New York-based pop-punk trio Young Culture have released their new album, You Had To Be There today via Equal Vision Records. Recorded with Anton DeLost (State Champs, Silverstein, Mayday Parade) in Toronto, ON, it feels like the trio — vocalist Alex Magnan and guitarists Gabe Pietrafesa and Troy Burchett — are coming down from the lovestruck high of a year ago marked by the band’s Godspeed EP. The band also released a music video for the album’s opener, “Not In Love” today. Listen to the album and watch the video now below.
The trio had the following to share about the band itself and the new album: “Young Culture has always been about making the most of your life, taking advantage of those good times, so come and do that with us. You’ll find us connecting with our pop-punk roots but with a new, refreshing aim. Short, sweet and to the point as we like to do it but packed full of memorable moments. If you’re missing out on the YC bandwagon, sorry, we can’t explain this one to you, I guess ‘You Had To Be There’.”
Young Culture are also out on the road supporting State Champs in select North American markets throughout November. Information on tickets can be found HERE, and a full listing of dates can be found below.
You Had To Be There from Young Culture builds on the foundation the band has laid down since its formation in 2016. It’s an LP that defies the classic — and often true — notion of the difficult second record. This was anything but. What’s more, you can hear just how much freedom, joy, exuberance and fun was involved in the process of putting it all together. From the smooth and polished pop of opener “Not In Love” and the hybrid pop-punk of “Kinda Over It” to the joyous, emphatic and triumphant strains of “We’re On Fire” and the forlorn but still defiant nature of “Know Better,” this is a record about making the most of now, of living in the present and having as much fun as possible, whatever you or the world are going through.
Musically, it’s also an unashamed nod to all the genres and bands that the trio love. On “Tattoo,” for example, the band reference listening to Backstreet Boys the same way they mentioned listening to Britney Spears on “Hum.” There are no concerns whatsoever that that might not be cool within the pop-punk scene, and nor should there be. In fact, it’s precisely that unbridled passion and unfiltered enthusiasm that makes You Had To Be There stand out.
It’s done in such a way, however, that the band are also looking forward to what’s next — both in the near future and the grand scheme of things — and are doing so with extra confidence. That’s something wholeheartedly reflected throughout the entire album, musically and lyrically, from the very first note to the very last.
Young Culture will be making the following North American appearances throughout November. Dates below.
NOVEMBER
11 — Cleveland, OH — House of Blues ^
12 — Baltimore, MD — Rams Head Live ^
13 — Brooklyn, NY — Brooklyn Steel ^
15 — Toronto, ON — Phoenix Concert Theatre ^
18 — Chicago, IL — Concord Music Hall ^
19 — St. Louis, MO — Red Flag ^
20 — Minneapolis, MN — Varsity Theater ^
^ — supporting State Champs