If you haven’t had the chance to get hip to the post-hardcore band, Youth in Revolt, out of New Jersey, let me be the first to inform you that you are missing out! After taking a year-long hiatus and enduring some lineup changes that have left the band better than ever, these guys are the real fucking deal. We had the chance to chat with Tanner Allen, lead vocalist and keyboard player for the band (also comprised of Alex Ramos on lead guitar, Kenny Torres on bass guitar and vocals, Christian Coletti on rhythm guitar, and Arvin Sarathy on drums) about new music, social media, and the art of the music video. Check out our conversation and make sure you get out there and check these guys out when they come to your area; you won’t want to miss them!
Hey guys, thanks for taking the time to talk with me. Let’s get right to the heart of the band: the members. Now, I know the lineup of the band has changed quite dramatically in the last year or so, so in your opinion, how has that changed your sound as a band, going from where you started in 2012 and where you are now?
We want to be more diverse than we were. We want to be a band that can have a heavy song, and acoustic song, and a pop song on the same record.
Tell me a little bit more about yourselves, who you are, your roles in the band, influences, all that jazz. I want the readers to get to know YOU, not just your music!
On a personal level, we’re all really immature and goofy; just about every sentence from any of us ends up being a sarcastic joke. We spent like an hour in Atlanta riding around chanting “Turkey Sandwich, Turkey Sandwich” at people. Influence wise, we’re all a little bit different. Mostly Kenny and Arvin love Pop, Alex and Chris love Metalcore, and I like Indie and Pop. We all listen to everything; we just have our niches! It’s a good mix of influence I think.
What is the writing process like for you guys? Does one person do most of the writing, or is it more of a team effort?
We all write on our own then mix ideas together! It’s like making a picture, then turning it into a puzzle and finding pieces from someone else’s that fit. We like for everyone to have a voice and creative input.
I absolutely LOVE The Broken. Every song has something about it that I just vibe with, and the different influences you mentioned above really shine through. So, what are your favorite tracks on the LP? What does The Broken mean to you in terms of message you want to get across to the listeners?
My favorites are “Alright” and “Brisbane” because I feel like they’re the two least expected stylistically, and I love how they came together. We want our listeners to be happy when they hear this record. It’s about growing up and finding your way, and we think thats a very hard thing for a lot of people, including ourselves, so we wanted to convey that message.
So, let’s get on the road; I want to talk touring. What is your favorite part of playing live? What’s it like for you being on the stage, playing in front of people who already know your lyrics and feel your vibe?
It’s hard to describe; it’s the most amazing feeling in the world, though. I’m usually a pretty anxious person, and when we play, it’s like I’m someone else. It’s gratitude, passion, and happiness all in one. The best therapy ever.
Speaking of that, have the fans reacted to the line up change after the hiatus? I bet they’re just happy you’re all back! What are some reactions you have noticed?
It has been mostly good and occasionally bad. Line-up changes are almost never completely smooth, but we’ve had a really really good response from our new stuff, and we’re stoked about it!
What’s a typical day on the road like for you? How about a typical day in the studio?
On the road it’s all just us being dumb and entertaining ourselves in immature ways. It’s boring spending six hours a day in a van, so we do our best to have fun. It’s like a road trip with a car full of six-year olds.
In studio is really just hard work. We have our spirits high, but we don’t really mess around much. We take that part of it very seriously.
You have a pretty strong social media presence, and I’ve been following you guys over there for a while in that space. #NewYearsRevolt was brilliant, by the way! How do you feel social media has helped your band, and others, in terms of accessibility to fans? Do you feel it is just “one more thing” you have to do, or do you embrace it as an avenue for the fans to connect to you and to each other?
Thanks!! It’s a bit of a double edged sword. We love doing things like #NewYearsRevolt that give our fans a platform to speak up and raise awareness, and we love talking to our fans through social media whether it be about a good or a bad thing. It can be overwhelming to stay on top of both our band and personal social media accounts, write music, tour, and do the other things that come with life, and life in a band. We’re very grateful; it’s just a whole lot to juggle.
What is one thing about each of you that maybe the fans don’t know?
Me: I love video Games. I love the idea of making a whole world and story out of nothing. Plus, we have so much drive time every day, so why not nerd out?
Arvin: Loves joke rapping and finding interesting places to eat wherever we are. I’ve never had a boring van ride with Arvin awake, and everybody needs to eat…. I think.
Alex: Loves dropping “F” bombs really loud. I love him, and I love witnessing it, but that’s for sure his thing!
Chris: Loves being really nice and also saying “Ummmm”. He spends most of his day talking to people and making them happy.
Kenny: Loves saying things that literally makes no sense like “Splap”. I don’t know why he does it, but I really like it haha.
Speaking of fans, what are some of the things you hear the most in terms of fans connecting to your music? Are they drawn to the lyrics? To the riffs? The videos?
More than anything, I think a mixture of the lyrics and the music. We really want people to connect with the music that we make more than anything else.
And, with videos, do you feel – like many do – that the age of the music video is behind us? Is there a real value that you can see in making and producing music videos when so many consumers of music stream their content through their ears more often than through their eyes? What’s the most important thing for you as a band when it comes to your videos? (I do love your videos, by the way).
I think that music videos are an awesome way for a band to further express themselves and their art/image. I don’t think they’re as useful now then they were, but I love creating ideas and bringing them to life (Thanks for the compliment by the way!).
Anytime! I have NO problem telling people how impressive their work is! All right, I don’t want to keep you; I know you’re busy out there. So, in closing, what are some of your goals as a band for 2017? Will we see a full-length album? More touring? Some new music? What do you hope this new year looks like for you?
We want to spend 2017 touring on our record and writing future music while we’re on the road!
Thanks again for taking the time! I super look forward to coming out to see your show if you guys come out to the Cleveland area!!
Thanks for having us! I’m sure we’ll be around there soon!
