It takes a certain type of talent to push through the barriers of over-saturation in music – and all the more impressive when the musicians in question have only been making music together since March 2015 – but Retro Youth’s ability to capture you with their sensational craftsmanship is one that you won’t forget in a hurry.
For fans of Don Broco, Lower Than Atlantis and The 1975, the three-piece have already supported Ghost Riders In The Sky, Catfish & The Bottlemen and Press To MECO, as well as members of Oasis and The Stone Roses. 2017 will see Retro Youth tour the UK with Rabid Young in support of the album, with plans to venture further afield over the summer.
Retro Youth are Kris J Davis, Robin Burberry and Alan Martin.
The band’s debut album B.R.A.V.E is released on the 3rd February via Independent Ear Records and you can check out Hometown Homesick from the upcoming release below!
We managed to catch up with the band as they talk about the upcoming album, fans, funniest moment on tour and more!
How pumped are you to be releasing your debut album B.R.A.V.E?
It’s the result of a lot of hard work and time so it’s a mixed bag of excitement, nerves and relief to be finally getting it out to everyone, we’re stoked to hear what people think!
Tell us a little bit about the album, what inspired you guys?
We took inspiration and ideas from a massive variety of bands/artists that influence us and wrote an album filled with as many different styles as we could. What came out was a mix of indie vibes and rock and we hope everyone enjoys!
What’s your favourite song from the release?
Ahah this is gonna be an area of contention, we’ve all got our personal favourites but for me (Kris) it’s gotta be “Let It Burn”. It’s part funk, part sass and about sexy times, it always goes down well live too so we’re stoked to be filming the video for it soon! Robin: I love “F.I.N.E” (F*cked Up. Insecure. Neurotic. Emotional) out of all the tunes on the album this one resonates most on a personal level.
Alan: My favourite track by far is “A Long Time Coming” as the meaning behind the song and the lyrics is pretty close to heart. I love playing it live too as it’s a challenge and I can play to my full potential, really feel like I can let go and get lost in it.
How has ‘Hometown Homesick’ gone down with your fans?
We’ve got some super supportive fans and we always get such a great response from new releases, we try and chat with and engage as many people as we can and the over-whelming response we got was that they loved the song and the video. We got a bunch of new fans and followers after the LGBTQ+ community got a-hold of the video as well which has been amazing.
You guys have nearly been together for 2 years now. What’s your proudest moment so far?
Getting the final mix of the album back from Kris Crummett was definitely a high point for us. As I said before it’s the result of a lot of hard work so when we finally got to listen to the end result we were ecstatic, in that moment all the struggles were made worth it.
What has been you funniest moment on tour?
We’re a childish bunch on the road most of the time, being cooped up in a van brings out the best and worst in us. When we’re not listening to music we’re usually free style battle rapping (badly) or drinking too much coffee and being hyper. One of our road crew once unknowingly kissed a man dressed as a very convincing and attractive lady, we haven’t let him live it down…
How much do your fans mean to you guys?
For us, it’s always been about writing music that we love, so when people approach us either online or after shows to say they’ve enjoyed our music it’s the best feeling ever, we’ve got such a strong family and community around us and we love the ever loving f*ck out of them. #RettersFam
Will there be a tour with the album release?
We’re finalising the tour dates at the moment of writing this with Vegas Electro-Rockers Rabid Young, who in addition to being label mates are an awesome bunch. We’re going to be touring most of the UK in March with a few Euro dates TBC.
How helpful have the guys at Independent Ear Records been?
Ryan the CEO of IE is an absolute gent and has been a bit of a mentor to us over the last 12 months, we signed in early October and he’s been building up our presence and audience in the U.S to go alongside all the work we’ve been putting in over here in the UK. We’ve never met anyone who works as hard so we try to take a leaf out of his book in that regard.