Gang Of Youths Release Surprise EP ‘Total Serene’

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Following the release of their recent single, ‘the angel of 8th ave’, Gang Of Youths’ are back to share their new surprise EP ‘total serene’. Their first body of work since their four-time ARIA Award winning second album ‘Go Farther In Lightness’, the EP is launched alongside their new single ‘unison’.

The band produced the ‘total serene’ EP themselves in their own studio space in Hackney. The title references the headspace that Le’aupepe has craved for his entire life – something which, whether we realise it or not, is surely a universal human desire.

‘unison’ is a track that truly signposts Gang Of Youths’ future. It’s so intricately detailed, with a production that extends the core band sound with layers of everything from brass to banjo, programmed beats to samples of David Fanshawe’s influential documentation of indigenous Pacific music. At the same time, it feels so natural and uncluttered, an unlikely blend that allows it to soar to a moving crescendo.

David Le’aupepe explains “‘unison’ is a deeply important track for us that really signals where the music is headed on the new record. I conceived the song in Samoa, my ancestral homeland. Here we sample and introduce the work of David Fanshawe, who travelled to the Pacific Islands in the 1980s and recorded the most extensive library of indigenous Pacific music anywhere in the world.”

Check out ‘Unison’:

Consisting of just three long cuts, the official music video for the release is based on a concept by Le’aupepe and was directed by Joel Barney (who also worked on ‘the angel of 8th ave.’). The first shot of the video depicts Le’aupepe sat alone on a desolate beach. As he rises, he finds his bandmates unconscious and surrounded by an unexplained mess of musical instruments and furniture. The camera follows him as he steps away, and by the time he returns the band are in full flight, with Le’aupepe’s force-of-nature performance and Tom Hobden’s leap from piano to violin commanding the viewer’s attention.

On the new EP, Gang Of Youths explore a different aspect to their anglophile music tastes with the other new track, ‘asleep in the back’, their take on the early Elbow classic, the original of which Guy Garvey and co. released in 2002. Having inspired the band’s recent single ‘the angel of 8th ave’, it’s no wonder the song’s poetic exploration of having the bravery to expose your frailties and foibles to a new love feels like a natural extension to the story that frontman Dave Le’aupepe depicted in ‘the angel of 8th ave.’.

Sonically, Gang Of Youths refresh rather than reinvent the song as the warmth of their live instrumentation underpins the song’s vulnerable, confessional ambience. It’s a mood amplified by the depth of feeling that exudes from Le’aupepe’s husky delivery.

“We love Elbow and we thought it was thematically relevant,” he says. “It couldn’t have been anything other than ‘asleep in the back’.”

‘total serene’ tracklist:
1. the angel of 8th ave.
2. asleep in the back
3. unison

The band are set to go on the road later this year. Remaining tickets are availble from Ticketmaster here (Affiliate Link).

AUGUST
12 – London – Lafayette (SOLD OUT)
28 – Bristol – Trinity
30 – London – All Points East

SEPTEMBER
1 – Brighton – Old Market Theatre
2 – Nottingham – Rescue Rooms (SOLD OUT)
4 – Manchester – Neighbourhood Weekender
5 – Glasgow – SWG3 Warehouse (SOLD OUT)

Formed in Sydney, Australia in 2011, Gang Of Youths have made a big impression with their two albums to date, ‘The Positions’ (2015) and ‘Go Farther In Lightness’ (2017), the latter of which won four prestigious ARIA Awards, including Album of the Year and Best Group. Their life-affirming live shows have made them a festival hit everywhere from Splendour In The Grass to Austin City Limits, Lollapalooza, Rock Werchter and Mad Cool.

Since relocating to London in 2017, Gang of Youths have consistently scaled up the city’s live circuit by progressing from grassroots venues such as The Old Blue Last and The Water Rats to sell-out the O2 Forum Kentish Town just a year later. Their most recent gigs in the capital have included four sold-out nights at the Islington Assembly Hall, and a show as part of BRITs Week 2020 in support of War Child. They are also confirmed to join Sam Fender’s upcoming arena tour, which is in the process of being rescheduled.

Check out ‘the angel of 8th ave.’ here: