Set to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their debut album 'Burn', Brisbane rock band Young Lions will tour nationally this spring.
The 'Before The Storm' and 'Non-Believer' rockers will headlined gigs in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide in September.They'll be joined by Darwin post-hardcore act Tapestry, Aboriginal lead indie-punk band Chasing Ghosts, and Perth alt-rock act Shangrila.
"We're celebrating our tenth year as a band! This tour is for the fans; the real OGs that have been with us since we played our first shows at Wrangler and X&Y," shares Young Lions.
In 2013, Young Lions signed a record deal, played their first live shows ever and released 'Burn' – a record that earned the band a Top 40 berth in triple j's Short. Fast. Loud. 2013 listener poll.
"This has been a long time coming and we are incredibly excited to share this tour with you all," adds Young Lions.
The band's drummer Matt Gibson checks in for an in-depth chat about their upcoming tour and ten years together.
It's been a decade since the band emerged in the Brisbane music scene; it must feel like it was yesterday – how much of a journey has it been to reach this milestone?
Yeah, it's certainly flown by! We've each changed so much, and each of our albums reflects that.
The vibe from each album very much reflects our own personal journey through life, both in terms of the lyrical content as well as the atmosphere that the instruments create. 'Burn' was very aggressive, whereas 'Blue Isla' was calmer and reflective, while 'Mr. Spaceman' was hopeful and the latest album 'Make A Rainbow And Put It In The Sky' feels more content. So I think the evolution really feels like everything matured a lot.
Can you take us back to those early live performances with your first shows at Wrangler and X&Y; what was that time like as the band found its footing in the local scene?
It was full of anticipation I think more than anything.
Always trying to do our best, constant rehearsals and writing together. Money was tough though, none of us really had stable jobs and show payments were very low, but we really loved it all the same.
What were the band's original goals when 'Burn' was released?
Just having fun I think. We've never been a super serious band I guess – always taken things as they have come and tried to enjoy the ride without getting too bogged down.
I think we liked the idea of maybe signing to a label, but over the years we've always managed to make things work on our own, and we've each kind of found a niche in which we help make the business end run.
Was there a specific moment when the band knew you'd created your own niche and that Young Lions could have legs and build a national platform?
Maybe the first time we headlined The Brightside in Brisbane. The room was absolutely packed and the vibe was super high – hoping to recapture some of that magic on this run as well.
The upcoming run of shows will see the band play 'Burn' in full; will this be the first time some of those songs have been performed live since that era?
Oh yeah – 100 per cent. Especially tracks like 'Burn' and 'Take Me Home'. We often bring out 'Grave Digger', 'Non-Believer' and a few others, but those are very rarely played; we've been scrambling to learn them all again.
How are band rehearsals going, and how much nostalgia is involved as you reconnect with this album?
Ha ha! It's hard to get through the set without all stopping and swapping stories about things that have happened on tour or recording. So many friends, stories, little adventures. It's pretty nice.
You have five songs on Spotify that each have a million-plus streams; quite the achievement for an indie band; how satisfying is it to have had that sort of connection with your fans?
It's taken a while but it's really inspiring seeing fans continue to connect to music that's been out for a decade now. Every time we play I'm amazed anyone is there at all – so to still be selling out shows all over Australia is pretty special.
The band's most recent album landed at the start of 2023 after a five-year hiatus; what was the response from the loyal fans and have you collected a new batch of fans along the way?
A lot of love, I think was the main thing. Fans really came out of the woodwork that we hadn't seen in ages and that was super special.
Getting that new record out was really, really hard work and took a lot of pushing from all of us to make it happen. Lots of new fans have joined as well, which is always lovely.
The release of 'Make A Rainbow And Put It In The Sky'; how does that album showcase the band ten years on from the start of everything?
I think mostly maturity in the songwriting. Listening back to 'Burn', we see a lot of choices made out of ignorance which in some ways led to maybe more creative choices but the new album is really a showcase of all our creativity.
You have limited edition vinyl being released for 'Make A Rainbow...'; how special is it to the band to document the record on vinyl?
Very – it makes it feel real somehow holding it in your hands. And a double disc edition is pretty neat as well.
Has work begun on the next record?
Not really, we have some ideas but nothing really fleshed out yet. I think we'll be taking it more single by single at this stage.
The recent run of live shows in June-July; was it like riding a bike getting back onstage? And did it reignite the passion for touring?
Yeah, it certainly relit the fire for touring a bit – we all love being home with our families, so really long tours are tough but playing a few shows here and there is so much fun. We still play a lot personally, but playing as Young Lions is always special.
Looking back, is there any advice you'd offer the 2013 version of yourself and the band?
Ooo, for myself – maybe just to ease up a bit on myself. For the band, not really. We all live and grow but I don't think any of us wanted our journey to be anything other than what it has been.
No doubt there have been many wonderful moments along the way, but is there one or two that specifically standout in the memory bank?
Recording 'Mr. Spaceman' will always be close to all of us. We were on the Central Coast and spent more time together than we ever had. Lots of bushwalking, fires, camping and good times.
For touring – probably our regional tour with Hands Like Houses. We are big nature fans and so are they, so we camped together many nights, and found amazing secluded beaches and walks. Such special memories.
Ok, the next ten years – is the plan to continue making music and see where life takes you as a group?
One hundred per cent. Three of us have families of our own now, so they are a big focus for all of us but we certainly will be making music together still.
Thanks for your time; anything else you'd like to add?
Remember to tell those you love that you love them, and thanks for having us.
Young Lions 2023 Tour Dates
Fri 22 Sep - The Brightside (Brisbane)Sat 23 Sep - Mary's Underground (Sydney)
Thu 28 Sep - Stay Gold (Melbourne)
Fri 29 Sep - Jive Bar (Adelaide)
