Gang of Youths’ current album ‘angel in realtime.’ saw the band make the biggest international impact of their career to date. It saw them achieve their first UK Top 10 chart position, complete a sold-out UK headline tour that called at the O2 Academy Brixton, and three show-stealing US TV performances on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’, ‘CBS Mornings’, and just last night on Jimmy Kimmel Live! with an incredible performance of ‘forbearance’. Gang of Youths are currently completing a North American headline tour which has included numerous sold-out shows and a set at the Shaky Knees Festival.
Shortly after the release of the critically adored ‘angel in realtime.’, Gang of Youths completed a Spectrum Session for SiriusXM. The session now receives its official release as Gang of Youths’ new EP ‘immolation tape’. The four-track EP includes their take on the Wilco classic ‘A Shot In The Arm’.
Gang of Youths commented, “Just wanted to chuck it out there for a laugh.”
‘immolation tape’ features brilliant new acoustic performances of three landmark moments from ‘angel in realtime.’ with ‘in the wake of your leave’, ‘forbearance’ and ‘spirit’. The stripped back approach provides a fresh warmth and intimacy to these already emotionally charged songs, putting greater emphasis on Dave Le’aupepe’s impassioned vocals and Tom Hobden’s stirring string contributions. They also lose none of their power, with ‘in the wake of your leave’ maintaining its grandeur and drama, while ‘spirit boy’ feels even more tender.
The EP closes with Gang of Youths’ reworking of Wilco’s ‘A Shot in the Arm’, a fan favourite and live staple that originally featured on their 1999 album ‘Summerteeth’. Gang of Youths take a streamlined approach to the song, pulling back its tension and layered details in a way that feels both fresh and respectful to the original.
Le’aupepe has previously cited ‘Summerteeth’ as a personal favourite, and Wilco’s follow-up, 2001’s ‘Yankee Foxtrot Hotel’, as a particular inspiring influence on Gang of Youths. Both bands share some defining traits. They both experiment far beyond their indie-rock roots, drawing upon everything from flourishes of electronica to gorgeously crafted string arrangements, while writing lyrics that match heart-rendering emotions in a way that’s both poetic and immediately accessible.
Gang of Youths will play select European festival dates throughout the summer, calling at Glasgow’s TRNSMT, before playing a major Australian tour which features their personally curated festival A More Perfect Union. A second run of North American dates follows in September, and then their rescheduled European tour commences in October. Please see HERE for a full list of dates.
