0:00
Me hook's rubbish.
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0:00
My uppercut's really good. My uppercut's good.
0:01
My hook is the worst punch. Terrible.
0:03
I'm like I can't I can't get it over.
0:04
Can't get the elbow up, man. And me wrist hurts. It's supposed to hurt. Not that much. I'm like ow.
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Well, you don't want to be saying ow when you punch somebody.
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Kind of gives the game away. Ow. Ow. My wrist. Stand right there. I'll you up. [Music] What's up, Dom? How you doing? Beautiful, man. Vibing.
0:26
I feel I can call you Dom now cuz I feel like you've given over the rights of Young Blood to all of us.
0:31
I think I think that was very much the aim of this album, you know.
0:33
I think I was like very much the aim of of the journey that I've been on for myself with this album, you know, and Yeah. Yeah. I think so. Nice. Dom feels good. I'll take it.
0:43
You know, uh I feel very fortunate that I get to talk to artists at various points on their journey when self-realization and awareness becomes very clear, focus becomes clear.
0:50
It's clear on this album. It is. It's re It is. It is really clear.
0:54
And I think um I think you can feel it and I think you can hear it. You know what I mean?
0:59
I think it was it was it was the whole it was the whole purpose of it.
1:03
I really needed to figure out who I was, you know?
1:07
I think I because someone gave you the keys too too soon before you knew how to drive the cars.
1:10
It helped out a little bit.
1:12
I think when you kind of make an album at first, you write it for yourself because no one's listening to it. Yeah.
1:18
You know, no one gives a No one gives a at all.
1:20
and you make something uh that you love and you believe in and you kind of you say exactly what you want to say without kind of compromise or opinions and then everyone has them and then everyone finds it and has an opinion and has an opinion and and and you become you become something to a load of different people.
1:40
Did you feel more bulletproof in your in yourself than you actually were when you came out? Oh. Oh, categorically.
1:46
I I really think kind of I look back at an 18-year-old kid and go like why why were you so confident and fearless?
1:54
You know what I'm saying?
1:54
Now I think like I was so I was so brash and I was so I was so um I was so loud and um and and it was it was beautiful and I kind of look back at him and I'm like you're about to go on a mad ride, kid.
2:11
Were you running from something?
2:11
Do you think looking back on it now?
2:12
Was there a sense of going on that stage every night? I saw you.
2:15
We've talked about this at the Viper Room. Yeah.
2:17
Came out, man, and you took us on. You took the crowd on.
2:21
It was like either get it or off. Yeah. 100%.
2:24
But to your point, that confidence wasn't entirely wellounded.
2:28
You found that out later in life that you had to develop a more even balance. Yeah.
2:33
I mean, I I think I think what what it was, it was really kind of this amalgamation of anger.
2:37
And a lot of people always asked me like who are you? Do they know anyone?
2:50
And I was like I don't know who I am on any given day. You know what I mean?
2:51
I was like when you know I mean what it depends what time you ask me.
2:55
And and I still think I think that is that is true to this day.
2:59
And I think what I really kind of learned on my first record and almost like had to had to relearn was this space and really taking my time to express myself in the way that I wanted to, not doing it so quickly because someone wanted an answer instantly.
3:20
You know, I really think I used to take my time to kind of give a give an answer to the world.
3:28
And and I think I think with this album, you know, I was I was always looking for a a a period of reinvention.
3:38
And isn't it more reclamation? Yeah.
3:38
I mean, yeah, reclamation.
3:40
And and I kind of, you know, I think you're right because I think it's I I needed that was the first step to go I need to kind of do something different here and I need to find who I am and I really need to say to the world that like if you if you want me to tell you where we're going, you listen to the wrong artist. Right. Right.
4:01
I lead with my heart and I lead with every single thing I've got.
4:04
I truly wear my heart on my sleeve and I I really had to kind of shut out the noise and shut out the world to be able to do that again. That ain't easy.
4:18
That isn't easy cuz I think like I was really kind of trying to be adherent to what people wanted me to be.
4:24
And that really kind of made me fall out of love with my name, you know?
4:26
I felt like people would say like, "Oh, can you be Young Bloodood forever?"
4:30
What do they think Young Bloodood was?
4:31
A million different things to a million different people.
4:35
You know, I think a lot of people see it as um a voice for young people.
