Interview: Athens-based shoegazers Youth Valley
Melissa Barrass talks to Athens-based shoegaze band, Youth Valley about their EP, and why they chose to be visually represented by ‘Young Sad Lovers’:
From Athens with (sad) love, came a package from my dear friend Joseph of Youth Valley, a 3-piece band hailing from the bustling capital of Greece. It’s been a long wait. Not to receive their latest EP – which actually came surprisingly quick (despite the world’s current events), but for me to actually be able to play, celebrate and genuinely obsess over Youth Valley’s accomplishments.
Sure, I have already had a taste of ‘Young Sad Lovers’ through Spotify for just over a year now. I have spent multiple mornings over a weekend flinging my hair around to the energetic beat whilst vacuuming or mopping the floor like a teenager in an 80s movie, but I made a promise to Joseph that I would sit down and listen to it when I had a working vinyl player again. Having Jo’s work in my hands was a special moment for me. I have known him for almost 10 years now, and it’s been a beautiful experience to watch him grow as a creative. Like many musicians, Joseph has had a fair stint of tried and failed musical projects and released songs that I of course have enjoyed and supported, but Youth Valley is different. Different in the way that the band has many stories to tell, audiences to connect with and inspire.
But there is something special about celebrating your friend’s wins and having the physical output in your own hands to play on your record player. I know Jo, he’s a sensitive being who pours his heart and soul into everything he creates. He surrounds himself with music and poetry on a daily basis, and it’s not hard to hear the influences that shape the Youth Valley sound.
The EP features heavy pop-shoegaze hitters ‘Young Sad Lovers’ and ‘Untouched’, sleeved in a mauve and lavender artwork featuring who I suspect are the protagonists for Youth Valley’s narrative.
Their standout song ‘Young Sad Lovers’ is brimming with a nostalgic 80’s energy with its fast percussion, the usual guitar distortion you would find in a typical shoegaze track, and Joseph’s smooth-like-butter vocals. The song is about the complexities of love and navigating the nuances of relationships over time, whilst ‘Untouched’ is a little more on the melancholy side, at least lyrically. I interpret the theme as one being at peace with the notion of meandering through life alone. The solemn message is lightened by it’s catchy chorus with a gentle feminine backing vocal confidently echoing ‘I don’t mind’ behind Joseph’s lead.
One of the standout quirks of Youth Valley is Joseph’s voice. Unlike many shoegaze front persons, Joseph has a well-trained voice that is expressive, exposed and vulnerable instead of buried beneath layered instruments.
I threw some questions Jo’s way to find out a little more about the album and the band’s ambitions in a Covid world –
I’ve always wanted to know… What was the intention behind the use of the two people (Young Sad Lovers) as the visual representation of the band?
The two “Young Sad Lovers” symbolise the EP era for the band. They represent a phase between childhood and adolescence where most of the life changing and intense experiences occur in one’s life. They are different sex, yet somehow androgynous and still awkward and curious towards the world. They are the two main heroes in our story (EP), but if you take it from another point of view, they also represent the birth and growing up of the band itself – its first steps and experiences, and its first attempt of expression and communication within a social environment.
We came to the decision to use the “Young Sad Lovers” instead of our faces and band members, totally instinctively and naturally, while we were filming the music video. They felt like the final piece to a puzzle and we could not turn our eyes from such a beautiful storytelling taking life on its own. It just felt like the right thing to do and it made absolute sense to us.
How long did the EP take to write & record?
The songs were already composed and created in demos since 2019. We entered the recording studio somewhere towards the end of that year and we finished everything, including the mixing and mastering somewhere in the spring of 2020. By then, the pandemic was already taking over our lives and jobs, and the lockdown slowed things down significantly. Regardless, we were happy and grateful that we managed to stay healthy and after lots of hard work and persistence were finally able to release the EP in digital form, along with the ‘Young Sad Lovers’ music video, on October 2020.
What’s the future for the band? Is there opportunity for a full release in the near future?
We are working on our new tracks, both our inspiration and need for expression have been growing a lot lately, and yes we are slowly yet steadily moving towards the creation of a full length release. We might as well release a new single this spring. We are eager to share something new soon!
Do you see the band touring locally soon?
Unfortunately, things are not looking very promising in regards to organising gigs anytime soon. The pandemic is still a danger and the restriction policies can change from one day to another. Thus, we have decided to hold back for now on touring or any live performance whatsoever, and focus more on creating more music. It feels like this is the best thing to do right now.
Which artists/sounds inspired the Youth Valley debut EP?
Well, we are certainly big fans of indie pop, brit pop and new wave of the 80’s; the “happy-sad”, nostalgic sound of bands like ‘The Smiths and The Cure’. Post punk is a huge inspiration, particularly bands such as ‘The Sound’. “DIIV” have been a major influence, responsible for our shoegaze element, and no doubt bands like Slowdive and Cocteau Twins have been and still are playing a very important role in our finalised music outputs. Oh and we love Radiohead!
What is next for the band?
We were about to film a new music video for our EP track “untouched”, but this plan has been cancelled. We have seen this as a new opportunity to move on with new tunes and we are thinking of releasing a new single named “I don’t want to go out with you, Veronica” next. Ideally, in Spring of 2022. We will be extremely happy if this scenario goes as planned.
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To get a taste of the indie-pop / shoegaze sound coming out of Athens, be sure to check out:
Youth Valley Bandcamp – https://youthvalley.bandcamp.com/album/youth-valley-ep
Youth Valley Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/youthvalleyband
Youth Valley Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/youth_valley/?hl=en
Interview by Melissa Barrass.
