Alicja Trout, Memphis’ most prolific female musician, must not get much sleep. In-between fronting not one, not two, but up to four bands, she runs Contaminated Records, a label and mail order catalogue that started with a 7 inch single from her former band The Fitts and has since released 9 records and sells almost 500 different titles.

“Alicja always seems to have so much going on, I just don’t know how she does it” says Chris Swenson, owner of Memphis Independent Studios and an admirer of Trout’s. ”I have a lot on my plate, but in terms of output, she blows most people in Memphis out of the water.”

Currently Trout makes music with psychedelic pop noise group Mousrocket, Memphis garage punk band Rivercity Tanlines, darkwave outfit Black Sunday, and the experimental Bare Wires. What’s most surprising about Trout is not that she can juggle so much music, but where her rock and roll lifestyle evolved from. It’s hard to believe the woman known for thrashing a white flying V comes with such a pedigree.

Born near Baltimore, MD., Trout, 35, moved to Memphis when she was 7. She began high school at prestigious St Mary’s but eventually finished at a private boarding school in Massachusetts. After high school she returned to Memphis to attend Rhodes College and earned a degree in art with a minor in philosophy. She then went on to grad school at Memphis College of Art and earned a Masters of Art.

“I was always the one who was going to be an artist and I don’t know like, going to St Mary’s was like being in a John Hughs movie with a lot of snobby kids – but at boarding school it was different because it was much more liberal, so I became more normal there” says Trout. “I wasn’t a very good student but everyone associated me with art and music.”

It was while attending shows at clubs like Murphy’s, The Antenna and Barristers that she seemed to find her true calling.

“It felt like I had stepped into another world because I was some kid from East Memphis” recalls Trout. “Like when I went to the Antenna Club and felt so self-conscience cause I didn’t know anybody and I was really shy I guess, if that’s believable.”

But being self-conscience didn’t stop her from wanting to kick out the jams. So, she started a band. And then another, and then another. Trout’s most well known former project is probably The Lost Sounds, but she’s also done time with The Clears, The Fitts, Ron Franklin Entertainers, Nervous Patterns, and Destruction Unit.

In mid-March Contaminated hosted its first South by Southwest music conference party at Beerland in Austin, Tx. The entertainment included Jeff Novak, Blank Its, The Tuff Luvs, Trout’s own Rivercity Tanlines, Feelers, Human Eye, and The Gris Gris. It was a great experience for Trout because she says her motivations weren’t monetary.

“I kind of didn’t like the idea of playing a festival but the people at Beerland were so cool and all of these bands cam and played for free. And I just had the best time down there. I was really happy that so much Memphis music was represented and it was so much fun having all the bands come through Memphis on their way to Austin” says Trout. “But the motivation for making money and being famous is just evil and it will make your music bad. Someone once brought up Radiohead as a band that moved into the mainstream and got better, but I think they are an exception to the rule.”

Now a new project has started that might be Trout’s most exciting yet. Arthur Lee, the baroque mid-sixties popster and frontman for the seminal band Love has moved to Memphis to reform his legendary group and Trout, along with Jack Yarber, Greg Roberson, and Ron Franklin have agreed to be part of the new incarnation.

“When we played with Arthur once, it was so amazing because his voice is so beautiful and to meet someone in your lifetime that you’ve listened to their stuff a hundred times over, it’s like it doesn’t even matter if you ever get to do it in public because it felt so good to just practice with him.”

Rivercity Tanlines open for The Gris Gris at The Hitone Friday March 31st.

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