Alloysious Massaquoi, Kayus Bankole and G. Hastings met as kids and set their bodies against the tide. From the beginning they were obstinately not going to do what was expected.
Under disparate influences that ranged from Enya to Suicide, they began to create the unique sound of their early releases; Tape One, Tape Two, the Mercury Award-winning debut long player DEAD, and then the face-slap to the world White Men Are Black Men Tooand their second SAY Award winner, Cocoa Sugar, where the sound was refined and almost bent back, like a disjointed thumb, into an unnatural position. Album number four Heavy Heavy expanded their sonics even further whilst carrying the trio to the lofty flights of the albums chart and further into critical acclaim.
The title could be a mood, or it could describe the smoothed granite of bass that supports the sound... or it could be a nod to the natural progression of boys to grown men and the inevitable toll of living, a joyous burden, relationships, family, the natural momentum of a group that has been around long enough to witness massive changes. Heavy Heavy nails together a collage of influences, ideas, ages and scenes, all bound together with passion and soul. And it seems, right now, the most radical thing to do is to have some Soul. A truly enigmatic band with a fabulously hard to define sound, fighting definition. The visceral propulsion of the Young Fathers live show will leave you stunned, earning them rightfully a reputation as the must-see band of 2023 as they share their passions with audiences around the globe, including as hand-picked special guests to Depeche Mode and creating the Glastonbury moment of the year. No dress code required. Dancing, not moshing. Hips jerking, feet slipping, brain firing in Catherine Wheel sparks of joy and empathy. Underground but never dark. Still young, after some years, even as the heavy, heavy weight of the world seems to grow day by day. Heavy Heavy was released on the 3rd February 2023 via Ninja Tune.
