Youth League, the post-pop trio from Wilmington, NC, has joined the roster at Cardigan Records. Brothers Mike and Zach Large, on guitar/vocals and drums respectively, formed the band in 2014 from the ashes of math aggressors Virgin Lung. They brought in bassist Jaffar Omar Obi Castillon-Martinez and created songs which defy the conventions on which they’re built, yet hit the ear with a natural familiarity.
Their debut EP First will be released on 4/21 via the label. The six track record clocks in at just 16 minutes and marries rough punk edges with pop sensibility.
Listen to Young/Old, the first single off First here: https://soundcloud.com/cardigan-records/young-old
“To be on board with such a talented group of people is truly amazing! We are beyond excited be part of the Cardigan Records family!” says Mike Large. “Our First EP is simply a labor of love for every person who’s supported us since we decided to try and make noise together. Thanks for caring.”
Pre-order First Here
Upcoming Tour with Iselia, Bear Girl, and ipretend surprise!
April 22nd – Greenville, NC – Limelight (Tipsy Teapot)
April 23rd – Raleigh, NC – Deep South The Bar
April 24th – Wilmington, NC – Reggie’s 42nd Street Tavern
April 25th – Fayetteville, NC – Drunk Horse Pub
April 26th – Virginia Beach, VA – Retro Cafe
Follow Youth League:
Facebook | Twitter | Hi-Res Photo
About Youth League:
In George’s Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty Four, Julia Dixon wore a red sash around her waist to symbolize her membership in the severe, dogmatic Junior Anti Sex League. Readers will of course remember this to be not only a false diversion, but also something of a shield – a metaphorical lid placed publicly on the top of a vat brimming with subversion, of thoughts and actions which existed only to defy the status quo.
Youth League, a similarly-named trio from Wilmington, N.C., feels similar in approach, if more sunny in disposition. Brothers Mike and Zach Large, on guitar/vocals and drums respectively, formed the band in 2014 from the ashes of math aggressors Virgin Lung. They brought in bassist Jaffar Omar Obi Castillon-Martinez and created songs which defy the conventions on which they’re built, yet hit the ear with a natural familiarity.
On First EP, Youth League weaves layers of guitar loops, manic drumming, bass tapping, inviting whispers, and desperate hollers into songs which are over before you recognize that you just got clobbered over the head.
Clocking in at just 16 minutes, it’s hard to tell if these six jams are punk ragers with a deceptive technical streak running throughout, or thunderous prog/math compositions that never descend into repetetive self parody or distracted, noodly exploration. Topping it off are sounds at odds with either tradition: the celebratory, the uplifting, the instantly singable. Youth League calls it Post Pop. Whatever it is, it’s great.
