Half a decade since Young Lions last released a studio album, today marks the newest chapter in the Brisbane rockers career with the release of 'Make A Rainbow And Put It In The Sky'.
The quartet of frontman Zach Britt, bassist Morgan Castle, drummer Matt Gibson, and guitarist Ryan Alison, Young Lions first growled to life back in 2013 with their debut LP 'Burn' that was followed by the 'Blue Isla' (2015) and 'Mr Spaceman' (2017) records.The five-year wait for album #4 was caused in part due to the global pandemic alongside a series of personal setbacks that saw the band place their music on the backseat for a period of time as they dealt with life's ups and downs.
"The name 'Make A Rainbow And Put It In The Sky' for us, speaks to the journey we have all been on to put this album out," Zach says. "The ups and downs have been unfathomable, but the results are something we'll forever be proud of."
With the recording of the 13 songs that feature on 'Make A Rainbow And Put It In The Sky' spread across a number of years, Young Lions have focussed on a central theme of mental health. "A lot of these lyrics were penned a long time ago but still ring true for me today," Britt says.
"Some songs on the album are super personal and I've put a lot of my own lived experiences over the years into them, and in a much more visceral way than usual."
As they celebrate their tenth anniversary as a band, Young Lions will also embark on a national tour in the winter. The band's drummer Matt sits down for a chat about the album, the band's career so far and which member of the group has the best culinary skills.
It's been five years since the last Young Lions album; you've released singles during that time that feature on the new record; but why the length of time between album releases (no doubt there's been some ups and downs along the way)?
We recorded some of these tracks right before COVID hit, and the drive to release new music died along with our ability to tour. Lockdowns really hit the industry hard as most people know and we got hit along with it.
On top of that, we've had a lot happen in our personal lives that had our music take a bit more of a backseat. It feels great to be back bringing new music out though, and we are keen to keep it coming for years to come.
Five years is a long time in the music industry; is there any trepidation from the group that going so long out of the spotlight counteracts any momentum built; could affect fan interaction moving forward?
Trepidation? No. Will it affect momentum? Oh for sure yes, but we are just psyched to be doing things again.
Whether or not the music is a commercial success or if it doesn't top our last album in streaming numbers really doesn't mean anything to us at this point. It would be nice sure, but our focus is on making and releasing music that we are proud of and not so much being concerned with 'how well it does'.
'Make A Rainbow And Put It In The Sky' is the title of the album; how does this collection of songs showcase the current incarnation of Young Lions?
Getting this album together has been a huge effort from all of us. We recorded some of the tracks before COVID, then the industry just died.
So born from that are a lot of the themes on this new album; all have roots in addressing mental health and finding some sort of peace and belonging. A lot of these lyrics were penned a long time ago, but still ring true for us today and we hope that will be the case for everyone who listens to the album.
Some songs are super personal and Zach's put a lot of his experiences over the years into them, and in a much more visceral way than usual. We really wanted to be honest and make sure that showed in all these songs.
The name 'Make A Rainbow And Put It In The Sky', for us, speaks to the journey we have all been on to put this album out. The ups and downs have been unfathomable, but the results are something we'll forever be proud of. Cute story: the album was actually named by Zach's son Harper. We asked him what we should call the album and he came out with the gem: "Make a rainbow and put it in the sky," which we all really loved instantly.
Given the length of time between the birth/ recording of these songs, how did the group maintain a collective sound/ theme across the entire project; or did you lean into the disjointed nature to harness the creative juices?
I think so yeah. As before, the album tackles a lot of different themes that all resolve around mental illness so I think that really ties everything together even with the unusual nature of how the album all came together. We also have had all the songs mixed/ mastered by the same team, which sonically helps a lot.
Mental health is a central theme running throughout the album; why was it important to emphasis this subject matter?
It's great seeing mental health being recognised more and more as the huge issue that it is because it permeates everything we do – whether we are aware of it or not.
The lyrics that Zach has written for these songs come from a deeply personal place and many of his own experiences. But mental health is a strong theme throughout because we believe that it's something that is relevant to everyone. These are not just personal stories or perspectives, they're themes that people connect with, whether it be in relation to their own mental health or that of people they care about.
Representation is so important, and we hope that people can see themselves in these songs and turn them into an anthem for whatever they're walking through.
While society's attitudes towards mental health is changing for the positive, as a community we still have a lot of work to make such conversations commonplace and people who need assistance can ask for help without any shame involved; change takes time, but the first step is always with those around us; are there any initiatives or programmes you'd like to be implemented at a national level (even more locally) to continue the de-stigmatisation of mental health?
Something we have talked about wanting to see more of is seeing a mental health option in our emergency services – either attached to the existing police and ambulance service or as an entity unto itself. That, along with counselling training for people in existing services.
2023 marks the tenth anniversary for the band; can you believe the ride you've gone on, the stuff you've experienced? Is there a particular memory that sticks out?
It's pretty wild that we've been doing this for so long. We have all changed dramatically and our music has shifted along with those changes.
All the camping we have done all over Australia is probably the biggest memory looking back – there's few places that we haven't been to now and we almost always make camp, light a fire and star gaze. Those are some precious memories.
The band have a run of shows in June-July; while that must seem like an eternity away, the thought of a national tour must fill you with joy?
One hundred per cent – it's been years since we have done a headline run and the chance to get back to it is exciting.
The Young Lions live show now compared to when you first started; how has it evolved and given everything the last couple of years have you looked at what can be added to make it even more entertaining from a punter's perspective?
Our live shows have evolved over time as we've continued to shape our sound and develop personally as musicians.
Matt has left the double kick behind in favour of a simpler setup, Zach is playing guitar in a lot more songs, and we've removed a lot of the sampling from our shows. The intention of these changes was to challenge ourselves to reproduce as much of our music as we could in a live manner.
When our fans come see us play, we want to give them something real, something they can't get just by listening to our albums. And maybe even something that they can't get from one show to the next. We want to make each show special for the people that take time out of their day and money out of their bank account to come support us, because we absolutely don't take that for granted.
We're always looking to future shows and working out how to make them more entertaining. One thing we love doing for our larger shows is adding lighting and visuals – we feel this just elevates the whole experience so much for the fans. We're already working on some ideas here for our upcoming tour that will help make these the best ones yet.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook us?
We are all decent cooks in our own right really, but the two dishes that come to mind are Zach's lentil curry we all love and Matt's risotto.
What's the one chore you dislike the most?
Cleaning the bathroom. Chemical city.
Best local takeaway joint for a midnight feed that will leave you with a food coma?
Ben's Burgers in Brisbane.
Last show you binge-watched?
'Brooklyn 99'.
Young Lions 2023 Tour Dates
Sat 24 Jun - Gallery Bar @ Oxford Art Factory (Sydney)Fri 30 Jun - Crown & Anchor (Adelaide)
Sat 1 Jul - Northcote Social Club (Melbourne)
Fri 14 Jul - The Zoo (Brisbane)
