Just before their EP launch show earlier in the week, we caught up with The Younger to ask them about life and touring.
So this is your EP ‘Have Hope’ launch show. What’s today been like?
Reece: Good pretty chilled out. I had a little make shift barber shop up here (in the dressing room) doing the lads hair. We’re just getting in gig mode now, had something to eat, chilled out and now we’re just ready for the show tonight.
Dan: We’re not very rock and roll in that regard before gigs. We’re quite controlled. I’m drinking tea. Rock & roll after the show, safety first.
What was the writing process like for this EP and how did it differ to the first?
Dan: The first EP we wrote in a different kind of way. We wrote that more live. And then the second EP, I went away a lot and I did some of the core writing and then we composed all the songs around the core elements in practice together. It didn’t really vary too much, it was just the core material wasn’t being come up with on the spot. So we constructed things a little bit better. Plus a general level of refinement. We knew after the first EP what we wanted to accomplish with the second. So going into it, we had a different mind set and on a borderline we actually added different instrumentation, so we used a lot of classic kind of rocky sounds on the first EP, 2 guitars, bass, drums, vocals, a little bit of synth work. On the second record, it’s a lot more piano, a lot more synth, there’s a lot of percussive elements that have been added over the top of the drums.
Reece: The first one we was basically figuring out what we wanted to sound like. We had a rough idea, but songs were sort of changing as we was going along, but with the second one we knew how we wanted to sound, what we wanted to achieve with it.
Dan: Pre-production really was the main difference. Having that time and having that foresight to know what your band is now being not only kind of seen as, but where you know how the songs work live and constructing things in a certain way so we wouldn’t leave ourselves short say with lots of songs that sound good on record, but good live as well.
You’re playing Vans Warped tour here in the UK next month, what’s it like to be on the bill with artists such as Billy Talent and Rise Against?
Reece: It’s amazing, we’re next to Yellowcard and that sounds silly cause it’s alphabetical order. But being next to Yellowcard one of my favourite bands growing up is pretty cool. It’s nice to be involved with something as iconic as the Warped Tour really, when you read about it since you were a young kid. In rock music it’s a well established association in rock music, so it’s nice to bepart of it.
Dan: It’s a complete honour. Some of the bands are so different. There’s such a broad type of mix of how bands sound, I’d say that we do stand a little bit aside from some of the other artists, which I’m really excited about. Without being egotistical, I think we’re bringing something different, especially to the small stage we’re playing and Kilimanjaro, who put on the event, have been very kind to us. It’s been very nice to be looked after in the way that we have as such as young band and I hope that’s indicative of what we’re bringing to the table.
What would be your dream festival to play here in the UK?
Reece: For me Reading. I love Reading, I’ve been going there since I was younger and it’s just iconic ground for me.
Dan: I’d like to jump out to a different a market cause we’re Chelmsford, I’d love to headline V. I just like that vibe. It’s a proving ground, at Reading everyone’s a bit of a Muso. But I like the casual element of V. It’ll either be that or T In the Park.
Reece: Wireless would be good.
Dan: Radio 1’s Big Weekend. I like pop festivals, I’m a sucker for pop music. I listen to too much chart music.
What band would you love to support next year if given the chance?
Reece: Kings of Leon
Dan: The 1975. I’d love to support a singer songwriter like James Arthur, that’d be great. Just a beige audience that are there to consume anything. I love the idea of that.
What are the bands plans for 2014?
Dan: To be as big as the sun… not the newspaper. The planet, or the star.
Reece: To continue our momentum we built over the last year. Year ago, just under a year go, we were first on at the Barfly.
Dan: Not even on the poster
Reece: And now we’re headlining it in just over 8 months which is pretty cool. By this calculation should be Brixton this time next year.
Our review of The Younger’s recent EP launch show in Camden can be read here.
