Gang of Youths

The  holiness  of  love,  the  chaos  and  rapture  of  surviving  against  all  odds,  these  are  what  drive  Gang  of  Youths.  A  five  piece  from  Sydney  founded  in  the  confines  of  their  religious  youth,  enchanted  by  the  spectacle  of  worship  and  deliverance,  it’s  no  wonder  their  music  burns  with  the  desperation  of  apocalypse.  With  singer  Dave  Le’aupepe’s  lyrics  drawn  from  some  of  the  most  miserable  life  experiences  available  to  humanity,  and  the  band’s  music  taking  cues  from  rock  history’s  most  ambitious  and  theatrical  preachers,  Gang  Of  Youths  drag  the  beauty  out  of  everything  from  hell  to  high  heaven.  Debuting  in  2013  with  smouldering  single  “‘Evangelists”’,  they  were  met  with  instant  radio  play  and  praise.  Only  just  out  of  high  school,  Le’aupepe  was  already  planning  to  marry  his  girlfriend,  settle  down,  and  leave  his  dreams  of  music  behind,  but  the  band’s  first  brush  with  recognition  suggested  there  could  be  more  to  life  than  the  path  that  had  seemed  so  obviously  laid  before  him.  Things  moved  quickly:  the  band  started  their  own  record  label,  Mosy  Recordings,  and  got  snatched  up  for  really  great  support  slots.  But  as  soon  as  the  band  let  themselves  get  their  hopes  up,  Le’aupepe  would  begin  the  worst  period  of  his  life.  Le’aupepe’s  soon-to-be  wife  was  diagnosed  with  lung  cancer  after  a  melanoma  on  her  ear  metastasized.  Out  of  all  that  trauma  and  regret,  Gang  of  Youths  drew  THE  POSITIONS  which  was  praised  worldwide  for  its  sincerity  and  nuance,  blending  the  melodrama  of  rock’s  greatest  traditions  with  piercing,  hyperliterate  lyrics.  Marking  the  start  of  their  new  lives,  Gang  Of  Youths  released  their  highly  anticipated  sophomore  album  GO  FARTHER  IN  LIGHTNESS  in  2017,  a  nod  towards  the  optimism  and  kindness  the  band  have  found  by  surviving  their  various  ordeals,  this  new  record  continues  the  work  that  has  already  so  indelibly  imprinted  on  fans  across  the  world.    The  album  was  received  with  great  critical  acclaim,  debuting  at  #1  on  the  ARIACharts  and  securing  triple  j’s  feature  album.  The  colossal  year  continued  for  the  band,  taking  out  a  total  of  four  2017 ARIA Awards  for  GO  FARTHER  IN  LIGHTNESS,  including  Best Group,  Best Rock Album,  Producer Of The Year  and  the  prestigious  Apple Music Album Of The Year,  cementing  their  status  as  one  of  Australia’s  leading  rock  bands.    The  2018  account  for  Gang Of Youths  opened  up  with  three  tracks  from  GO  FARTHER  IN  LIGHTNESS  charting  in  the  Top  10  of  triple  j’s  Hottest  100,  making  them  the  third  act  to  reach  this  achievement  in  Hottest  100  history.  “What  Can  I  Do  If  The  Fire  Goes  Out?”  was  voted  #10,  “The  Deepest  Sighs,  the  Frankest  Shadows”  reached  #5,  and  “Let  Me  Down  Easy”  hitting  #2.  Gang  Of  Youths’  Like  A  Version  of  The  Middle  Easts’“Blood”  also  made  it  into  the  countdown,  sitting  at  #41.