A CONVERSATION WITH…YOUNG RISING SONS
Two months following the release, Rachel chats to Young Rising Sons about their debut album, Still Point In A Turning World.
FIRST OF ALL, TELL US ABOUT YOURSELVES!
We’re Young Rising Sons, a band from Red Bank, NJ - made up of myself, Andy Tongren (vocals/guitar), Max Iantorno (guitar), Julian Dimagiba (bass) & Steve Patrick (drums).
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND?
We’re an alternative rock band with pop sensibilities.
WHAT’S THE ORIGIN STORY OF YOUNG RISING SONS?
We’ve been playing together for almost 10 years now. Steve & Julian met & began playing together in high school. I met them playing an open mic at a dive in the Lower East Side while they were looking for a new singer, and we linked up with Max a few years later. The first time I practiced with Steve & Julian we did less practicing and more hanging (I think Steve even cut my hair that first day haha). With the addition of Max we instantly gelled and sealed our fate as best friends first, band mates second.
WHAT IS ONE SONG YOU WISH YOU’D WRITTEN YOURSELF AND WHY?
Gotta be ‘Mr. Brightside’ by The Killers. It’s a song that defined a decade of alternative rock and continues to inspire myself and so many others.
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO HAVE YOUR DEBUT ALBUM STILL POINT IN A TURNING WORLD OUT IN THE WORLD?
It feels great. It’s been a very long time coming and I’m really proud of what we’ve created. Most bands don’t wait 10 years to put out a debut album, but I think holding off made sense - it allowed us to present the most real, authentic version of ourselves.
WHAT TRACK FROM THE ALBUM WERE YOU MOST EXCITED FOR PEOPLE TO HEAR AND WHY?
I think ‘Passenger’ is really the thesis statement of the album. Sonically I think it allowed us to tap into elements of YRS that have been staples of ours for years but also explore new dynamics of what's to come next. ‘Passenger’ has been a reminder for myself to stay in the moment and appreciate “the now.”
THE ALBUM IS INSPIRINGLY OPTIMISTIC AND UPLIFTING, WHAT WAS IT THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WRITE IN THIS WAY?
Curiously we find ourselves writing uplifting songs in the darkest of times during our lives. I think in a way it’s a bit of a mental vacation for us, and an exercise to continue to find the silver linings. Writing these helped us find a little bit of light in what felt like a dim world, and we hope it does the same thing for anyone listening.
WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCES?
We all listen to a little bit of everything (I promise that’s not a cop out). I grew up listening to a lot of Beach Boys & Motown - The Supremes, Four Tops etc, Steves loves Queen & The Cars, Julian grew up with punk - a lot of Rancid & MXPX, Max loves country music. We mash all those together and sprinkle in a bit of modernity with artists like The Killers, Lucy Dacus, Sam Fender, Kings Of Leon and see what happens.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE YOUR AUDIENCE WILL TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR MUSIC?
We hope it allows them to feel understood and find a sense of comfort in a world that constantly tests & challenges us.
Did YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR PLACE OR SCENARIO YOU eNVISIONed SOMEONE LISTENING TO THE ALBUM FOR THE FIRST TIME IN?
We grew up listening to music in our cars - driving around aimlessly blasting our favorite records. The ‘car test’ is a real thing - for us less for sonic/mixing reasons & more because it’s been ingrained in us that if you can go for a drive, roll down the windows, and put a song on repeat it’s a special song. We try to make all our songs translate in that way.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACHIEVE OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS?
We’d love to play more shows & put out more music that resonates with people and makes them feel something. If we’re able to do that we’ll be happy.