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Young States are a new 4-piece band from Norwich, and I love the tale of how they were formed! The four girls that make up the band were all attending the Access To Music Course in their hometown, and guitarist Amy Jeffery approached the others in the college corridors, after seeing them with their instruments, and boom, Young States were formed. Proper old-school, meet up, share a love for music that ain’t bundled up in a nice little twee package, or auto-tuned to hell, then practice, practice, practice. Love it. It’s like that Dave Grohl meme that criticizes TV talent shows. You know the one… about how bands need to start out in a basement or garage and learn their craft rather than standing in front of three idiots sitting behind a table making snap judgments, based on 10 second auditions.
People are going to make the obligatory comparisons to Paramore, and you can use that as a starting point if you must, but dig a little bit deeper and you’ll be rewarded with a band that sound fresh and relevant. This cracking four track EP gets better with repeated listens, and vocalist/bassist Georgia Leeder has a mature, slightly edgy voice that belittles her age. Incredibly she is only 18 years old!
First single, ‘No More’ kicks things off, and it’s easy to see why Scuzz TV have been airing the video. A nice, gentle little intro, before the band come crashing in, to deliver a punchy, up-tempo belter. Georgia sings in a low tone, and it works really well, especially on ‘Feedback’, which also features some sweet riffing from both Amy Jeffrey and Libby Irons, whilst drummer Molly Draba-Mann lays down a solid steady beat .’Stay’ is up next, and, for me, is the stand out track on the EP. It is a great song, that escapes from the verse-chorus-verse-chorus dynamic, instead choosing to build gradually into a beautiful, soaring melody. ‘Passing Time’ closes the EP, the intro reminding me of the iconic ‘Hunger Strike’ from Temple Of The Dog, with that same stripped down, earthy vocal, that Eddie Vedder does so well. It then changes pace and style so many times, echoes of the likes of Biffy Clyro can be heard.
It’s fantastic to bear witness to the fact that young people are still picking up instruments and learning how to be a band, rather than going down the whole EDM path. Bands like Young States not only deserve our support, but they also warrant it too. ‘Down To You’ is out 7th August. You can find out more about Young States here…..
www.youngstates.co.uk
www.facebook.com/youngstatesband
Review: David Stott
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