4:40
A lot of Why did you invert a comma that because when people say that to me and there a lot of people say like, "Oh, you were a big voice of a generation."
4:50
And I always found that really I I always kind of repel a pedestal like that because I I think like this whole thing started for me um from kind of the tail end of Brexit in the UK and writing about what me and my friends were talking about.
5:05
So I didn't want to be I never wanted to like own that. I didn't like it.
5:09
See the problem with that though Dom is that a lot of people were feeling the same way.
5:12
And so what happens when is when you get a voice and some amplification you start saying things that other people identify with.
5:18
They don't feel quite so alone. Yeah. I think how I feel. It's a beautiful thing.
5:26
And then if you're not careful reconnecting and reclaiming who you truly are, you get kind of addicted to being that voice. Exactly.
5:33
And I think you kind of I think that the the the fundamental thing is I could feel myself starting to not be truthful because Young Bloodood became such a a thing of polarization for people.
5:44
I think people really knew what it was in their head.
5:48
It was either it was like this loud kid or it was this savior to them or it was this and I I really started to hide.
5:52
I really think as human beings we we hide because if you truly give yourself to someone or you change or you want to go somewhere else and someone repels it, it's really hard to deal with. You know what I mean?
6:08
I think it's like the biggest trauma if you're like, "Yo, this is who I am."
6:11
And everyone's like, "I don't like it. I don't like it." It's really scary. Yeah.
6:14
And especially when you come out there and you have a lot of energy and a lot of enthusiasm.
6:17
I've noticed as someone who's always put a lot of energy and enthusiasm into my passions, i. e.
6:22
playing music and talking about music, that it's not for everybody.
6:24
Some people find it annoying. Yeah, they do. They do.
6:26
And especially in the UK, you know what I mean?
6:30
I always say what's hilarious, if someone's got a nice car out here, everyone's like, "Well, well done."
6:32
In the UK, they'll scratch it.
6:33
I mean, to be fair to to be fair to my friends in the UK and also my not so friends in the UK.
6:39
You know, I spent, you know, nearly 13 years on Radio One getting it either sort of like getting high-fived or or cornered and you know, and and it's fine because that is part of what you have to put yourself through.
6:50
And you would understand the same thing.
6:52
But there were times I'd feel the same thing.
6:53
Sometimes I'd go to shows and be like, "Man, am I in a crowd of friendlies?" Yeah.
6:56
Or is someone going to come up to me and just like, "You like you too, you wanker." Yeah. Yeah.
7:01
I mean, I I I'll never forget an I do like you too. I love you.
7:07
I love you too, you wanker.
7:07
I was I I remember an experience. I was in a pub.
7:12
I was in um a pub called the Royal Oak in um I know that. Yeah.
7:14
In in East London and and someone just walked up to me and I I this was a really pivotal moment in my life really.
7:23
And they were just like I think you're and why are you so excited all the time? It's a load of bollocks.
7:29
And and and and and it was a real crazy moment because I think like when you see it on the internet like people kind of hide behind it's so easy to post like attached discourse when someone actually kind of looks you in the eye and says it. Where does that go next? Right?
7:47
Like you're thinking fight or flight.
7:52
Literally you're thinking like all right is it about to kick off?
7:53
Do I have to defend myself?
7:55
Is this guy six pints to the wind?
7:58
Then does he think he's going to be the guy who wakes up tomorrow morning and texts his mate and says, "I lamp young blood." Exactly.
8:02
Or am I going to be the guy that has to now convince this guy I'm a good guy?
8:05
Cuz that's another waste of energy. Completely.
8:08
And I think that's I think that's literally me. I'm such a puppy.
8:10
I just want people to like me.
8:13
I've always just wanted people to like me.
8:15
And I think What a headache. Yeah.
8:17
And it's always so brutal.
8:19
Like every time I'm mental I'm like addicted to reading bad comments.
8:23
Come like I'm going to get you. I'm going to get you. I'm going to wake up.
8:25
I'm going to get one more person.
8:26
I'm going to get one more person to believe it.
8:27
I'm like, "Guys, I'm real. I'm real."
8:29
You know, I promise you, I'm telling the truth. I'm telling the truth. I'm not.
8:32
And it's it's so interesting, isn't it?
8:34
It's always like I've always been to this or to that.
8:38
I've never just been like enough.
