Few bands can boast the kind of striking musical identity whenyoung have. Their story started in Limerick, Ireland. Singer/bassist Aoife Power, guitarist Niall Burns, and drummer Andrew Flood met for the first time as three teenagers after sneaking into Costello’s Tavern: the only bar in town that catered to their musical tastes. After bonding over cheap vodka and the sound of The Velvet Underground, they began playing music together and moved to London.

The bands’ influences feed into a lineage that boasts everyone from The Cranberries to The Pogues. The band acknowledge those great literary songwriters perhaps no more so when they covered ‘Fairytale of New York’ last Christmas, which was immediately reciprocated when Pogues frontman Shane McGowan was singing their praises and invited them to play at his 60th Birthday party.

Fusing that “immigrant song’” sensibility with their love of noise and melody, the group are transforming into a modern day answer to early Blondie or the Pixies. Huge shows alongside the likes of Nick Cave and Patti Smith came this summer. They’ve also supported the likes of Dream Wife, Declan McKenna, The Vaccines, Peace and Blossoms.

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