Young Guns are back! They may be a man down following the departure of drummer Ben Jolliffe but, as their Slam Dunk shows proved, they’re still swinging. “We haven’t played in six months so there’s that slight element of ‘is anyone going to turn up? Is anyone going to be there?’” admits Simon Mitchell. Turns out their worries were unfounded. “We had an absolute packed crowd. It was amazing.”
“We’re built to be busy,” he continues. “We’re built to be busy and when we’re not doing stuff, it feels weird. We don’t like it so even if it seems like we’re not around, we’re always getting on with something. It’s never a dull day in the Young Guns camp,” he teases, which leads us on nicely to that new album.
“Basically, in that six months, we’ve gone away and written it, we’ve recorded it and we’re just getting the mixes back now. We couldn’t be happier about the new stuff. I absolutely love it.”
The record is inspired by “things that have happened in our lives over the past three years. The last record we released was ‘Ones and Zeroes’ and it’s amazing what can happen in that short space of time that can influence an album straight away. So, there’s more honesty in the lyrics and that comes from certain experiences we’ve had in the past few months but done in a way that’s relatable. People can find their own way of relating to the lyrics.”
“It’s a slightly different direction in terms of lyrical content. The last record was more universal whereas this one, it’s a little more honest. That comes across, that’s definitely a theme for the record.”
The band has also drawn influences from elsewhere. “We’re into a load of different things so when we’re not writing music, we tend to do a load of cooking, or we go and eat some good food or do some photography.” Those experiences are carried back to the studio. “The opportunities are endless and that influences artwork decisions and it might inspire a lyric.”
Four albums in, Young Guns are still looking for fresh experiences. The glass is half full. “It was a shame to lose one of your brothers but these things happen,” starts Simon. “It wasn’t a sudden thing, we knew things weren’t quite right. I think what’s important, and what happened with us, is we felt inspired at that point because it’s a new chance for new energy.
“We’re working with a couple of drummers on the record and live so there’s no rush to get a permanent member just yet. That in itself gives us some inspiration. Ben was and is a great drummer so it’s a tough job to fill his boots. For us, it’s a new chapter.”
“We’re really happy about this new album. We just want to go on tour and give it the promotion it deserves and so, as long as we’re on the road and playing as many shows as we can, then that’s an achievement in itself.”
Taken from the July issue of Upset, out now – order your copy here. Young Guns’ new album ‘Echoes’ is out 16th September.