8:38
But the interesting thing about that is you said something really interesting when you first came out and kicked the door down on those small clubs and got the attention of the industry who gave you the keys to the car you couldn't drive yet. That you were angry. Yeah.
8:48
That there was an anger that was driving that.
8:52
As John Leen said, it's an energy, powerful fuel. Completely an energy.
8:55
I would have thought that that kind of reaction, you would have stored that up and you would have made an angrier record. It's so interesting. So did I.
9:03
And I think when I first started to make it, it was going that way.
9:05
I started to make the kind of I started to make this album in 2021 after the second album went to number one in the UK. that's quarantine. Yeah, quarantine.
9:17
And weird had just gone number one in the UK.
9:21
And that's like the first commercial success you kind of get. So I'm like, whoa.
9:26
And I remember calling Matty, my producer, who did the first album with me.
9:30
I was like, right, I want to make an album with no form that is just a complete journey.
9:35
Let's stretch it further. Let's make a concept.
9:37
Let's make this crazy thing.
9:39
So by the 2nd of January, Matty was in the north of England with me.
9:43
I was like, we're going to make it in the cold.
9:44
We're going to make it next door to a Tetley Brewery.
9:49
Like like I'm telling you like Tetley's Laga brewery. I know. Yeah.
9:51
And we're going to make it in this old foreman's house next to a Tetley brewery.
9:57
Like, you can't write it.
9:57
Do you know what that sounds like to me? Yeah. Literally. Coronation Street. Jesus. misery.
10:10
I'm telling you the thing about Coronation Street that you know that the electrical board in England surges at 7:30.
10:17
Everyone's putting the cattle on. Yeah.
10:21
cuz they want to sit down and watch something more miserable than their lives.
10:24
I'm telling you, it's so and but when you're a kid, you think it's awesome and then you kind of get to like you come back and you What childhood did you have where you thought Coronation Street was awesome? I'm a northerner, man. 100%.
10:36
But I mean, I have no choice, man.
10:39
Like me nan's like, "Right, it's on downstairs. Get downstairs now." I'm like, "Fuck you. What is this? Is this it? What is this planet?"
10:47
But we had to go back to the north and and we and we started and we started to make this this album and I remember the first songs came out of it and Lovelick lullabi came out of it. Zombie came out of it. Idols came out of it.
10:59
Oh, Zombie came out quick.
10:59
Zombie was the first record.
11:00
And you must have been skipping off to bed that night, dude. It was crazy.
11:03
You had that one under the under the We really were.
11:05
It was like It was such a strange one making Zombie because normally I would go into the studio with Matt and we'd pull up samples.
11:13
You know what I'm saying?
11:14
You do whatever you kind of pull up a beat.
11:16
You pull up a splice thing.
11:17
But for an exercise on Zombie, we were like, "Right, let's get two guitars." Mhm. Let's write a song.
11:26
We can't touch the computer.
11:26
We cannot touch the computer.
11:28
That's That's the That's the thing.
11:30
Let's like write start to finish.
11:31
Two guitars on a notepad.
11:34
When that came out, it really made me had to make the emotion and the lyric and the vocal the selling point.
11:40
And how can we make this cut through?
11:44
How can we make this special?
11:46
Or how can we make head turns?
11:48
Well, you what you're doing is you're playing with real legacy when you do that cuz all the tools we have Yeah.
11:55
They're they're supposed to inspire us to to to make something that doesn't exist until just now. Yeah.
11:59
And at the end of the day, if you're happy with it, it exists.
12:03
You'll probably stand by it. Yeah.
12:06
But when you have to carve it out of stone, and it's interesting you talk about that because on this album, and I I can say this now, confidence, you're going to appreciate it.
12:16
There is some retro feel to this in the sense of like there's some late '9s energy on this 100%.
12:22
I hear bits of Robbie, bits of cast, bits of the bit, but all sorts of things that are dancing around it's groove.
12:30
Like you get to like a song like Idols part one, it's got a real groove to it, but it's got a bit of echo in the bunny to it as well. 100%.
12:42
We we just I just think you can't you can't get that stuff anywhere else in the north.
12:48
That's why I went to the north of England to make it because I really I made it with Matty and I made it with my guitar player, Adam.
12:58
And I just said, "We're going to make an album that we want to listen to, that our friends want to listen to." Perfect.
