London-based alternative band The Youth Play first burst onto the scene last year. Their initial singles led a fast-growing fanbase towards their debut EP Wildflowers, after years of honing in the dreamy tones, shoegaze influence and otherworldly electrification that makes them a unique force. TYP continue to transform itself, a process they’ve done multiple times since formation, but it is certainly catching attention in its current iteration.
For their latest single and the first since they hit the ground running with the EP, TYP has released ‘If We Just Ever Were’. The track opens with a powerful and intricate drum, line, the fast snare and kick drum rhythms an immediate energiser. The next step is the bouncy arpeggiated chords of the rhythm guitar, the two elements then charging into a screaming lead line and roaring chords. The vocals are like a tannoy announcement, a gritty PA distributing a speech to the world that your ears can’t help but be drawn to. The guitars rise and fall behind the words, instigating a riot in the performance and calling others to the cause.
‘If We Just Ever Were’, becomes a repeating hook, an anthem for rebellion, further layers from the rest of the band getting involved as the music goes full steam ahead into the final moments.
The band explain the single, “If We Just Ever Were is a song that was written alongside the tracks of the previous Wildflowers EP, the first ideas were thrown around in a moment where we felt we needed to write a fun, not so deep song that embraced the feeling of simplicity, with lyrics delving into the lack of excitement from everyday’s situations, the song aims to amplify the euphoria and catharsis that one gets from letting themselves free from socially built constructions, just focusing on enjoying the moment, as simple as it might be.
The song was written in the context of a big city like London, where its energy and people can sometimes be overwhelming, making you feel captive of a cycle revolving around “making it” or being successful.”
