Full Name:
Raisa Trelstad

Stage Name:
Stix. Yes, Stix. Fuck you if you think that’s not original enough for a drummer but it was her nickname as a kid when she was whaling on the drums and guess what?! She kept it. If you don’t want to use it then call her by her real name. She doesn’t care either way.

Age:
28

Birthday:
July 20th


Appearance:
Tall and lanky, Raisa would have had a great career as a model if she was prettier or gave half a damn as to her outward appearance. Instead, she shaved off the under layer of her hair, dyed the rest a bright red and she dresses for comfort instead of style. Usually in the form of t-shirts and tank tops paired with jeans or shorts.

Want a word to define her easily?

Colorful.

Seriously, from the hair to the tattoos on her chest, lower arms and stomach you can’t tell whether she’s trying to stand out from the crowd or whether she just likes bright and pretty things. Though, when combined with her personality you’d best bet on the latter. Her ears are gauged and that is the only jewelry of any kind that you will find adorning her body.

Her face has angular lines and her cheeks appear gaunt at times because sometimes she just forgets to eat. Don’t worry though because if you take her to one of her favorite restaurants and she’s forced to sit there and eat then she will go to town. (iHop especially, she adores crepes.)

Complexion-wise, she is slightly tanned and her eyes are an odd bluish-grey color that she defines with make up to really make them pop. Other than that, she wears no make up unless you count chapstick.


Role:
Drummer for Legion.

Musical Style:
When Raisa was young, her only musical influences were that of her mother and father. She grew up in a beach town that raked in its money via touristy venues and her parents owned a little 50’s style diner complete with a drive-in sidearm. Thus, oldies were all she knew with the occasional foray into Elvis hits or country music.

Once she was old enough to buy her own CDs and such, her musical taste began to expand rapidly. First into 80’s hair bands then 90’s pop music (forgive her, she was young) and then into bands such as Devildriver, Arch Enemy, and In Flames.

Instruments:

A custom-built SONOR Ascent series drum kit.



Personality:
Hyperactive. Talkative. A combination of both of those qualities means that she rarely shuts up and she has a habit of talking over other people. There is absolutely no brain to mouth filter installed in Raisa’s body and it becomes evident with half of the shit that leaves her lips. She is adept at reading people’s facial expressions too so she’ll be more than happy to tell you what you’re thinking as well.

You’re welcome!

She may also have undiagnosed ADHD. Her attention only seems to remain focused when she’s playing. Other than that, good luck. She would try to hold a conversation with you one minute about the benefits of kale or something equally odd before suddenly leaping up from the table to wander outside. Because, you know, there was a squirrel or something out there. You honestly never know but so far she’s managed not to run into traffic or get herself maimed or killed.

Biography:

As mentioned previously, Raisa grew up in an Oceanside town. What does that mean in the grand scheme of things? Well, not much really but to the poor child growing up it meant a land full of opposites and extremes. Summertime was her favorite time of year. Not only due to the sun, sand, and surf but also because her normally boring hometown transformed into the place to be. Everything suddenly became better after Memorial Day. The place was busier, there were more people around, the people were unlike anything she had seen before and money flowed into their lives like a suddenly gushing geyser.

Every other season was dull, lifeless and there were few children around since most of them lived further inland with their parents. Most of the businesses in the city were owned by either young singles or the elderly and that meant that Raisa had to find ways to entertain herself. There are only so many times you can wander the same strip of beach and pick up seashells or throw those recently discovered seashells at seagulls before those activities lose their luster.

So, one time while doing homework at one of the empty tables in her parent’s diner, Raisa began to tap her pencil idly against her notebook in rhythm with whatever 50’s jam was currently blaring out over the jukebox. Amused, she began to match the drum beat and everything progressed from there. She stole cups and containers from the kitchen, sneaking them out to her corner booth so she could produce different intonations and pretty soon she was playing her makeshift kit with ease.

A lot of begging and a tear-filled look got her a basic drum kit that next Christmas and by the time she was a teenager she would spend her days either helping out with the diner or attending school, depending on the season. Then the nights were hers. She would either attend lessons or practice in her parents’ basement and then when she was more confident in her abilities, she applied for a permit to perform on the boardwalk and set her kit up there. That first summer, she raked in a few hundred dollars and that was obviously all she needed to prove to herself that she had what it takes to make a living from drumming. After finishing high school, she packed her bags and headed into the larger cities to try her luck there. After being a part of perhaps a dozen or so bands, she finally scored a gig with Legion by her 20th birthday and it seemed the perfect fit.

The lead guitarist at the time, Dominik Kuhn, and Raisa became fast friends and despite her better judgment they began to date. She knew it would never last. You hear it all the time how dating a bandmate isn’t a smart idea. If the pair breaks up, then there’s tension and one ends up leaving, etc etc but still she had to follow her heart.

It came as no surprise that when things got rough, instead of dealing with their issues Dominik decided to up and leave not just his relationship with Raisa but the whole damn band as well. He didn’t even give any notice, just said he had found ‘better opportunities elsewhere’ and peaced the fuck out.

Don’t worry though, Raisa’s not bitter or anything. Well, not anymore. She wouldn’t exactly cry if the fucker was run over by a car but she’s not actively seeking his death either and she’s damn glad that he’s gone now because the rest of the band members make a perfect fit.