Interview: Michael Feerick – Young Light

Hi Michael, how are things?

Great, thanks! Just rehearsing and gearing up for this week’s shows, trying to locate mandolin strings and such…

You’re new project Young Light comes to Nottingham this Thursday; can you tell us a bit about the act?

It’s a duo I started with my friend in LA, Micah Calabrese, who I met when he was in another duo; Giant Drag. He plays drums and bass on a Roland synth simultaneously. It sounds pretty huge and is fun to watch! I play guitar and sing.

Where did the idea to launch Young Light come from?

We got introduced when we were recording the last Amusement Parks album and realised we had a lot of musical common ground. After that I was doing some acoustic shows and realised I wanted to do something more stripped back, so we began playing with that in mind. When we started we didn’t really plan anything beyond jamming and coming up with some songs. Since then it’s kind of progressed pretty organically, it’s fun and we’re just going with it.

Why the name Young Light?

It’s a reference to an Amusement Parks song/EP ‘Young Fight’, I guess I wanted it to seem like it was coming from the same universe, or something. Initially I liked that it seemed bright and optimistic, which is what you want any new musical endeavour to be! Since we started there seems to be 100 ‘young’ bands now though and I kind of regret it!

You’re best known for being part of Amusement Parks on Fire, how would you describe Young Light to fans of that band who are thinking of checking the new act out?

I guess with Amusement Parks a lot of the time we’re trying to fill up every inch of sonic space, but with Young Light it’s more stripped back and we’re trying to emphasise the space in between the sound, if that makes any sense! Essentially it’s coming from the same place but the focus is more on the songwriting and the individual instruments are more defined.

How does performing with Young Light differ to performing with Amusement Parks?

With Amusement Parks on Fire there was 5 of us and we’d try and blend the sounds together as much as possible to create a kind of non-specific but grandiose wall-of-sound, and when it worked best it felt like the gig was playing you and not the other way around! But with Young Light it’s about the subtlety of what’s being played, and there’s a really unique energy you get from two people, which is exciting to be part of.

You’re playing Stealth this week, what can people expect from the show?

I think what’s awesome about the line-up is that all 3 bands have members that are known for doing something, and are doing something new and different. I’m excited to see Rob from Spotlight Kid who is known for his guitar stylings in Spotlight Kid playing drums in Paper Plane Crash! Basically I think it’s just gonna be 3 really interesting and awesome sets, all from artists who are to some degree Nottingham-centric, which should definitely be reason to brave the cold!

You’re being supported by CJ Mirra, which we understand is the latest project of another well known Nottingham musician, what can you tell us about them?

Indeed, it’s the new alias of John Sampson of Swimming fame, and this is his first ever live show as CJ Mirra. It’s wildly modern and impressive future-music, and it’s exactly as awesome as you’d expect from that guy. I’m looking forward to hearing it on a massive sound system.

What’s up next for Young Light after the weekend? Any plans to release an EP?

We had our debut EP come out in the US earlier in the year. We’ve got some material we recorded in LA over the summer that we’re gonna put out at the start of 2014, and we’re planning to record an LP and do some European shows in the spring.

Are you taking a break from Amusement Parks on Fire to concentrate on Young Light or do you plan on being involved in both bands simultaneously?

I’m not sure really! I’m in another couple of bands that I’m dedicating time to as well. At the moment this is my main focus in terms of song writing, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be another Amusement Parks record/tour at some point. If it feels like the thing to do I’ll do it!

What are your thoughts on the Nottingham scene at the moment and who are your favourite acts currently playing?

I think for the size of the city there are loads of exciting things happening, and an unusually large number of super-talented musicians and great bands, a lot of whom deserve way more attention outside of the city. Off the top of my head I really like Fists, Grey Hairs, Kogumaza, We Show Up On RadaR, Seabirds, Lunar Park. We were lucky enough to do some shows with Spotlight Kid at the start of the year, they’re ace. It seems unfair to name a few when there’s so many!

How do you like to relax when you’re not on stage, what are your favourite places in Nottingham to hang out?

I’m partial to a couple of beers at The Lincolnshire Poacher or Kean’s Head. I like walking around Wollaton Park on a nice day. The Broadway is always a good bet, it’s handy to be able to get lunch, watch a movie and get high-speed internet under one roof.

Finally, anything else you’d like to say to the readers of NottinghamLIVE?

Thanks for reading/listening!! I hope to see you Thursday!

Interview by Darren Patterson 

Young Light perform at Stealth this Thursday with support from CJ Mirra and Paper Plane Crash plus a DJ set from Spotlight Kid – tickets £5 in adv – for more information click here