13:04
And you know what I mean?
13:04
But it's so interesting in music like you you think about the world so much when you've had a little bit of success. You know what I mean?
13:12
You think about like what is what is 10 million people who follow me going to want going to want?
13:19
And my guitar player is from Glasgow, right?
13:22
And he's the most like he's a man of few words, but when he says them, you're just like, "Oh shit."
13:26
It's that it's so simple for him.
13:28
He's like, "Let's just me.
13:30
Whatever you want to listen to."
13:32
That's some awkward dinners, though. I'm telling you. So, yeah.
13:35
It's fully just I mean, that's just like you must be just sitting there staring at Yeah. What do you think?
13:37
He's like my best mate in the world.
13:39
Pastor going like, "Dude, come on.
13:40
I've known you for 19 years. I've been up."
13:43
Literally, I'm like, "Bro, I'm trying to get something out of him."
13:45
Never been much of a fan of scamping. Yeah.
13:50
But at the right time, but at the right time, he'll just land. He'll just land. Yeah.
13:54
And we just I I just wanted to make something.
13:57
And when even when we came down of the mixing process and the recording process, I didn't want to try and make the past modern.
14:03
I wanted to make something that felt like it had always been there and always will be.
14:11
Could it have been recorded 50 years ago or 50 years in the future?
14:13
That's why it was like it was really important for me to be like the way we're going to make this album is we're going to set up a bunch of instruments in the room.
14:20
I'm going to be able to get on a drum kit.
14:22
I'm going to be able to get on a whirly. I'm going to go on keys.
14:23
Everything in in in the rain um in the north of England and I really kind of we just wanted to lead with emotion first.
14:31
Even hear that on Idols part one.
14:34
It's the first time I've heard your voice break and you kept it in. Yeah, 100%.
14:36
Because I remember recording that vocal at 9:00 in the morning as the sun was coming up.
14:43
We have you been up all night or you 100% been been up all night.
14:44
Not sure I approve of that, Dom.
14:47
It was utter chaos because we were just making it without form.
14:51
And I work better at night.
14:51
And I think with art, it can feel good because you made it, even if it might be mediocre. You know what I mean?
15:03
And everyone should know what you mean. That's a real statement. And jam. You know what I mean?
15:09
when the sun comes up, it really reveals whether the idea in the cold light of day, is your idea good or is it mediocre?
15:17
So, we would work from like 400 p. m.
15:19
I'd wake up at like 3:00 and work through the night and then by 9:00 I'd be like, "This is good or this is shite."
15:25
And I remember Idols really part one really revealed itself around 7 a. m.
15:32
So then I got I went and did the vocal and I was like like my voice is just But there's a truth to it because if I would have sung that at 5:00 p. m. I would have sung it.
15:46
I wouldn't have meant it.
15:46
You're trying to remember a time or a feeling when it was possible to be idols. You're not an idol.
15:53
If you'd sung it perfectly, you'd be an idol singing about idols. That's it.
15:58
It's that's what I'm saying.
15:58
It was all about finding the truth within it because I called the record idols because it's actually the first time I'm kind of like being like thanks very much.
16:08
I've got this from here and I'm turning to myself, you know what I mean?
16:11
I think like who are you taking it back from? Bowie, Freddy, Robbie.
16:13
I think I'd look at these photographs on the wall and you want to be the photograph on the wall and then kind of in my case to some people you become the photograph on the wall and then you realize that they actually never had the answer because I never knew Bowie. I never knew Freddy. I never knew Robbie. Never met him.
16:33
The answer was always within me.
16:35
That that photograph was a mirror.
16:38
I would look at it and I would and I would find I would find the inspiration or I would find the meaning or I would find the purpose myself.
16:51
And I really think kind of when we got when we circle back to like I've always wanted to appease people and I've always wanted to but I've always wanted to like please everyone. Why? I don't know. You're not there yet.
17:05
I I I I I I I just it's the way I've always felt.
17:11
I think I've always had this dark thing in my head saying to myself that I'm I'm not good enough.
17:15
So, if I can get any sort of validation or any sort of connection or anything from people, it would make my my my stomach lift for a bit.
17:26
What was your childhood like, Dom?
17:28
My childhood was complicated because I grew up in a family business that made made me feel like I was part of a gang.
