Getting To Know: The Youth Play

The Youth Play, a rising force in the alternative/post-punk scene, is back with their first release of the year, ‘If We Just Ever Were,’ set to drop on June 19th. Known for their captivating live performances and thought-provoking lyrics, the band—comprising Diego Bracho (vocals/guitar), Harrison Ballard (guitar/BV), Finley Bruce (drums/BV), and Alex Hanrahan (bass/BV)—challenges the monotony of everyday life with their latest track. Produced by Lorenzo De Feo and mastered by Nick Watson, with creative direction by Pedro Soler, the song invites listeners to break free from societal constructs and embrace the euphoria of authentic self-expression.

Diego Bracho shares, "We felt the need to do something a bit different... It's a song meant to break any ideal of who someone has to be, or how something is meant to sound. We just decided to have fun." This ethos has resonated deeply with fans, evident from their energetic gigs at iconic London venues and international stages, including Supersonic in Paris. The band's growing acclaim includes six Spotify editorial playlist features, airplay on BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend Introducing, and endorsements from industry giants like Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World and Skin of Skunk Anansie. With appearances in SoYoung magazine and Amazing Radio, The Youth Play is undeniably a band to watch.

Your upcoming single "If We Just Ever Were" explores the concept of breaking free from socially constructed expectations. Can you share more about the inspiration behind this song and what message you hope listeners take away from it?

If We Just Ever Were was written from an idea that Fin, our drummer, had years ago, we wrote it trying not to care too much and not expecting anything from it, just purely for the fun of it, it eventually became one of the songs that crowds reacted the most to and we had to stick with it. We hope people have fun when listening to it, and hopefully allow themselves to enjoy the moment without having to think about work next day, or the breakup, or the world falling apart.

The Youth Play has performed at numerous grassroots venues and supported several notable bands. How have these live experiences influenced your music and growth as a band?

Well, although we did write a song when we found out we were playing a certain gig in Paris, I wouldn't say that playing grassroots venues has influenced our music in a massive way, of course you listen and see what people like and what people are not that into, but we always end up writing the songs for ourselves, supporting some of our favourite bands has been great and definitely their music helps The Youth Play be what it is, everyone in the end is influenced by their favourite bands, even the ones we haven't supported yet.

 You've mentioned wanting to do something different with "If We Just Ever Were." How does this track differ from your previous releases, and what was the creative process like for this song?

Like before this one was just for the fun of it, the lyrics were not thought through thoroughly, so we ended up just doing a cut up of words and ideas that became the message of the song: let yourself free of all expectations, enjoy the moment.

Your music has been featured on platforms like Spotify’s editorial playlists and BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend Introducing. How does it feel to receive such recognition, and how has it impacted your journey as a band?

What are your favourite venues in London and Paris, please feel free to include any memorable gigs you've been to as the chosen venues.

The first time we played in Paris was great, Supersonic Records is such a cool venue and we never expected to see the room so packed that night. In London we love The Shacklewell Arms as some of us go quite frequently there, but we love playing The George Tavern and The Victoria as well, there are many great venues to be honest and we have been lucky enough to be able to play in most of them, all of them making us feel welcome.

 With a strong presence in both London and Paris's live music scenes, what are your plans for the future in terms of live performances and new releases? Are there any specific goals or milestones you’re aiming to achieve this year?

At the moment we are finishing our upcoming EP, we would love to expand our team in order to reach a broader audience, we want to play in other cities in the UK, we get messages of people waiting for us to come to Oxford or Manchester, so really keen on getting out there a bit more and reaching to more people through our music and live performance.