Interview & Photos by Madison Boyce
What inspired (This is) Heaven?
Alex: Honestly, we were writing a lot of the songs and you know, it started out like any other process, but when we were writing them it's kind of like, I was at a really anxious and depressed time in my life like more than I've ever been and more so what came out of those songs was like, when I realized we finished it, was like “Wow these all came from a very negative place.” They're all songs that I wrote about ways I was feeling about myself. You know obviously it sounds like Im talking about a significant other or something, but I wrote them and then reflected on them like, ‘This is all about me and how I’m feeling about myself.’ By the time we were putting it all together to release it we were trying to find a name and that's kind of where the name came from because it was like, wow, I was kind of coming out of a really hard time while I have a product and this is the first time the four of us made something together and it felt so right because this is Young Culture, and this is heaven making this EP.
What are your favorite fan gifts you have received?
Alex: Our friend Danny made a crochet of the song ‘Drift’ and it's ‘Our souls drifting’.
Troy: It's like a ghost!
Alex: Its awesome, shout out Danny!
Troy: Also, we got a Starbucks gift card!
Alex: Our friend Liz got us an Easter basket because it was the day before Easter and we were on tour.
Gabe: Leah drew that picture of us, that was crazy.
Madison: Leah is SO talented
Troy: She's so good.
Gabe: She’s so sick. The first time I saw that I remember, I got out and I was like, ‘I gotta show the dudes this, right now!’
Who are your biggest inspirations?
Troy: John Mayer, The 1975, and Fall Out Boy!
Gabe: Probably Fall Out Boy and it sounds corny, but these dudes. I wouldn't be making music if it wasn't for Alex.
Troy: They all change the way I write music.
Gabe: I wouldn't want to do this with anyone else.
Nick: I would have to say Transit.
Alex: For me you know like, I know all these guys said it, but Fall Out Boy growing up was my favorite band.
What place have you always wanted to play at, but never gotten the chance to?
Alex: OH! That’s a Gabe question right there!
Gabe: Before even touring and stuff I always set little goals I want our band to reach. One of them was to like tour and like get a van, but I really want to go to Australia!
Out of all the songs you guys have ever released, what is your favorite one to play live?
Troy: 21 Days.
Gabe: Yeah, probably 21 Days or Smooth!
Troy: Smooth is fun because it kicks in.
Gabe: There is a lot of songs on the full length that I feel could easily take that spot where it has like a vibey part then it kicks in.
Nick: One that we currently play? Deluxe.
Alex: My favorite one to play is Drift.
Troy, Nick, and Gabe: OH YEAH. No, no, no, Drift!
Alex: Drift is by far my favorite Young Culture song, until the full length.
If you could only play one Young Culture song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Gabe: Drift
Alex: Drift, still.
Troy: Drift or 21 Days.
Alex: But, I mean out of these new songs, I’ll tell you right now, it's a song called “I’ll Be There”. That is my favorite song.
I know you guys have been talking a lot about a new album! When can we expect new Young Culture music?
Gabe: 2020
Alex: 2020
Troy: Beginning of the year.
Alex: Right at 2020 we are going to start dropping the music.
What is your writing process like?
Alex: Typically, it goes a few ways. I’ll write the song on my acoustic guitar in my room or now a days it’ll be Troy writing a riff and send it in the group-chat and then I’ll write a song over it. There are times where Gabe has like a beat or riff where I’ll write over it. Nowadays there's a few different ways.
Troy: It's always collaborative.
What is your favorite show you have ever played?
Troy: Champs, for me. Albany holiday show.
Gabe: Yeah I was gonna say Albany holiday show.
Alex: We played this show one time in Denver…
Troy: There were people on top of people.
Alex: … It was the last show of the (This Is) Heaven release tour and I was so sick, I was sleeping in the van the whole time and then we played. I walk into the venue for the first time and there was so many people in there. We played the show and I forgot I was sick, ya know? That was amazing.
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