What Kind Of Dystopian Hellhole Is This? Well, Craig Dyer, creator of one of Manchester’s most admirable bands has the answers. Feeling becomes emotion… The Underground Youth take us to a prologue trip before their big show in Athens on the 24.11
Welcome to Metal Invader! 17 releases (including 9 great albums) are way too much for such a short period since your start in 2008. What sparkled all this creativity?
It’s hard to say… I had a lot of inspiration and I wasn’t filtering what I was creating in the beginning. I’d just write and record, write and record. Creatively I’m inspired on a daily basis, it’s just a matter of finding the time to work.
How difficult is to create consecutively great albums, isn’t that a bit stressful?
It would be stressful if I or someone else was forcing me to do it, but that’s not the case. I’m free to create whatever I want, whenever I want. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t enjoy the process.
Correct me if I’m wrong, you first moved to St. Petersburg and currently you are living in Berlin. How this big step did inspired you? Did that affect the band in any way?
I never actually lived in St. Petersburg but spent a lot of time there in the years after I started The Underground Youth. St. Petersburg certainly inspired my music and writing, just as Manchester had done and Berlin is currently doing. It’s important to create your art in a City or place that inspires you.
Living in Berlin, the pulse of underground music scene, must give the opportunity to experience a lot. How do you cope with the massive electronic-music movement? Are you a follower or prefer sticking to the classics?
I try and allow myself to be influenced by a variety of cultures and scenes. It’s hard to escape the electronic music scene in Berlin, but that’s a good thing, I’ve found fresh inspiration in it.
Who would be ideal to collaborate with? Please name me some acts that have triggered your attention lately.
There’s a wide range of artists I’d love to work with. Too many to mention… I’ve got plans to work with a few bands in a production role. I’m excited to work with a band called Sneers in the New Year.
In the last years you have been performing Greece often. What do you think about the music scene here? How is the audience?
I can’t comment on how the scene is for the people and bands actually in Greece but for us to come and play, it’s one of our favourite places. There’s a passion and love for music in the Greek audience that rivals anywhere we’ve been.
On February of 2017 you released What Kind Of Dystopian Hellhole Is This. Taking a break touring for now or are you preparing even now newer material? Some band’s find it difficult to write songs while touring, is that the case with you too?
I never write whilst on tour. I’ve never been able to do that. But before we left for the tour we’re currently on, I started work on some new material. Once we’re back in Berlin I’ll get to work on our next album.
How is tour life treating you?
We’re currently stuck in traffic in Catalonia, they’re protesting on the highway. It’s great to travel and meet people and play music, it’s a lot of fun. But it can be emotionally and physically draining as well. Right now I’d say it’s treating me pretty well.
In your concert in Athens and Thessaloniki, are you going to perform only from your latest release or also some older favorite tracks?
Our current setlist is a mix of old and new material, spanning our whole discography.
What do you and should we expect from your upcoming concerts in Greece?
It’s the end of our tour so we’ll be looking to finish on a high. I’m confident that our shows in Greece will be the best we’ve had so far.
Thank you so much for this interview! The epilogue is yours.
Thank you very much! We’ll see you soon.
