Interview mit Rob David von Death Of Youth

Your band is called DEATH OF YOUTH – does that mean saying goodbye to youth, and do you see that as something negative, saying goodbye to youth?
The band is named after a song by Scottish Melodic Hardcore band DEPARTURES from their 2016 album „Death Touches Is From The Moment We Begin To Love“. It was a song title that I felt would make a great band name.

Your album is entitled „Nothing Is The Same Anymore“ – is it ment more in general or are you referring to something specific?
It mainly refers to how I was feeling a year on from the end of my last relationship. I’d reached a point where I was somewhat content, but also things weren’t quite the same. In a broad sense, it also refers to the trials and tribulations of adulthood where more burdens are placed upon you compared to the more care free wonders of adolescence.

In what context do you see the artwork in relation to the title and band name – what are your associations with the image?
The artwork shows a child being washed away into a cloud of colors with the child representing youth and the cloud representing memories, and it’s showing youth being washed away into becoming a memory. I’d say that both this into the band name and the album title which I explained above.

Was it made for the album, and if so, based on what information/specifications?
Yes, we contacted the artist Alex CF – the vocalist for FALL OF EFRAFA, MORROW, WREATHE and ANCIENT LIGHTS – to create all the artwork for this release. We didn’t have any specifications beyond sending some album artwork which reflected the kind of vibe we wanted for the cover, and he was inspired by a picture he’d made for his sister of a child walking along a beach.

It’s your debut album as a full band. What effect did the transition from solo project to band have for you personally as well as for the band itself, when it comes to the songwriting and other processes?
I’d say it was just a case of having more people contribute ideas and suggestions to the songs. I still wrote all the songs for the album and the rest of the band added their own flourishes to the songs. Joe our guitarist played some parts a little differently to how I wrote them originally, but it was really cool to let him add his own touches to the songs to make the parts his own.

Musically, your sound is very reminiscent of TOUCHÉ AMORÉ and LA DISPUTE. Does it bother you when your music is compared to other bands?
Not at all, I’d take it as a compliment when people see us as similar to bands we admire, and it can also be quite favorable as people who are fans of those bands might check us out based on the comparison!

Do you deliberately try to set yourselves apart from other bands, or would you much rather be perceived as part of a stylistic bubble?
We definitely wear our influences on our sleeves, but we do try and add outside influences in here and there such as Midwest Emo, Skramz, and even Black Metal on occasion. However, for the most part we don’t try and overthink it and reinvent the wheel too much – we just write songs that we can be proud of and enjoy playing live.

Lyrically, you also seem to take a political approach, at least according to Bandcamp. Why is it important to you to convey a political or socially critical message through your music?
With the way the world is right now, it’s important to have something to say about our current existence. I’m a big fan of the band BOYSETSFIRE whose music was equally outspoken about the injustices of the world, and it was always important for me that DEATH OF YOUTH would be more than just a means for me to talk about my own personal woes. Whilst I do use it to take the time to process my own demons within the music when necessary, I felt it was more important to examine the world around me and how I perceive it.

What specifically is the album about?
There’s a varying range of topics, but I’d say it’s mostly just about combating the various woes we’re forced to reckon with such as femicide, transphobia, bigotry, and emotional abuse. It’s about not being complacent and wanting things to change for the better which I say best comes across in the song „Bystander” which is about people who claim to „not do politics”. There’s also some personal stuff – a relationship I was in ended due to external circumstances outside of how myself and my partner felt about each other, so there are some songs examining that and my journey of healing after the relationship ended. Then the penultimate song „Castle Rock“ examines my feelings surrounding a high school friend of mine passing away.

The album is being released by a variety of different labels in different countries – how did that come about, and what advantages does that have for you as a band?
We’d worked with Engineer Records in the bedroom project days and David had always been a big supporter of what we’re doing so it was a no-brainer to have him involved. The main reason other labels were brought in was because it was the only way we could afford to get a vinyl release of the album. Some of these were labels David had worked with previously, and others were labels I discovered who wanted to be involved. I’d say the biggest advantage is it opens up to more audiences outside the UK.

If I’m not mistaken, the album will still only be released on vinyl. Is the CD dead for you, or what’s the reason for this?
We have a cassette tape release in the UK as well – Cat’s Claw Records couldn’t be involved in the vinyl due to their already being a UK label attached, but they were really keen to work on the album so suggested handling the cassette tape release. The tapes came out really well too! As for CD, that may come a little later down the line, but we’re focusing on the vinyl and tapes for now.

You also play live – is there a chance we’ll see you in Germany soon? Are there any plans?
We’re certainly open to it if we can make it happen! Not any plans for touring/playing outside the UK this year due to external factors, but if there’s a demand for us to play in Germany, and we can find a way to make it work, then it’s a possibility.

To conclude the interview, I have a brainstorming exercise for you:
Donald Trump: Should be rotting in a jail cell instead of sleeping soundly in the White House
Germany: In my top 5 favorite countries that I’ve visited
The last record you listened to: „Everything Seems Better Now“ by VS SELF
Vinyl: Favorite music format
Alcohol: I’m straight edge myself, but the rest of the band aren’t
DEATH OF YOUTH in ten years: Maybe a few more albums and loads more shows!

Publiziert am 15. März 2026 von Moritz Grütz