He’s cute, he’s stylin’ and he’s got the voice of a bloody rock angel. Oh, and did we mention he’s British? *drools*
Hot AF musician Yungblud (real name Dominic Harrison) stopped by the Girlfriend office during his trip Down Under for a solid chat.
Ladies, prepare to fall in love…
How did you come up with your name, Yungblud?
“Everyone expects me to say some metaphorical story but basically when I first joined my management team I was the baby in the crew so my manager always used to call me ‘young blood’. And I was writing all this music and it was kind of dirty and I was like ‘I don’t think Dom H is quite gonna fit’ and I remember just thinking one day ‘what’s my name gonna be?’ and my manager walked in and went ‘alright young blood, how we doing?’ and I was like ‘that’s it!’ It represents what I’m all about, the ideologies and the way young people envisage the future. You know what I mean?”
No I get it, it’s like the next generation.
“I think so! ‘Coz right now for us, the world is such a mental and confusing place and young people are so intelligent and it feels like the older generation is holding us back and I think politics has never been more relevant to the younger generation than it is now and what baffled me was I can’t believe no one is talking about it in mainstream pop music and that’s what kind of fuelled me to go ‘that’s where I sit, this is my area’. And I’m just saying what I think, I’m not telling people what to believe because I think being preached to and being told what to do makes me switch off, I’m just saying what I think.”
I love how you said there’s no real story to your name but really there is.
“I know man! It’s so weird. Like, in my head there’s no story ‘coz it’s so simple but when you kind of say it out loud there’s thinking behind it.”
How would you describe your music style?
“I love rock music but trying to create Yungblud, I decided that right now rock and roll is kind of on life support and I need to reinvent it somehow because I think people are trying to do rock and roll music in the same way it’s been done for 60 years. But I’m also a massive fan of hip hop! I’m so obsessed with both kinds of music because it comes from the same heart, the same soul and the same genre. It’s more than just the music, they comment on culture, they comment on society, they push boundaries in music, they change fashion, they change outlooks and that’s why I’m trying to combine rock and roll with hip hop. But I also want to be a pop artist! I want to have these political messages but I want it to be tongue in cheek and have these hooks that you can’t get out of your head ‘coz ultimately I want to move the needle in pop music. I think that’s what I’m here to do.”
“Right now, the world is such a mental and confusing place and young people are so intelligent and it feels like the older generation is holding us back.”
How would you describe your fans?
“They’re all mad. I love it! I think going to different places and seeing these wacky kids is amazing. To see people across the world relating to what I’m saying is just amazing and it kind of gives myself belief that I can do this. It’s the best feeling in the world ‘coz as I said I’m not telling people what to say, I’m not telling people what to feel, I’m just saying what I think and to see people responding to that is the best feeling in the world.”
What’s the strangest on stage experience you’ve ever had?
“Probably people spitting on me from the crowd, that’s kind of mental. And my guitarist spat in my face as well, it was kind of a spit fest. It was really punk.” *laughs*
But why tho?
“I dunno, the adrenalin was just really f***ing high!”
When you’re travelling, what are some essentials that you always have to take with you?
“I’m a bit of a nutter, I need 25 pairs of socks, that’s my thing. And I need my chains and my hoodies. And English breakfast tea and Yorkshire tea! No one understands tea like a Northerner.”
Have you tried any here in Australia?
“I have but no one gets Yorkshire tea. It’s not Yorkshire at all!”
What’s your favourite place in the world?
“New York City, it matches my energy. I’ve got ADHD, so that explains a lot. People are always like ‘how has that kid got so much energy!?’ It’s not drugs, I’m just free. I have ADHD. Hey that rhymes, I should write that down!”
Yeah, you should! That could be a new hook. But most artists and creative people in general have some kind of-
“Oh yeah, we’re all nutters! We think outside the box.”
How would you describe your fash sense?
“I’m in black a lot, I always like to wear black and I like my pink socks to pop. I never want to stand still, fashion wise. I want to develop looks that evolve but for right now, black with pink socks feel right.”
“Ultimately I want to move the needle in pop music. I think that’s what I’m here to do.”
You’re quite active on Instagram! What do you love about the ‘gram?
“It’s weird because it took me a minute [to sign up] ‘coz you get a bit nervous but I love Instagram now because it’s face-to-face, it’s all about pictures, it’s all about videos so it’s an instant connection to people that are watching you and I think you can express your opinion to people that are watching you, it’s amazing.”
Do you get a lot of people sliding into your DMs?
“Yeah, man! Someone from Brazil messaged me the other day and said ‘I run this group in Brazil that talks about social issues’ and for me to reach someone on the other side of the world that has the same ideology as me is just amazing! I try and respond to as many as I can, I think it’s important as an artist to respond ‘coz people have taken the time to listen to your music and write to you, so why not take the time to write back?”
What have you got planned for 2018?
“This next year I’ve got so much music that I’m ready to release. I want to shock people. If you’re fearless, that’s when you really make a difference and you’re a real artist. That’s what I want to do.”
And lastly, if you could say something to your 15-year-old self, what would you say?
“Buckle up, it’s about to get really mental!”
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