Words: Miljan Milekić
Last July, we caught up with Canadian pop punk/emo duo Youth Fountain to talk about their debut EP, signing to Pure Noise and upcoming album. Almost a year later, a lot has changed for the duo, but most importantly, their debut full-length ‘Letters To Our Former Selves,’ is finally out. So, once again, we teamed up with singer Tyler Zanon, to discuss their music, and much more. Check it out below.
Hey guys! First of all, congrats on the album. How does it feel to finally hold it in your hands, and know that you did it?
Tyler: Thanks, guys! Feels fantastic. Very happy to finally have it released and out for everyone to hear it.
‘Letters To Our Former Selves’ sounds like a logical step forward from what you did before, even though you included all of the songs from the self-titled EP on it. Was it always the plan to have an EP as a taste of an album, or did the songs just naturally fit together and create a bigger and more complex piece of art?
Tyler: The reason for the EP was to announce who we were under the new name with the label – we use to be called Bedroom Talk, but had to change our name due to there being another band in California with that name. So, to avoid legal issues we decided to change it. Originally, the album was supposed to come out in December 2017 as Bedroom Talk, but things got pushed a lot due to the signing and re-branding. All of our discography was supposed to be together as a whole, that is what it was intended to be.
On the record, you once again worked with Pure Noise, probably one of the most important underground labels in the world at the moment. Do you think having such a label behind you opened a few more doors to you as a band, and did it motivate you to work even harder?
Tyler: Of course! Having Pure Noise be a part of this project I know made this band become something I would have dreamed about. It has opened so many doors from being booked and put on amazing tours, having a professional marketing team, the label promoting and showcasing us to an audience that is our exact demographic, having a PR company to get us heard on radio stations and have interviews done – the list goes on and on. It has for sure motivated us to try and make this become something bigger than we ever would have thought. Forever grateful that this happened to us.
I love how much attention you give to details in your sound, and especially to your lyrics. It seems like you let your fans see inside your writing process, but also into yourselves as persons. How hard is it to let so many people so close? On the other hand, does it sometimes feel liberating to do so?
Tyler: Totally! Appreciate that you acknowledge that. I’ve always listened to music specifically for lyrics. I only really connect with honest music that has substance – so that is just what I’m used to. I think it’s great to write real stuff with real issues that you’re having in life personally. To me, that’s what makes our band something I can care about and feel passionate about and wouldn’t really have it any other way, so it’s not really a hard thing at all for myself.
In your music, you’re not afraid to speak about your demons and mental health. Although it’s not so rare anymore to hear artists talk about it, it’s still kinda taboo, especially among young people who are probably the most vulnerable. Why do you think it’s so hard for people to talk about their problems, and what can everyone do to create a safe surrounding for people to feel free to speak out?
Tyler: Great question. I think there are many reasons why it’s hard to speak out when you feel super low. I know for myself it can make me feel codependent to rely on others for help, weak, vulnerable like you said, and sometimes can just feel like you’ve hit such a rough point that you have nowhere else to turn to – that in itself can make you hit a realization in your head of how messed up you seem therefore ending up feeling more hopeless. I also think when you’re in a depressive state, you have this overwhelming sense of “nothing could help, nothing can make this go away; so what’s the point of talking about it?”
It’s a very real and serious issue many people like myself go through on a daily basis and it takes a hell of a lot of willpower to try and overcome those feelings you may have had for so long. What I found for myself to help in any way was having a few very close friends/people around me that I could actually rely on and be myself with. I would think to myself; “If these people can love me for who I am, why can’t I?” That’s a pretty heavy question that I know made myself ponder on for quite some time that did help. I think there is something to be said about actually trying to make a better life for yourself no matter how hard things might be at the given time frame. At the end of the day, you’ve only really got yourself and one shot at life – so do everything and anything you can to make yourself a happier person and follow/find whatever it is that actually makes you feel truly happy.
You write your music primarily for yourselves, you speak about your own lives, and your own problems. That being said, how does it feel to play a show, and hear a room full of people sing your songs, your lyrics, and connect to your words?
Tyler: It can be almost therapeutic in a way. Knowing that you’re not alone – can almost seem like a community and we’re all in this together. Very humbling knowing that I’ve been able to help people with my lyrics because I know I’ve been in that spot with artists that I adore.
I recently heard the opinion that shows sometimes can be like a church service, a gathering of the people with the same attitude, and the same struggles. And the experience that can sometimes be even cathartic for both fans and the artist. Did you ever felt that way, or do you tend not to take yourselves so seriously?
Tyler: As I stated in the previous question, I do know what you mean! (laughs) I think I can say I do know what you mean, but I wouldn’t go and say we take ourselves too seriously. We still try and have fun with what we do and enjoy ourselves at each show we play. I think we have a good balance of both worlds.
So, with the record out, what’s next for you guys? Do you have any idea when can we expect you in Europe?
Tyler: Well we just finished our tour with Can’t Swim, Homesafe, and Save Face, but we do have a few more things planned for the rest of the year touring-wise. Sadly, nothing with Europe this year though. Hopefully, 2020 – no offers have really come our way to do anything out their sadly… Other than that, just keep writing as much as we can and think of new ways to make this band grow.
Follow Youth Fountain:
Website: youthfountainmusic.com
Facebook: facebook.com/youthfountainmusic
Instagram: instagram.com/youthfountainmusic
Twitter: twitter.com/youthfountain_