Last year when we heard the demo from Young Adults our jaws were on the floor. A true eureka moment for sure. That 5 track demo sounded as if it could have been recorded in a shipping container, not in a dingy Allston basement by the brothers Villon, Chris and Kurt respectively with Dimitri Swan. That was part of it's charm, lo-fidelity raucous post-punk and dirty riffs with a propulsive rhythm section. Back in November Young Adults delivered their full length debut, Black Hole via Prague based Amdiscs. Black Hole features the re-recording of the five demo tracks as well as five new compositions. With a little more focus and the trios ragged wall of noise Young Adults owned one of the most impressive debut in recent memory.Over the past week we have been conducting an interview with Young Adults fronter, Chris Villon via email. Due to the band being in a state of flux with the departure of their bassist, Chris thought it would be best not answer those questions related to the current state of the band just yet and we completely understand that and respect his decision. However Chris did give us some insight into his bands new recordings as well as what we can expect from Young Adults first Boston show with new bassist Daniel O'Neil. So without further delay we're proud to present part one of our interview with Chris Villon.
The Ash Gray Proclamation: Back in May a new song, Stasis found it's way onto YouTube, that track seems to offer a hefty upgrade in aggressive sonic textures, even more so that those found on Black Hole. Is there intent to push the bands sound into a heavier direction or is Stasis just one color from the bands changing canvas?
Chris Villon: There has always been the intent to keep our band heavy in some way, so Stasis is really just par for the course. But yeah, that one is particularly aggressive. We need that energy to keep ourselves going!
AGP: You've been part of the close knit Allston scene since the band formed in 2009, what can tell us about how the things have changed in your backyard since starting Young Adults.
CV: Boston/Allston's scene is always changing and taking new shapes. This past year saw cool bands both new and sorta-new making moves: Quilt, Arvid Noe, Skimask, MMOSS, Girlfriends, Doomstar!, Thick Shakes, Soccer Mom, Night Fruit, just to name a few.... There has been good support for touring acts as well. I saw Brilliant Colors (from SF) the other week in an Allston basement and they rocked my socks off. Great Scott continues to be our favorite venue for independent music, and Brighton Music Hall is doing a good job getting the 'upper-tier' indie acts to come and play in Boston.
AGP: With appearances at Deep Heaven Now and last winters round-robin style, Underground Summit, your band has a strong connection with DIY scene in Boston/Allston. Can you tell us how you came to be involved in those worthwhile events?
CV: I can trace both of those events to two passionate individuals: Jinsen Liu of 28 Degrees Taurus who as far as I know singlehandedly put together the DHN fests for the past couple of years, and Dan Shea of Bodies of Water Shows who has contributed to a plethora of amazing shows and fests. Both Jinsen and Dan are fans of the band and we deeply appreciate their support. Passionate, selfless, energetic people are what keep scenes alive and help them flourish. Boston would not be the same place without these people! Props to Sam and the Boston Counter-Cultural Compass too!
AGP:What bands do you tell your non-Boston friends that they must go see when visiting?
CV: In addition to the bands already listed, Neptune and Helms need to be seen. Hopefully Helms is at work at a new album as we speak.
AGP: We were immediately drawn to the band based on what we thought we heard, Husker Du/Dinosaur/Mission Burma and how the band transformed those influences into something unique. How have those influences (and others) shaped the sound of Young Adults?
CV: Bob Mould helped shape a lot of other bands' guitar tones and I am no exception. It's so true. As I went along playing louder and louder music, I kept thinking "Bob Mould, Bob Mould." Haha. All of the 80s and 90s indie bands that came from hardcore and punk roots are definitely in the DNA of our music, no doubt. We owe them a lot to not just ape their sound. We want to contribute in anyway that we can to the awesome legacy of American indie rock.
AGP: How did the Young Adults/Ringo Deathstarr pairing come about?
CV: I've been a fan of theirs ever since I saw them play at Tufts University with the Psychic Paramount years ago. Amazing show. Loud as fuck. I couldn't stop listening to their first EP and I desperately wanted them to come to Boston again. Fast forward about two years and we ended up playing right next door to them at SXSW! I asked Daniel, the drummer, to please stay for our set and check us out because I felt that he'd get us. He was psyched after our set and I told him that I'd stay in touch. This show is pretty much for Ringo Deathstarr.
AGP: What can we expect from your performance at Great Scott this Saturday?
CV: It will be our first Boston show with our new bassist. It's gonna be loud as fuck all over. Come out!
Check out this performance of Wasting Time with new bassist Daniel O'Neil recorded just last week during the NYCTaper/Pop Tarts Showcase @ Northside Fest 2011. This entire set can be downloaded over at NYC Taper as of today!
Young Adults performing a new track, Stasis @ Pianos in NYC on April 30th .
Both videos come courtesy of Gimme TinnitusYoung Adults play Great Scott on Staruday July 2nd with Ringo Deathstarr, Thief Thief, and The Vandelles. Grab tickets here. If you haven't already done so, download the bands demo here and order Black Hole here.
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