By Alex Pearson
The Yorkshire-born, London-based YUNGBLUD is back with the release of his five-track self-titled debut EP featuring hit singles ‘King Charles’ and our Song Of The Week pick, ‘Tin Pan Boy’.
Known to his parents as Dominic Harrison, he had help from producer Matt Schwartz – know for his work with Massive Attack and Kylie Minogue. This was then brought to Geffen/Interscope by executive producer Martin Terefe who has worked with the likes of Jason Mraz and KT Tunstall; YUNGBLUD take the ropes of the guitar, bass, piano, and drums on the EP – shaping a guitar-driven sound spiked with tightly crafted beats.
With his frenetic take on alt-pop equally inspired by punk, hip-hop, and UK garage, Yungblud uses breakneck flow and tongue-in-cheek attitude to deliver pointed lyrics about everything from gentrification to disenfranchisement to addiction without getting heavy-handed.
“I want my music to always have a message, but I don’t want to preach to anybody,” says the Northern England native. “This music’s just an outburst of emotion and anger, and everything else going on in my head.”
The EP features debut single ‘King Charles’ – which was one of the best debut singles of 2017 and our Song Of The Week favourite and ‘Tin Pan Boy‘. His cliche and the overtly political lyrics are backed up by a driving hip-hop/rock beat, YUNGBLUD blew away critics and music fans alike.
The current single ‘I Love You, Will You Marry Me,’ which takes its title from a real-life, ill-fated marriage proposal spray-painted at a public housing project in South Yorkshire, is one of the most upbeat tracks from the EP. It’s a succinct, energetic, wholly infectious single that has a melodic flair to die for.
The EP also includes two brand-new songs, ‘Anarchist’ and ‘Polygraph Eyes,’ set a seedy portrait of a Saturday night out that also serves as a delicate commentary on consent and “lad mentality”. Have a listen to the EP below.
YUNGBLUD is currently on the road in Europe, and will also hit the road for a U.S. spring tour with K. Flay in March.
European Tour Dates:
January 19 – Eurosonic, Groningen, Netherlands
January 21 – Merleyn, Nijmegen, Netherlands
January 22 – Blue Shell, Cologne, Germany
January 23 – Blaues Zimmer, Musik & Frieden, Cologne, Germany
January 25 – Rotown, Rotterdam, Netherlands
January 26 – Molotow Skybar, Hamburg, Germany
January 27 – Ekko, Utrecht, Netherlands
January 28 – Melkweg Upstairs, Amsterdam, Netherlands
February 01 – Thousand Island, London, UK
February 02 – Jimmy’s, Manchester, UK
February 05 – Upstairs at Whelan’s, Dublin, Ireland
[…] Known to his parents as Dominic Harrison, the young man have proved he’s a very talented musician by the ropes of the guitar, bass, piano, and drums on his self-titled debut EP. […]