Personal Trainer

About

" Indie anthems to keep you running "

If singing along to your favourite songs counted as a sport, then Personal Trainer would be the kings of the gym. Consisting of an interchanging collective of musicians based in Amsterdam, Personal Trainer have utilised that big-band feel to create fun-pop, synth sing-along energy, which has led to obvious comparisons to the likes of LCD Soundsystem, amongst others. And like the DFA-band, Personal Trainer is the brainchild of one particular mastermind, the singer/songwriter Willem Smit, formerly of Canshaker Pi.

The music itself was written as a love-letter to the burgeoning Dutch indie-rock scene, a scene Willem has pulled from extensively while trying to fill the various open positions in his band at any one time. Formerly pigeonholed in the up-and-coming category, the band made it to the big time after appearances at Eurosonic and London Calling, in addition to doing a mad-capped, audacious 24-hour live-streamed show at Amsterdam’s Paradiso. For that last one, much personal training was required, of course.

With a consistently changing line-up, the band have to stay on their toes to embrace incoming members. Currently the band includes members from Pip Blom, Bull, Home Counties, The Klittens and Global Charming, all seasoned regulars within the Dutch scene. Willem acts as ringleader and conductor of this orchestra of chaos, training them through their pathway to success, the key moment of which, so far, was the release of the band’s debut ‘Big Love Blanket’. Co-produced by Smit’s long-term collaborator Casper van de Lans, ‘Big Love Blanket’ is filled with infectious, diverse sing-along indie anthems, including the band’s raucous single ‘The Lazer’ – of which we can only hope they’re never tired of playing. With some disciplined personal training, it’s a hit they’re sure to carry on playing indefinitely. 

To discover more about Personal Trainer, watch this interview :