Interview: The Young Hearts
What happens when two longtime best friends finally get the chance to unite musically? Well, that's just what happened with Kent-based melodic punks The Young Hearts. After trublant last few years, that saw the band go on hiatus and members leave not long after the release of their debut. Craig Lawrence recruited longtime best friend Conor Maguire to the band and found a new musical clarity that has inspired them to keep going and making the music that they want to make.
After just finishing recording their yet to-be-title sophomore album, due to be released later this year on Year Of The Rat Records. We had the pleasure to chat with the pair about how having Conor in the band improved Craig’s songwriting process, their mutual love of The Boss, how this album sees them at their best, and why we shouldn’t grow up just because we feel like we have to.
Can you tell us a little bit about the history of The Young Hearts and how you ended up here today, signing with Year of the Rat and now recording your sophomore album?
Craig: The Young Hearts started when an old disbanded, but three of the members decided to start The Young Hearts.
It was a kind of slow process. We spent time trying to find the right music and a drummer, and then spent lots of time jamming, writing, and rewriting songs until we found a sound that we wanted. And that's progressed slightly differently over the years. I think we really started to find a sound that we were happy with when we released our second EP in 2017. We've taken that sound and progressed to where we are today with something that we're really excited about, to be honest.
What was the inspiration behind your recent single “Take A Ride”? Does it mark a new journey for the band or is it more of a continuation of what you have been working on in the past?
Craig: I think it's kind of a continuation of themes from our previous album The Modern State, though we're older now so there's a slightly different view to everything.
I started writing “Take A Ride” after a night out with Conor in London. We went to see the band the Bouncing Souls, and then continued out after and it was chaotic. I won't lie, there was a lot of drink involved. The next day, I had to get the train back and I honestly felt like death. I thought, man I'm in my early 30s, I can't be acting like this. I was on a train home with families all around me and I just had my head, down sunglasses on, and earphones in trying to brave the hangover. That started the idea of the song, but it was more me sort of realising that it's okay to do that sometimes.
The theme of “Take A Ride” is that you can get bogged down by all the day-to-day, mundane things that you have to do as an adult. And every now and again, it's okay to go out and have fun once in a while. As long as no one gets hurt. So it’s about always having those moments in life that keep you fun and not to take things too seriously.
What was the inspiration behind your recent single “Take A Ride”? Does it mark a new journey for the band or is it more of a continuation of what you have been working on in the past?
Craig: We've had a lot more time to hone what we're trying to do with this second album. The last album was pretty much make or break for the band because we wasn't we weren't really sure what was what was going to happen with the band. So we went into the studio and recorded everything we had, put it out and then we'll see where we're at.
Whereas this album, we’re in a different place. Bringing in Conor, and our drummer Joe, we’re really up for seeing where we can push this.
Half the album I’d written when we went on our brief hiatus during COVID. I had this bunch of songs, and I played them to Conor who was excited to push it further. Everything's just more ambitious. We want it to be bigger, we want it to be catchier, and we want it to be more melodic. Conor has a very similar taste in music to me, so having him to bounce ideas off has been a completely different thing. And I think we've found where we want to be with this new album.
It sounds like having Conor about has changed your approach to songwriting.
Craig: Yeah, I think it's just nice to have a different set of ears on it.
Conor: I agree. I've been best mates with Craig for over 10 years, but when he was recording the first album, like Craig said, I was on the outside of that point, just watching as the band changed. I think that change and the hiatus is reflected in the songwriting now. That it wasn't the end, we've come back, and we've got this massive sound that we want to show people.
But we're not putting pressure on ourselves to be a certain thing. We wanted massive choruses, we wanted to write songs that we felt that our friends would relate to, and just have that kind of new perspective on. It's a second chance for the band and this time, we want to just have real fun with it and push forward in that way.
You have been saying that this album is your second chance, what are your goals for this album and what do you want people to take away from it?
Craig: The album is a lot more positive for us we're in a better place now. Beforehand with The Modern State, we felt like we had been chasing the dream for so long and umming and ahhing over how long can we keep doing this asking ourselves when do we have to grow up and when does this have to end. But now we realise there doesn't have to be an end. We can still keep writing songs until our 50s or 60s, as long as we're having a good time then there is no end in sight. So I think that just it frees you up to just do exactly what you want. I think this record is a lot more honest and positive.
Conor: I hope that people will listen to it and that it reflects that new mindset. Personally turning 30 felt like a massive thing and then when you get there realise it's just the next day. Now being in our mid-30s and having different things to worry about it’s good to still have this release of music and the happiness of playing shows and writing music, so we're just celebrating that.
What has been the highlight of your careers to date and how long have you both been making music for?
Craig: I originally started in bands when I was about 14. Growing up my old band and Conor’s old band used to play shows in places like village halls. So we've known each other for a long time, and have been writing our own music since then. It's probably a bit better now though.
