Photo Credit: Renee Newman

Formed in the DIY basement scene during their time at Berklee College of Music in Boston, the now Brooklyn-based indie rock trio Trophy Wife have quickly become a standout ensemble. The band is the brainchild of lead vocalist and songwriter McKenzie Iazzetta, and features Christian Pace on bass and Michael Martelli on drums.

This past October, Trophy Wife released their debut album, Get Ugly—a triumphant nod to ’90s angst, blending Iazzetta ’s haunting vocals and evocative lyricism with the band’s heavy-hitting, head-banging melodies.

The first track released ahead of the LP, “Keep It,” is a rush of raw vulnerability and emotional tension as frontman McKenzie Iazzetta’s haunting vocals take center stage. She anguishes, “Do you want someone else to make it better?” 

On the track Iazzetta shares, “I wrote ‘Keep It’  after what felt like 10 cartoon anvils were dropped on my head following my move to Brooklyn at the end of 2022. I wanted to package up the feeling of clenching a fist full of sand, only to have it slip through your fingers.“

Bringing these emotionally charged tracks to life on stage is where Trophy Wife truly shines—keep an eye out for upcoming shows from this rising powerhouse.

This is my first time listening to Trophy Wife and as I listened to the tracks, I noticed the musicians are telling stories in their lyrics. You can sense vulnerability in this debut album as well as you learn that Trophy Wife is straight to the point and they are not afraid to talk about certain things. Creating music that fans can relate to is one way to understand the band themselves because not everyone is comfortable with creating music about self reflection due to not wanting no one knowing that sometimes people do things they aren’t proud of.

Trophy Wife Live:

6/5 – New York City, NY – Nightclub 101 w/ Paper Lady and Willa Mae

GET UGLY TRACKLISTING

1. I Will Be Here

2. Keep It

3. Magnet

4. The Shame

5. Beer N TV

6. Swamp Song

7. Spit

8. Pedestal

9. Kicked

10. Again