17:36
I grew up in a guitar shop and me granddad started a guitar shop and me old man worked in the shop and then there's literally a picture of me 6 hours old outside the hospital on a on the count of a Beatles ukulele across me knee.
17:50
So it was always I was always going to be obsessed with music, you know, cuz it was just around. Yeah.
17:57
He literally like didn't have a choice.
17:58
I was like on the counter. That's beautiful.
18:00
And I would really learn from the from the lads in the shop, you know, and I um they would teach me about like I had such a mental knowledge of music.
18:10
Like not a lot of people like are bumping like Sound Garden or like cast at like eight, you know what I mean? Because I had that. Jesus.
18:19
Born Fourth of July hits different when you're eight, doesn't it?
18:23
Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
18:23
or like Stone Temple Pilots or just like like singing like Alice and Chains at like school.
18:30
Everyone's like 8 years old.
18:32
Everyone's into like you spin me right round baby right round when you go down and I'm just like yo can we just like put on some like pearl jam and everyone's like what is this kid talking about?
18:42
You know now you're listening to Lane Staley like like Lane Staley vibing.
18:46
And it was it was it was good, but it was also it was really being a part of a family business in retail was really stressful because one week it'd be good, one week it would be bad. Yeah. Yeah.
18:57
It was really it was really it was really complicated and and also quite an introduction to music, isn't it?
19:01
Because you're looking at something you love looking at the people that you love involved with the thing that they love and it's hand-to-mouth. Yeah, it fully is.
19:08
And I was almost discouraged a lot from going into it because everyone that didn't make it in a band worked in the guitar shop.
19:17
So I was like, "No, don't front row seat." Yeah. So don't do that.
19:21
Don't like And I really just wanted to be in a band.
19:24
I really was like, it's kind of a powerful observation though to realize that your passion meets reality and yet you still want to do it. Yeah.
19:31
To get to realize that at a young age you're like, "All right, kind of nothing can stop me." Yeah.
19:35
I was just like, "Fuck it."
19:35
I was like I I I I was always in need of validation, but I was always fearless.
19:42
I was always not afraid to pop me head above the trench and get shot at first. You know what I mean?
19:48
In school, in my whole life.
19:51
And I feel like that's why people have sometimes have an issue with me.
19:55
And I will self-deprecate because if I get to it before you do, it's all right. I know all about that. Do you know what I mean? if I can.
20:01
And I think that is so such a strange thing because it really does lead you to internal not be kind to yourself. Yes.
20:08
And at the same time search for reasons to be kind to others.
20:12
Think about that for a second.
20:14
You'll take the energy it takes to actually selfheal and you'd rather put it into helping someone else.
20:18
I think that was that that was the birth of Young Bloodood.
20:22
They call that being a fixer. Yeah.
20:23
And I think that was the birth of Young Bloodood going like when I found these people and when I had such a deep connection with them and I would they would tell like I think I I'll never forget that first time I'd like cuz we we've met known each other since I signed to Intercope and I had like 10,000 followers on Instagram and I remember a guy called Neil Jacobson said to me, "You got to figure this out.
20:45
I'm not going to teach you how to do this.
20:48
Here's the here's an idea.
20:48
I'll put you on top, but you got to figure this out."
20:52
And I remember like songs like King Charles and I love you or you marry me and and these these songs about kind of really what I was passionate about at the time started coming out and we had we'd sold out 100 tickets in Amsterdam and I remember kind of pulling up being shocked like what the man like there's 100 people here what you know what I mean when you kind of have that for the first time and they kind of like looked like me.
21:12
They had like eyeliner on and like handmade t-shirts and just kind of like whoa.
21:17
And I never that that was the time when I would get out of the van and just talk to 150 people outside the venue and it was kind of weird because we'd go on stage and people wouldn't cheer that loud cuz we just been talking all day. You know what I mean? That's hilarious.
21:32
So there's no like there's no like sense of mystery, you know what I mean?
21:36
You know when you go to a gig and you're like, "Oh my god, you go on stage like there's this huge and you walk out everyone's like, "All right, Dom." Yeah. All right, mate. How's it going? All right, Dom. How you doing, mate? Yeah.
21:45
You going to play a song now? Yeah. Yeah.
21:46
And we've like been almost I'd only had like four songs out.
21:50
So they've been playing the songs out of speakers all day.
