If the preliminary singles are anything to go by, Signals, the new album by Tod-Manchester four-piece Friends Of Our Youth, promises to be something pretty damn special.
Scheduled for release later this year, the band have been recording feverishly in Oswaldtwistle with Mark Jones, a producer whose CV includes such luminaries as Peter Gabriel, Goldfrapp and Black Grape.
Friends Of Our Youth singer, guitarist and songwriter, David Boon: “I did some demos with Mark when I was in a band called Maupa in my early twenties. We connected straight away. The demos just took off. Every label you can think of came from London up to Accrington to see us. We ended up signing with Necessary Records and recorded the album with Mark.”
Back then, atmospheric-indie six-piece Maupa were touted as the next big thing. They attracted admiration, airplay and support from industry voices far and wide, including Zane Lowe, The Verve’s Nick McCabe, the NME, 6Music and XFM.
After 10 years and two albums, the band split. David relocated to London, where he continued to play a bunch of solo sets, but he always missed the band environment.
“I eventually moved back to the north, to Todmorden, and my friend said we should do something. Gradually, Friends Of Our Youth formed.”
Their debut album, That Was Then, emerged in 2022. Produced by Olly Betts, the drummer in The Duke Spirit, it’s a warm blanket of jangly, melodious, Peel-fused indie-pop. But the new material is, arguably, a step-up in terms of song craft and ambition.
The first single, Problem Is, dropped last year, full of aching rock vocals and addictively shuffling tom-toms that make for a memorable, sticky chorus. The follow-up, Velvet Hand continues to show a band growing into a sound that is more direct, compact and urgent. It boasts an assemblage of guitar parts that alternately stab, cascade, squeal and fizz.
“With the album, I had this objective to make a split personality record. So one side, we’ve got songs like Problem Is and Velvet Hand, which are quite immediate and radio-friendly. Then the other side is quite dark, a bit more experimental and doesn’t follow standard structure. But there’s definitely a connective line with them all.”
Curiously, the new songs – or the first two singles, at least – have an American feel, part east coast angularity and part west coast raggedy surf hooks. You sense the indie-rock of The Strokes, the vibrant pop colour of The Drums and the open-wound-introspection of Clap Yours Hands Say Yeah, or Chicago duo Friko.
David: “I’m a huge fan of The Strokes. I was lucky enough to have Albert Hammond Jr come to a Maupa gig many years ago. He’d heard the record and he was going out with a model who knew a friend of a friend. He came to watch us at Night and Day in Manchester and we stayed in touch ever since.
“But the thing that changed my world was Nirvana. I’ve still got my ticket for the G-Mex gig, which never happened. Everyone has their band, I guess. As I’ve got older, I’ve got more into Dylan and Leonard Cohen. They’re masters of words. Neil Young too. Swans are a huge influence. Beach House. I really like an artist called Lael Neal. She keeps it lo-fi and simple and it just sounds amazing. Another massive influence is Courtney Barnett.”
David is drawn to artists that are known for their lyrical prowess and storytelling abilities. A huge Ernest Hemingway fan, he’s also inspired by literature. He takes great care in constructing the band’s lyrics to create moments of juxtaposition and layers of deeper meaning.
“As I’ve got older, I police myself so much more. When you’re 22, you’d be a bit metaphorical or cryptic. You can speak about love and life and things and it’s naive and there’s a charm in that, but now I’m more nervous about making sure I’m happy with it. I hope that people get it, but not straight away. There’s a kind of humour in the absurdity of life, but also an anger. I don’t want to be too obvious with it.”
The time and effort is evidently paying off.
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Quickfire Questions: With David Boon
Studio or live?
DB: Live
Sunrise or sunset?
DB: Sunrise
First song of the set or last?
DB: Last
Animals or plants?
DB: That’s, like, the hardest question. Animals.
The best song you’ve ever written?
DB: It’s probably yet to come. At the moment it’s ‘Fear’, but I feel like there’s another one in me that’s going to be better.
Idealism or realism?
DB: Idealism.
Three artists that have most influenced your sound?
DB: I’m going to say Nirvana, Swans and Beach House. If you mix all them together, you can hear it in what we’ve been doing.
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**Follow Friends Of Our Youth and Analogue Trash on Insta for news of gigs and further info on future releases.
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