- Gang of Youths【 3 albums 30 lyrics 】
- Gang of Youths are an Australian indie rock group consisting of principal songwriter David Le'aupepe (lead vocals/guitar/piano), Max Dunn (bass guitar), Jung Kim (keyboards/guitar), Joji Malani (lead guitar) and Donnie Borzestowski (drums). Their debut album, The Positions, peaked at No. 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart in May 2015 and was nominated for multiple ARIA Awards. Their second album Go Farther In Lightness debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart in August 2017 and was nominated for 8 awards at the ARIA Music Awards of 2017: Album Of The Year for Go Farther In Lightness, Best Group, Best Rock Album, Best Australian Live Act, Best Video: Daniel & Jared Daperis for 'The Deepest Sighs, the Frankest Shadows', Producer of the Year: Gang of Youths & Adrian Breakspear for Go Farther in Lightness, Engineer of the Year: Adrian Breakspear for Go Farther in Lightness, and Best Cover Artist: Nathan Cahyadi for Go Farther In Lightness. On 9 October 2017 it was announced that the band, together with Adrian Breakspear, had won the ARIA Award for Producer of the Year.
Gang of Youths was formed in Sydney, Australia in 2012. Members of the band met in an evangelical church although lead-singer and songwriter David Le'aupepe described himself during this time as a 'loner' and stated that while 'I still align myself with Jesus,' he is 'just not a great poster-boy for it – I’m a fornicating drunkard who swears a lot and listens to a lot of black metal.' Guitarist Joji Malani is Fijian, keyboardist Jung Kim is Korean-American, bassist Maxwell Dunn is from New Zealand and drummer Donnie Borzestowski is Polish-Australian; while Le'aupepe has Samoan-Jewish heritage.
They started work on their debut album, The Positions, in 2013. In September that year some tracks were recorded in New York's Marcarta Recording studio with Kevin McMahon. By June 2014 they were in the Sony Music Australia recording studios in Sydney. Le'aupepe is the sole songwriter and his lyrics deal with his relationship with his former wife, her melanoma diagnosis and treatment for the cancer, their separation and his suicide attempts.
The band performed at South by Southwest festival in March 2014. The Positions peaked at No. 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart in May 2015. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2015 Gang of Youths received five nominations: Breakthrough Artist – Release, Best Rock Album, Best Cover Artist (by Nathan Johnson) for The Positions, Engineer of the Year (Adrian Breakspear, Peter Holz) for 'Radioface', and Best Australian Live Act for the Gang of Youths National Tour. In December they were recognised as the Live Act of the Year of 2015 and Best Domestic Tour in The AU Review. Their single 'Magnolia' came in at number 21 in the Triple J Hottest 100, 2015.
In June 2016, a single, 'Strange Diseases', was released, followed on 29 July by the six track EP Let Me Be Clear. The 5 original songs on Let Me Be Clear were originally written as part of material for The Positions, whilst the 6th track was a cover of Both Sides, Now by Joni Mitchell. The band played at Splendour in the Grass in the same month.
In February 2017 the band finished recording their sophomore double album Go Farther in Lightness with a release date announced as August 18th. They then relocated to London amidst issues with the renewal of guitarist Jung Kim's Australian Visa. In April and May the band toured the UK and Europe, followed by a June tour of the USA. An Australian national tour in September followed the release of Go Farther in Lightness, after which the band returned to London for another UK/Europe tour in October.
Band members
David Le’aupepe - lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano
Joji Malani - lead guitar
Max Dunn - bass guitar
Jung Kim - keyboards, guitar
Donnie Borzestowski - drums, percussion - Sorted by ＞ Sorted by album (Time) Sorted by song name (Characters) Sorted by other
- Album name Release Date Song
-
The Positions
2015
1.Strange Diseases
2.Sjamboksa
3.Radioface
4.Knuckles White Dry
5.Kansas
6.Magnolia7.Restraint & Release
8.The Diving Bell
9.Vital Signs
10.Lover in My Lungs
11.The Overpass -
Go Farther in Lightness
1.What Can I Do If the Fire Goes Out?
2.Say Yes to Life
3.Our Time Is Short
4.Persevere
5.Achilles Come Down
6.Do Not Let Your Spirit Wane
7.Keep Me in the Open8.Fear and Trembling
9.Let Me Down Easy
10.The Heart Is a Muscle
11.Go Farther in Lightness
12.The Deepest Sighs, the Frankest Shadows
13.Atlas Drowned -
Miscellaneous
1.Native Tongue
2.Both Sides Now (Bonus Track)
3.Poison Drum4.Evangelists
5.All My Friends
6.Heroes
【Correction of errors in the album information】