Fourteen years is a long time between drinks, but Young the Giant are making it count.
As they prepare to hit Australian stages for the first time since 2010 – this time with Bloc Party in tow – the California five-piece are feeling more creatively alive than ever.
With a stripped-back EP on the way, a sixth studio album almost done, and a renewed hunger to recapture the sandbox spirit that started it all, the band is embracing the now while honouring their past.
We caught up with frontman Sameer Gadhia ahead of the tour to chat about writing retreats in the wild, staying grounded, and the magic of making music with your best mates.
HAPPY: You’re back on the road and halfway around the world—what’s occupying your headspace these days when you’re not on stage?
YOUNG THE GIANT: Off stage I’ve been focused on wrapping up a few projects, including the next Young the Giant record.
Beyond that I am trying to stay connected with my family and friends while on and off tour.
Also, I’m looking forward to this tour in Australia and New Zealand. Went to the Sydney Botanic Gardens today and was in awe of all the beautiful nature.
HAPPY:Where you live often seeps into your work. What does your home base reflect about where you’re at creatively – or where you’ve been?
YOUNG THE GIANT: Most of the band lives in Los Angeles, and we’ve recorded mostly all of our records in LA.
Our families all live close by, in Orange County, where we met as teenagers. I think living close to our families and each-other is testament that after years of touring, we really prioritise our connection to our roots and our friendship as a collective.
Creatively we are trying to get back to the beginning, five friends in a room bouncing off each other, like kids in a sandbox.
The goal is to enjoy the creative process altogether, taking writing retreats in the desert or the mountains, and recording live.
We realise there is a feeling we can’t recreate when we are all playing together, and we want to capture more of that energy.
HAPPY: Fourteen years between Australian shows. Was that a conscious absence or just the way the industry dice rolled?
YOUNG THE GIANT: We can’t believe it’s been this long, and really hoping to come back more often moving forward.
Not a conscious absence, more-so how the dice rolled. Just being back here in Sydney for a few days off before the tour starts has reminded us of how incredible this country is.
HAPPY: You’re touring with Bloc Party—two bands with very different arcs but similar timelines. What does that collision say about where you are now, versus where you started?
YOUNG THE GIANT: We are excited to play with Bloc Party, as they honour the 20th anniversary of Silent Alarm, a band and album we’ve loved for a long time.
As for where we are at now as a band, we have been making records and touring for a while, and I’d say we are able to enjoy all the aspects of being in a band more than ever.
Five albums in, with a sixth on the horizon, we are the most creatively inspired we’ve ever been, and feel more present and connected to each other and our audience.
HAPPY: When you hear a song like “Cough Syrup” now, do you hear yourself—or just a younger version someone else still wants you to be?
YOUNG THE GIANT: When I hear “Cough Syrup” I feel nostalgic in the best way. The song has connected with a lot of our fans and it’s a joy to play it and see people sing along.
Hearing the song reminds me of our beginning, and makes me grateful for how far we’ve come.
I wrote the initial idea for Cough Syrup on an acoustic guitar, at 16 years old, sitting in the “music room” at my parents house, having recently learned a finger-picking technique.
I wrote the lick for cough syrup and remember feeling like I had discovered something exciting. And I remember being present.
Nothing on my mind except exploring the guitar. I try to channel that child-like wonder in my creative process to this day.
HAPPY: Across your discography, the sonic shifts are undeniable. What prompted those pivots —boredom, curiosity, necessity?
YOUNG THE GIANT: The shifts in sonics of our albums over the years is a natural desire to create recordings that feel fresh and exciting to us.
We try to push each other to get outside of our comfort zone by exploring new sounds, new methods of songwriting and recording, as well as creating in new spaces or working with different collaborators.
HAPPY: Coming back to Australia after a decade-plus—how do you write a setlist that speaks to both the nostalgia and the now?”
YOUNG THE GIANT: We always want to honor the songs throughout our catalog that have resonated and already carry emotional weight, while also showcasing new songs and a few deeper cuts.
To give people a chance to connect with the songs they may know from our catalog and also show people where we are going.
HAPPY: Has the energy of performing live changed as the stakes—and scale—have shifted? What do you still chase up there?
YOUNG THE GIANT: The goal for me is being present and locked in with the band, while also having an emotional energy exchange with the audience.
Reacting to the particular show, not “going through the motions”. I love the energy exchange between the band and the crowd, and over the years have realized that when I choose to bring a positive and expressive energy to my performance I get a positive energy back from the crowd.
The idea being the less in my head I am, and more free to be in my body, the more the crowd can ideally feel free to be themselves and let go as well.
HAPPY: We have cultivated an international fanbase across eras and algorithms. What’s the biggest thing they’ve taught you—about yourselves, or the music
YOUNG THE GIANT: Our audience has taught me that music can mean so many different things to each individual.
That may be one of the most profound realizations to me. It doesn’t necessarily matter what the song meant to us when writing it, but more importantly how each person connects to it in their own universe.
We are so grateful to be able to make records, and travel around performing these songs, and so many people we meet along the way have their own stories and emotional connections.
It means so much to us when people share their own meaning to the music.
HAPPY: Is there a plan beyond this tour, or is the point to stay in the moment for as long as it holds?
YOUNG THE GIANT: Beyond this tour we have a lot on the horizon. We recently announced the release of “In the Open Vol. 1”, an EP of stripped back versions of some of our favourite songs from our catalog, as well as one new song.
With this release we’ll be printing 10” vinyl, as well as touring around the US this fall performing stripped back sets. Beyond that we have another record that is almost finished. We can’t wait to share it all!
HAPPY: Strip away the stages, the press, the numbers—what’s the thing that still makes this all worth it
YOUNG THE GIANT: The process of being creative is my favourite part. Writing and producing songs, playing instruments, being in the studio exploring sounds.
Making something that feels new is like magic. That creative process is worth it no matter what, and we don’t take it for granted that we are able to keep making records and sustain a career doing this.
On top of that the camaraderie, and relationships with each other, our amazing crew, team and the audience.
The people who listen and find meaning or get joy from our music mean so much to us. Thank you for listening!
