Artist Feature: Youth Warrant

We are back. And we have something to share. This time it is a brand new artist feature.

We aren't new to indie rock, we love indie rock. It excites me when I find a band with the potential to make it in the indie rock scene. Today I bring you Youth Warrant, a Baltimore, Maryland duo consisting of two members, Alex and Brian.

I first heard them when browsing SoundCloud back in April, I immediately loved their sound. Not only was it a sound that was unique, it was a sound with character.

Their EP, Strange Paradise, has since amassed over 2,500 plays on SoundCloud. Each song on the EP has a different tone that adds to the overall emotion of the album. Along with a consistent 2 part male and female harmony, each tracks has alternating pace, slowing down and speeding up on a dime. Making it one unique EP.



I had the pleasure of interviewing the duo about their work and goals. So here it is.

Where do you see yourselves in 5 years?

Alex (A): Working full-time on the music. Writing new tunes, playing around the world, recording, producing... I'd love to see my music touch people the way that music has touched me through the years.

Brian (B): Hopefully -- on stage, somewhere in the world, playing to people who know the words to all of our songs. With at least one full-length album under our belts.

As a band, what is your largest influence when making music?

B: Together -- we just want to write great songs that mean to people (including ourselves) what songs and music have meant to us. For every stage in our loves, there was music to pair with it, to comfort us, excite us, commiserate, etc...

A: I agree with Stew. There has been so much music over the years. Songs that have helped me carry on, and to know that we aren't alone in our struggles. I don't think that we've ever gone into our studio and said "let's sound like such-and-such a band". We just love music, and try to make the best that we can. For every bass line, guitar part, drum beat, and melody, there are a dozen that didn't make the cut.

What are your favorite genres of music?

A: Anything emotional and heartfelt, with melodies that make me feel as much as the lyrics. The songs that always meant the most to me were the songs I grew up on. After a hard break-up, I listened to an album by This Providence in the car all night. It was like having someone there who understood exactly what I was feeling. Music does that.

B: I get into most things that are tagged as indie/alt. I'll cover the whole spectrum from indie/alt/folk, to rock, to pop, to some hip hop as well. those genres tend to draw the attachment and emotion from me, ad lean towards the art of the song, and that is important to me.

What are your plans for future releases?

B: We're back to writing again. We just decided that we had a set of songs we were ready to release to get the ball tolling on this project. It just felt right, so we followed our guts. We left a few songs half-written at that time, and as soon as we released the EP, got right back to it. We'll be releasing more relatively soon.

A: I had my ACL replaced shortly after the release, so I've been banging away at my guitar every day. I'm excited to get into the studio and allow these new tunes to develop.

What is your favorite track on the EP and why?

B: Criminal. It's about a situation that is simultaneously beautiful and agonizing, and all at once in its death throws. It has a lot of personal meaning o me, but I also think the emotion of the lyrics paired perfectly with the songwriting, as it sways from epically big to introspectively subdued.

A: The Fall. I think we're all searching for love, and this song sort of asks those questions. We've all felt those highs and lows, and that uncertainty about ourselves and our relationships. I also love the middle of the song, when the music fades away to that pretty and haunting melody. And the song just quietly asks "is it worth the fall?", and the answer is really for each listener to find for themselves.

Hopefully we will be hearing more from Youth Warrant. We will be sure to update you guys on their latest work as it comes out. I would like to thank Alex and Brian for their time and their work. I hope you will check them out.