Conor: In terms of highlights, joining this band and being a part of all this. Before this I was just in dopey local punk bands, playing little shows to just our friends and family. Then just to join The Young Hearts, who are established in our scene and to be trusted to be part of the band and take them forward, it's been the highlight for me.
From what it sounds like you both grew up in a thriving scene, what was that like for you as young musicians?
Craig: There was a great scene back in the day so many bands. You could pretty much go and see l punk or a metal show any weekend throughout the whole year, there'd always be something going on. But it did die off. I think a lot of those people have grown up and then didn’t have the time to be involved with music, and the next generation hasn't carried it on. It’s a completely different world we live in now, there are not as many kids in bands. Growing up we didn't have social media and that kind of thing to glue us to our screens. So when we were bored we just pick up a guitar and go to a mate’s shed turn an amp up loud and play. That being said I have noticed the scene is starting to get better again.
Conor: It’s getting better now but it's more spread out. Now there are more different genres and different kinds of people trying different things.
Growing up what artists did you look up to?
Craig: Springsteen was probably one of the earliest artists that I found. My parents used to play him a lot. That was the first era of music I got into with artists like him and Tom Petty. Then I started to discover punk music on my own with bands like Green Day and Blink-182. After that, I dived into everything punk I could find. But it was Springsteen that ignited a love for music.
After the album release, what's on the table for you?
Craig: We want to support the album as much as we can because it is something that we're incredibly proud of. We just want to get out there and play shows and tell about this record and that we're here to make as much noise as possible.
Conor: Touring and supporting the record. Also for me achieving the things that you dream of when little and you want to be in a band. Playing festivals and going to Europe to play a show all that kind of stuff. Once the album is out I think we can do all that, so that is what the next year probably holds for us.
Is there one message you want to give to your fans?
Craig: Take heed of the message that we instilled in the album. Don't grow up because you feel you have to, don't rush, enjoy life and everything that comes with it. There's gonna be down periods and tough times but there's always something over the horizon. There are always going to be good times and when they come around you just have to grab hold of them and make the most of them.
Conor: You're never too old. I think that's my one message. You can do whatever whenever.
You’ve mentioned that you are a little bit older than a lot of other bands that are breaking through now, do you feel like your age is an advantage or a disadvantage to yourselves?
Craig: It's an advantage to be honest. The more you write songs the better you get at it. It's not just one of those things where a good song just pops out of your head when you're 17. You have to listen to loads of music and write rubbish songs to get them out of your system then the more you write the better it gets. For instance, I was super proud of The Modern State but this new record blows out of the water in my opinion.
If you bring a message back to your younger self about the journey and writing music what would it be?
Conor: I think, stop worrying about trying to achieve something or chase something and just concentrate on the beauty of music. At the end of the day, we're just four pals having fun. When you start putting pressure on that you lose sight of why you are doing it. So I would just go back and tell myself to relax.
Out of your many gigs, what is the one that you took the most away from?
Craig: Our comeback show in July last year. We'd had the hiatus, the lineup change and it was over two and a half years since we’d played a show. So when we announced our comeback show in April last year we had no idea whether people were going to care at all. We feared that we had dropped off the map and we'd been forgotten about already. But when we got to the night of the show it had sold out, there were tonnes of people at the door who couldn't get tickets. It was a surreal moment, I was almost crying because having that realisation that people still give a shit. It was amazing it was brilliant the whole room was packed we had arms in the air singing along with everyone having a great time. It was just exactly the kind of comeback that we had dreamed of.
So along that same kind of theme, what is the best show that you have been to?
Conor: A couple of weeks ago I was in Hamburg to see Bruce Springsteen and that was that was unbelievable. I’ve seen him a couple of times this summer and it's emotional, it’s a show, it's this 74-year-old lunatic throwing themself about on stage for three hours.
Craig: It's an experience seeing Springsteen like that there is no other way to describe it. We went to see The Killers last year and they blew me away. I love that band anyway, but seeing them live it's an experience. For some bands when you go to a stadium show it's a bit much for them. But they sounded incredible, the lights, the pyrotechnics and all that were amazing I loved it.
And last question: if you were dead asleep, or unfortunately in a coma, what one song could get you up and out?
Conor: For me, it's “Streams of Whiskey” by The Pogues because whenever I hear that song I just go out have a lot of beer and just go nuts. I think even if I was in a coma that song would get me up.
Craig: Mine would be Springsteen it would be “Thunder Road” but the version from the Live at Hammersmith show he did in the 70s. That version is hands down one of the greatest musical pieces there has ever been. I think if that didn't wake me up, then you might as well pull the plug.
Big thanks to Craig and Conor of The Young Hearts for taking the time to chat with us. Catch them at Till The Fest on 7 October and stay tuned for their yet to-be-title sophomore album, due to be released later this year on Year Of The Rat Records.
