© Renee Newman
Trophy Wife is a Brooklyn-based alt-rock band comprised of McKenzie Iazzetta (vocals), Christian Pace (bass), Mena Lemos (guitar), and Michael Martelli (drums). Their sophomore album Pathetic pairs raw, noisy instrumentation with intimate lyricism, capturing a band growing ever more confident in its identity. We caught up with the band to discuss the raw intensity of Pathetic, finding the balance between noise and melody, and the songwriting behind the album.
The B-Side Hour: Your sophomore album Pathetic came out July 10th. Looking back on the finished record, what do you think it says about where Trophy Wife is today?
Trophy Wife: I think there's a level of sureness in ourselves that hasn't always been there. We always say that with each song we write, we're more certain of what "Trophy Wife" sounds like and that's what we're always chasing.
The B-Side Hour: Pathetic feels very raw, both sonically and lyrically. Was capturing that sense of urgency something you set out to do from the start?
Trophy Wife: I think the urgency and rawness comes partially from the manner in which we record. We always have a limited time frame where we work 12 hours a day for a week straight. We had the songs fleshed out to an extent before recording, but they weren't concrete until we got in the studio. I think the pressure that comes with the recording process may evoke a lot of the intensity that the songs ask for.
"Sometimes a song that sounds a little quirky or ugly at first ends up being one of your favorite songs"
The B-Side Hour: How has your creative process evolved since your debut album? Was there anything you approached differently this time around?
Trophy Wife: The biggest difference I think was that we recorded it in two chunks versus all at once. We really wanted to get a head start on recording even though we'd only written half the songs, so we brought 4 to the studio in February of 2025, and 5 to the studio in August of 2025!
The B-Side Hour: How does your dynamic as a band influence the way you write, challenge and refine each other's ideas?
Trophy Wife: We all have our own musical and emotional influences when it comes to writing this music, and I think that's what makes us sound most like us. We're all so comfortable just trying stuff out that self-censorship doesn't get in the way of our creative process.
The B-Side Hour: Pathetic finds a balance between noisy guitars and memorable melodies. What were some of the musical influences that helped shape that sound?
Trophy Wife: The distortion and the loud sounds are what bring the energy, but the melody is what pulls you in and has you singing along. That's what My Bloody Valentine, Dinosaur Jr., Nirvana, and Alex G figured out way before us. Sometimes a song that sounds a little quirky or ugly at first ends up being one of your favorite songs.
"I really like twisting my voice around and seeing how far I can push things"
The B-Side Hour: McKenzie, your vocal delivery is very distinctive, shifting from soft and intimate to raw and powerful. How much of that comes instinctively, and how much is a conscious choice in serving the emotion of the song?
Trophy Wife: There are things that are there from the moment I write the song and things that slowly show up the more I sing them! I really like twisting my voice around and seeing how far I can push things. The goal for me isn't always to sound 'good' or 'pretty', sometimes I want to be a contortionist.
The B-Side Hour: On Paragraph, you sing 'I wish I was a love song writer'. To you, is songwriting more about creating worlds to escape into, or describing the one you live in? And if it's both, how do you find the balance?
Trophy Wife: On 'Pathetic' a lot of it is both! I feel like I often was writing about the world I'm living in but maybe one where I had more agency. I don't feel like I'm balancing it at all. In a song like 'Sure Thing' I feel like I was holding on so tightly to my control and one like 'Whatever You Want' I'm desperately trying to let go. I don't feel like anyone is one thing and I definitely don't feel like a neutral character in my life, so my writing shows it!
The B-Side Hour: Pathetic is a title that immediately grabs attention. What made it the right word to encapsulate the record?
Trophy Wife: We all went back and forth for a while about the album title but from the start Pathetic was floating around. It's fun to dig around in the lyrics of an album and find something that sums it all up. Christian was set on Pathetic from the moment we started 'So Hard' with 'can't you get pathetic for me?'
"We're all so comfortable just trying stuff out that self-censorship doesn't get in the way of our creative process"
The B-Side Hour: You've been compared to artists like Blondshell and Wednesday. What does it feel like to be part of that contemporary alternative rock scene?
Trophy Wife: I think it's cool that we're considered to be a part of a scene! I think we probably all take influence from similar things, or we have similar world views. Maybe it's the stuff we grew up watching on TV, or the songs that were viral when we were in high school. Either way, it's really cool and really motivating to see other people in your generation similar to you doing cool stuff.
The B-Side Hour: Which song from Pathetic are you especially curious to see evolve in a live setting?
Trophy Wife: I'm curious to see 'Alone' evolve as that song requires a really specific mood to be handled correctly. It's hypnotic and definitely requires a certain headspace and intense focus to perform correctly.
Tickets to the album release show