Great things always happen when you least expect them.
That truth is kind of a thesis for the existence of 19&YOU. The American indie pop group actually came together in Australia when Noah Taylor followed his heart across the world, and down under. He ended up crashing with the group of guys who unknowingly were about to become his bandmates. With a modern alt pop sound that pays homage to some of the genre’s most prolific artists like The 1975 and Troye Sivan, 19&YOU has already emerged with a compete level just as exciting as the aforementioned greats, and they’re just beginning to strut their stuff.
Words by Andy Gorel
Photos by Charles Letessier
19&YOU came together when Noah picked up and moved to Australia to be with a girl. What was that decision like, and how did the chaos lead to the formation of the band?
Noah was only in Sydney with us for two weeks, so the band formed right on the spot. Most of the songs written off our upcoming EP were made in that time frame. That chaotic time crunch led us to produce so quickly. Without that ticking clock, we wouldn’t have made the music we did. What also helped in allowing us to create freely was Noah’s mobile rig. He was working with artists while on the move and had the entire setup with him which was great for us!
How exactly did you all meet?
Noah and Jack have known each other since they were quite young. Liam, Cam, and Jack met while studying abroad in Australia. In January of 2020, Noah flew to Australia to visit a girl and needed a place to stay. He ended up sleeping on our couch and that’s how we met. We instantly meshed creatively and ended up writing and producing our first single that night.
You decided to locate the band in LA. Was there any culture shock for the Aussies?
None of us are Australian which comes at a shock to people when we tell our story! We’re all originally from the United States. Jack, Cam, and Liam were studying abroad for 4 years and lived together in Sydney. L.A. was the obvious place for us to move to after signing to our current management, 3V Method. It made sense that we would be in the same city as our team and it provided us with the most opportunities to grow. We also felt the transition was smooth because Sydney is very similar to L.A.
How soon after being in LA did you connect with 3V Method, and how’d that working relationship come about?
We actually met 3V Method before we moved out to LA. Jack, Cam, and Liam were still living in Sydney when they reached out to us about working together. It was a great team and setup, and we’re grateful to be a part of the family.
Your sound is undoubtedly similar to some of the more popular indie acts of the 2010s, The 1975, LANY, Joan, etc. Are you influenced by a lot of these newer artists or are there a lot of retro influences as well?
We listen to a lot of top 40 and we absolutely love Troye Sivan and The 1975. They’re both artists we think create really approachable music in interesting ways. Besides those common influences, we all listen to very different music, so our sound borrows from a lot of places. We make music similar to the music we like, so our sound evolves depending on what we’re listening to in the current moment.
“‘HEAD/HEART’ was written about feeling the weight of a breakup while still wondering if it was the right decision. What comes on top when making that choice, your head or your heart?”
Right from the jump, you’re a pop band. Sometimes young artists take a while to evolve into a sound like yours. Were you a part of other bands or production endeavors before 19&YOU?
We all have experience playing live in a professional setting, and Noah has been working as a producer and writer for other pop artists for the last 6 years. When we first sat down to write, the common thread was that we all loved pop melodies and Noah’s experience allowed us to immediately capture something radio-ready without having to try different producers or rent time in a studio.
You have three singles out so far. “RUNNIN’” was the debut single. Of all your tracks, why’d you choose to debut on that one?
“RUNNIN’” was the first song we ever made together. We started and finished it on Noah’s first night in Sydney. We had no plans of starting a band. It was just something we created for fun. It seemed natural that the first song we ever made would be the first song we released.
Then came “BORED!” it’s got a few elements of alternative rock, and lyrically is relatable. What inspired that one?
Jack and Cam grew up listening to a lot of rock, metal, and alternative music, which is where our love for gritty, driven, guitars comes from. We all wanted to make a song that highlighted that sound and “BORED!” was our way of doing it in a pop-sensible fashion.
Your new single “HEAD/HEART” is also all too relatable, introspectively looking back on a breakup with mixed emotions. When you guys wrote this what were you going through?
Three of us had just gone through breakups and we were all in an emotionally introspective space. “HEAD/HEART” was written about feeling the weight of a breakup while still wondering if it was the right decision. What comes on top when making that choice, your head or your heart?
Your debut EP comes out on March 26th, beyond that, what should listeners expect from 19&YOU this year?
We don’t plan on slowing down after the release of our EP. There are so many songs we have lined up for the future and we can’t wait to share them. We’re also so excited to drop more merch and play shows when it’s safe to do so again. We spend a lot of time preparing and talking about what live shows will look like. It’s so important to us that the live show will be an incredible experience and we can’t wait to interact with our fans that way.
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