribution for my album. That would be my goal but for me I love to sing and I love music but I don’t want to be a celebrity. I’ve seen what Mariah goes through and I don’t want that type of life. This album is a gift to the fans. We need to change the tracks on MySpace to my favourite ones! You need to add me. I might try and do a video shout out to put on there as well. I haven’t had a record out in God knows when so it surprises me when people come up to me and ask where my new material is, it’s always flattering.
Things around you have been pretty hectic, how do you come back to earth?
For me it’s always been about the music. I went through a stage of “drinking and drugging” is what we call it. I shouldn’t even joke about that but you know like smoking weed and being unproductive, going out with friends and enjoying life excessively. When I started going back to church everything started to turn around and I’m grateful to God for that, that’s what my favourite song “My Everything” is about. We come from a very spiritual clique over here. Mariah performs Fly Like A Bird from the Mimi album and the lyrics really speak to me. That’s what it’s all about to me.
You’re going to be on tour with Mariah for a while, do you ever get stressed out?
What I really want to do is go around the world with Mariah on her down time. I’m getting tired of the travelling thing but if I was doing it on my own terms it might be different. I would like to give more people some of this soul explosion that’s in me!
What do you like about touring?
The audiences and the performances. I do like to travel sometimes but being away from home months at a time can be difficult. Sometimes it’s just like “I wanna drive my own car!” At the end of the day seeing people’s reactions is the coolest and overrides everything even if you’re missing home and family. I also like it when people wait for us outside and take pictures, I make them send me them. I like it that everyone’s so cool and still remembers me from all that time ago.
Of course they remember you! They won’t forget when it’s artists like yourself or Mariah. I’m still listening to old Whitney Houston.
Right, exactly. I actually heard that Whitney and Bobby are getting a divorce. I love Whitney to the point where one of the reasons Mariah and I clicked on a personal level was because we were the same age and liked the same type of music. I went to the Mariah session, not to sing, but just to go and someone said “this girl sings better than Whitney Houston” and I was thinking nobody can sing better than Whitney, then when I heard Mariah sing I felt totally different.
What do you all get up to when you’re backstage?
Sleeping! Mariah doesn’t even come in until 30 minutes before she goes on stage; she comes in made up and is ready to go. Sometimes we have a sound check and then eat something. We then have three hours to wait before going on stage so I have a nice blanket and pillow close by!
Do you have any special requests before going on stage?
Tea with lots of lemon and chicken wings!
What about the journeys to and from different venues?
After the show is when we really get the party started and get on the tour bus. We took a 20 hour drive to get here [Houston, Texas] which was pretty brutal. You should give me a call on the next long drive when we’re going to Canada there are always lots of people on the bus. It’s cool because we have a big TV and fun people on board. People I know in different cities are always asking me when I’m arriving but I really don’t know, the only thing I know is when it’s over! Everyone thinks that when you go on tour you party all the time but being the type of artist Mariah is we have to really sing so partying is a real no no. We’re only halfway through and don’t finish until November!
Do you have any favourite parts of the show?
I was so proud of Gnarls Barkley and their success that I perform Crazy in Mariah’s show which always gets a good reaction. I love the stuff that my parents listened to like Motown. They never had a problem with what I listened to because it was always one of their records that I wanted to play. LA Reid gave us the idea to do a tribute to Luther Vandross and as you know, Mariah sung Endless Love with Luther…
That’s so strange; I’m listening to Endless Love right now!
Get out of here!
Seriously! Wait, listen…
Oh my goodness! Look at that, we’ve got a connection here.
Thanks for that, Trey. I’ll give you a call on your long drive.
Definitely, speak to you soon. Have a great day and thanks for the interview.
The new album from Trey “Mimi Presents…Trey Lorenz Mr. Mista” is released on September 19th 2006.
www.myspace.com/treylorenzmusic
By Rashmi Shastri - Sep 2006