Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with TROY

Fans will recognize Troy Doherty for his onscreen work in projects like The Last Ship and This Is Us. This September he’s showing off another side to his artistry as a singer-songwriter. Releasing music under the artist name TROY, the gifted storyteller is ready to show the world his purest self. Pop Culturalist caught up with TROY to learn more about this exciting chapter in his career, his debut single, “Unbreakable,” and what’s ahead.

PC: How did you discover your passion for music?
TROY: I’ve been singing since I was born. I started playing the guitar and the piano when I was twelve. Intertwined with my acting career, music has always been something that I’ve done for me. A friend of mine about two years ago was like, “You’ve got to let the world hear this music.” I took her advice and a week or two later, I played my first show in LA. The growth of TROY blossomed.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
TROY: That question can go in a multitude of different answers. My family has been a big influence. I grew up in a family that’s been very supportive, and some of us are musically inclined, but all of us have a great taste in music from Bruce Springsteen to Queen to Elton John to Billy Joel. We’re a classic rock type of family. That has definitely helped my music and the way I write. That mixed with the culture of now and how I grew up in my generation. They all blended very well together.

My family is a big proponent as well as the music of my peers and the music that I like to listen to. I was listening to Elton John today while I worked out. He’s a brilliant pianist. Bernie Taupin is a fantastic writer. The collaboration between those two. I would say him and also Queen have been really big influences of letting go—not being afraid to let go and be in the moment on stage. There is no formula to any of this. You write what you feel.

PC: Fans will recognize you for the work you’ve done on screen. What has the transition been like going from acting to music?
TROY: It’s been good. I did The Last Ship. That was the last interview we did! Then after that, I went on This Is Us. I had a scene with Mandy Moore where I played John Smiley, who was a lefty pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Coming from that and my friend talking about my music and me starting to take that on more professionally than just a hobby, it fell into place that I wrote this song. My manager now, Michael Keeling, has a very good friend. His name is Marti Frederiksen. He’s an extremely talented producer who’s multiplatinumed. He’s a brilliant songwriter and producer. He heard one of my songs and was like, “Come out to Nashville.”

This was right after this whole transition period. I called my acting manager and I was like, “I’m thinking about going to Nashville for the summer.” He was super supportive and was like, “Yeah, go!” He said, “You can self-tape from there.” Everything has become self-tapes these days. So I was in Nashville and I didn’t leave. Then this whole COVID thing hit, and so the acting business stopped for a while. I was in Nashville just writing. I actually started putting on a concert for my neighborhood. It’s been cool. They still go hand in hand, but it seems like life was like, “Hey, you have to do music right now.”

PC: Other actors who’ve made a similar transition have said that there’s a different vulnerability when you’re sharing your own music. Did you feel that as you embarked on this journey yourself?
TROY: Absolutely. Vulnerability is the key word there. What I love about acting is you’re playing this part. But as an artist who is writing his own music, it’s like I’m writing a part and I am the part. It’s very vulnerable to put your soul in front of everybody and be like, “This is me. I’m going to give this to you. This is my interpretation of how this story is going to be.” It’s a very vulnerable thing. But I think that’s why music is so powerful because it can connect from that vulnerable place.

PC: You released your debut single today. Tell us about “Unbreakable” and the inspiration behind the song.
TROY: The song is a reminder. It was a reminder to myself of the person that I choose to be. It was at a time when I felt like I was getting stepped on a lot. No matter how hard I tried, it felt like nobody was seeing me. In that feeling, I knew that I had to keep going. I had to have the courage to make it happen. Look, it’s scary to get out of your comfort zone, but the risk of getting out of it is greater than staying in there. This song really comes down to trusting in yourself and knowing that you’re unbreakable.

PC: As we look ahead to the rest of 2020, what does the year hold for you?
TROY: I am releasing a few singles. I’m actually releasing a music video on October 1 for “Unbreakable.” That will come out, and then in the coming months, I have a few singles that I’m prepared to release as well as in the works for an album in 2021.

PC: With your debut album coming out in 2021, is there a message that you hope to get across as an artist?
TROY: That’s a good question. With the untitled TROY album, I guess the message is “This is me. This is who I am.” I really enjoy writing songs, whether upbeat, slow, sad, happy. I guess what I would say to that question would be that this is as purely me as I can be. That’ll grow over time.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: First album you bought?
TROY: It was a Michael Bublé’s Call Me Irresponsible.

PC: First concert you attended?
TROY: Def Leppard.

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
TROY: I really enjoyed Dean Lewis’ album, A Place We Knew. I remember his single from that album, “Be Alright,” came out. It felt like a God moment, like “You need to hear this song right now.” I listened to the song and I was like, “Whoa.” It was directed towards me. Then when I listened to the whole album top to bottom, I was like, “Wow.” I remember sitting in the gym actually stopping my workouts and I was like, “Damn. I’m feeling this.” His songwriting is so good.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
TROY: I would love to do the Hollywood Bowl. I’ve been to so many concerts there. I would love to do the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, where Bruce Springsteen got his start. Also the Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

PC: A must-have on the road?
TROY: Food. I really love healthy food. I cook all the time. I really love my chicken thighs, brown rice, and sriracha. If I’m going to splurge, I’ll have Chipotle.

To keep up with TROY, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Pick up or stream “Unbreakable” today.