Transient Youth: Interview with TWICEYOUNG
Nashville trio, TWICEYOUNG, not only have a lot to say, but they want you to feel something. Their upcoming sophomore EP, Prefer You, out this fall, is a stunning array of exquisite ethereal instrumentation that both ignites a personal spark and opens up old wounds only to heal them again beautifully. Music should send chills down your spine, and once I heard single, “Uncover,” I knew I had to reel these guys in and get some answers.
I got to chatting with the band on songwriting processes, the power of youth that fueled their name, and what we can expect to hear in the future.
For those not familiar, tell us about yourselves. Why the name TWICEYOUNG and what does it embody?
Well the three of us met via other bands we’d been a part of or played shows with over the years. About two years ago we got into a studio and began writing for fun, more or less. Over time we started taking the project more seriously and thus was born our first EP, Little Mind Alike. Personally, as a writer I’m pretty obsessed with the concept of time and of aging. Youth and fleeting youth is a pretty bizarre thing to wrap your mind around, and it’s something we all share in common; losing our time. This is where the name “TWICEYOUNG” came from.
How does your upcoming EP differ from Little Mind Alike? What was your initial vision when starting to create Prefer You?
Little Mind Alike was incredibly experimental for us. Sonically we ended up going in a more organic “band” direction. And lyrically we focused on stories and more complete ideas. Prefer You is nearly the opposite, as its focus is on emotion and tends to avoid story telling. It dives right to the heart of a thought or a moment. Each song is somewhat of a collage. Our first single from the EP, “Uncover” is a great example. It brings several different moments and experiences together and focuses on a singular emotion. Also, we were super excited to move in a more electronic direction with this one. We wanted to create something that jumped back and forth between orchestral and dark electronic/pop.
You’ve stated that “Uncover” is a combination of other songs and ideas that came together to form one. Is your songwriting process normally like that or is it more structured?
Typically our process is something like assembling a puzzle. Each section of a song is created to be its own thing. I’m bothered by a song that falls flat without “the chorus”; it shouldn’t need to support the weight of the rest of the track. It’s just a matter of giving the song some breathing room to speak for itself. This usually takes a lot of time but there’s a natural flow to it.
What was the defining moment when you knew you wanted to make music? Any influences that pushed that dream along?
We’ve all grown up listening to the classics. I remember getting my first Strat when I was 12 and playing along to The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, ect. It’s always been there. Writing music just feels like a natural response to experiencing life.
What are you guys listening to lately? Give us your top 5 faves!
Still obsessed with ‘Overgrown’ by James Blake, Kimbra’s new record The Golden Echo rules, Purity Ring, Wet, and the new stuff from Banks is pretty sweet.
Prefer You will be available on November 11.
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