Young Rising Sons is an indie band from New Jersey, consisting of Andy Tongren (lead singer), Max Dean (guitar), Steve Patrick (drums), and Julian Dimagiba (bass). Their song “High,” was a hit in 2014. Their music ranges from upbeat to mellow, discussing messages such as picking oneself up after a tough situation to the harsh reality of masking distress. In today’s world, many people find themselves lost more than ever before, as they’re finding themselves losing motivation. Within their song, “Sad”, they shine light on mental illness and how it is tends to be swept under the rug in society, discussing how people usually tell others with depression to “shut up and be happy, it’s all in your head.”
Their music breathes life into their listener, making the listener remember to seek light in dark times, finding time to enjoy themselves when it seems like they’ve hit a low, specifically seen within their song, “High,” where they sing “just let it go, enjoy the ride. Without a low, there ain’t a high.”
I had the opportunity to interview Steve Patrick. Below is the interview:
1) Why is the band named "Young Rising Sons?
We honestly settled on a few words that, at the time, had no meaning to us other than the fact that they sounded cool. As time passed and we started to find out more about ourselves as people and musicians it started to take on a more important and poetic meaning to us. Now it’s a title that defines us and our fans and the family we’ve created.
2) What inspires the music that you guys' write?
Our music is inspired by our own personal lives more than [anything] else. It is a reflection of who we are at specific points in time. Some songs are naively optimistic while others are more cynical and self deprecating. Much of our new music is drawn from personal experiences with anxiety and depression-our goal is to open a healthy dialogue about mental health and help others feel okay about discussing it as well.
3) How do you guys overcome struggles you all face as musicians?
We all lean on one another in tough times. The three of us are like family and we are there when nobody else can understand or help. We’re very fortunate to have the relationship we do.
4) What is some advice you guys would offer to people who want to be musicians?
Don’t ever give up-we we’re a band for years before we found any success. Practice/write/work as often as you possibly can. All of this sounds cliche but we’ve learned first hand how important it is.
5) What do you guys enjoy doing outside of creating music?
We’re big sports fans. Andy and Steve love to play and watch ice hockey. Julian is an insanely massive WWE fan.
6) What was a funny moment you guys had together?
We’ve had so many, it’s one of the benefits of touring together so much. One that stands out is the last day of our tour with The Moth and the Flame and 888, they decided to dump glitter all over us in the middle of our set. Years later we will occasionally still find glitter inside drums and guitar amps, it always makes us laugh.
7) What was a musical breakthrough you guys have experienced?
We had been searching for a sound that felt new and exciting for us but also like a familiar YRS song, which is a really difficult line to walk. We had written close to thirty new songs but none of them felt like what we were looking for yet. Suddenly Andy came up with an idea and within minutes our new song “Sad” was written. It was exactly what we had been looking for and was stylistically the perfect starting point for our new batch of songs.
8) How did you guys form the band, and what pushes you guys forward as a band?
Steve started the band back in 2010. Julian and Steve knew each other from playing locally in different bands. Once they had a solid lineup they began to search for a singer. They found Andy singing in an NYC bar and asked him to join and the rest is history. Now in 2018, our fans are what keep us going. We are so fortunate to be able to do what we love for a living and we owe it all to them.
Young Rising Sons Contact:
YouTube: Young Rising Sons
Website: youngrisingsons.com
Instagram: youngrisingsons