STR Chatz: Young and Heartless discuss band's overall success
STR also had the opportunity to meet up with Young and Heartless, four dudes hailing from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The guys discuss the band's growth, some favorite holiday family traditions, and the coming together of their latest release, The Pull of Gravity.
Discuss the growth your band has experienced before and after the release of The Pull of Gravity.
Jeremy: We’ve just been continually been doing a lot more, getting a lot better shows, getting used to playing the songs live. This release was definitely the most mature one we have had so far. I feel like we are really gaining momentum.
Brian: I think with the first one, it was just him[Jeremy] and he wrote a majority of the songs. It was Jeremy, I and two other guys that we are not going to talk about. They ended up leaving and Jake and Britain came in. With Death In Color we started doing our own thing, feeling each other out. With The Pull of Gravity we found our niche.
What do you feel the biggest struggle you endure with being in a band?
Jeremy: Touring and playing really bad shows is really the hardest thing to endure. You’ll play one then you will be like “Oh, I gotta play this again tomorrow.” Britain and I have been in bands for a long time before this one and we got used to the punk-grind of touring. We were okay with not making any money. It’s more about morale, keeping positive about where you are going. On a normal tour you will play really great shows, but sometimes in between those shows it’s hard to keep your morale high.
Jake: You can be in a really good mood then instantly turn everyone in a bad mood. I’m usually the one that does that.
How do you draw in new listeners who have not heard of your band?
Jeremy: Here’s the thing, we are not a really fun band. We write pretty emotional songs as far as dealing with harder issues than my girlfriend just broke up with me. Generally as band in our genre, we play a lot more of down tempo songs.
Britain: Our songs are sort of specific when it comes to the situation so whenever someone can relate to that, they are more drawn to it. It’s more of a connection.
Aside from playing GK Fest, what are some other things you are wrapping up with 2014?
Britain: We are playing a couple more of local shows. We are not doing much, we started writing.
Brian: I’m getting a left handed guitar; I am pretty stoked about that.
What are the many elements that came with writing songs like “Desk Rot?”
Jeremy: The whole thing is a concept from front to back. The first song is about a boy who saves this girl from overdosing on drugs and takes her back to his house and takes care of her. He ends up growing close to her and they go to school together. He finds that he is getting more popular because of her. It’s this fight that he likes the girl but he is starting to use her. The whole album she experiences mental issues such as anorexia and cutting, that’s what he sees starting to happen there because he is starting to use her more and it’s starting to take a toll on her.
Britain: It’s more on his heartbreak throughout their relationship.
Christmas is less than two weeks away, any favorite holiday celebrations?
Brian: I go to Festivus every year.
Jeremy: It’s a lot of family stuff. One of my favorite things is my mom always burns sticky buns in the morning, like accidently burns them every single year, but now since everyone is 21, my mom starts making mimosas in the morning. It helps smooth the holidays a little bit.
Who would you like to see as album of the year?
Jeremy: Interpol’s new release was pretty good. The Hotelier put out a really good album.