21:51
So they're like the excitement been taken out of there.
21:54
You finish a song, it's just like it ends and then and then like Dom I don't know how to unlock my phone.
21:58
Can you help me unlock my phone? Literally. Yeah. Like fully. And I'm just like Yeah.
22:02
Literally like so so personal and it clicked to me. Yeah.
22:07
And I was like, ah, I always wanted to find a community because I was obsessed with the pistols and the clash and this they it was so close.
22:16
People started coming to me um with with their with their issues because they they heard something in my music that was an answer to them. Yeah.
22:27
So I was like, "Oh my god, this is a really good place for me to put my energy."
22:31
my energy because I was always a I was always a simmering pan of of a bundle of anxiety, insecurity, confidence, energy, complete contradiction all the time.
22:41
Just boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, bing, bang, bing all the time.
22:45
And I could put it into them so I didn't have to face my And then overnight almost in my head, it becomes so much bigger than I ever expected. and cut forward.
23:01
You sell out Wembley Arena cuz everyone did their job. Yeah, that's it.
23:06
And it was it fully just like I just kept giving and giving and giving and giving to other people that I had nothing left within myself.
23:13
So when did you bottom out?
23:15
I remember after the third album, Young Bloodood, came out.
23:18
I was in New York in a penthouse.
23:23
Like what the It had gone number one in seven countries and I was so unhappy because I thought I compromised on the album.
23:30
There were good songs on it.
23:32
But I called my third album Young Bloodood cuz I was trying to figure out who the Young Bloodood was.
23:39
And almost that was a coping mechanism to be like, "Yeah, man. That's it. That's it."
23:43
When I didn't know because I remember after You were the most detached from that name ever.
23:48
The most detached from that name ever.
23:48
I was trying to I was trying to claw it back and hold on for dear life.
23:52
And I I remember I remember because Idols was the album I wanted to make after Weird, but I remember I've been discouraged cuz everyone was like, "We've just had commercial success. Got it.
24:03
Time changes, harmonies, analog recording. No, no, no, no. We need Yeah. We need hits right now. We need hits right now."
24:12
So then I came out to LA and they put me on the songwriter circuit and whatever.
24:16
And and and little by little I was going, "Okay, what do people know Young Bloodood is?
24:22
What is the brand of Young Blood?
24:24
What is the D of Young Blood?
24:26
And that's what how Young Bloodood came out.
24:28
And after that, I said to everyone in my team, I got to stop because I have always done this for the truth.
24:35
And I've always done this from a place of like, I don't know where we're going to go.
24:40
The next album might be different because I'm going to marvel at the world and write what I'm inspired by. Sure.
24:45
And I just said, I need to stop because I'm falling out of love with my own name.
24:49
And I needed to stop and I needed to put everyone in one place.
24:55
And that's why the festival came out.
24:58
I was like, "Right, I need to reassess everything right now.
25:00
These are my people and I need to figure out who the are actually my people."
25:03
Most people do that in a pub for a birthday and it's 80 people.
25:07
Young Bloodood's idea of like, I just need to find out where my people are is to sell out Milton Keane's bowl.
25:15
I was like, "Okay, are you all my people?"
25:16
I was like, "All right, good.
25:19
What do you all want want to hear? One at a time. hell.
25:20
I looked out and I saw moms, dads, granny's, kids, obviously 10,000 crazy 19year-olds going mental front.
25:32
But it made me realize that this had become bigger than me being young blood.
25:40
Everyone was young blood. So I could give it away. Yeah.
25:42
I could give it away and I could be Dom within Young Blood and I would go back to idols and beautiful. It was it was amazing.
25:49
And I remember after it being like, "Right, we're finishing it.
25:53
We're going to finish this thing that we've started."
25:58
How much had you kind of done by the time you you went back to it?
25:59
What was kind of what had you been encouraged to to to shelf? How much?
26:03
Eight songs off the first record.
26:05
And Zombie was one of those songs.
26:07
Zombie was one of those songs.
26:08
And you were told, you know what happens when you squiggle before a hit? Yeah.
26:12
It's called Yeah, I remember remember coming to LA and being like, "Listen, I can't wait to play you this. I've got this music.
26:21
I've got this song zombie.
26:23
I've got this like song called Love Sick Lullaby. I've got idols. I've got War. I've got I had change."
26:30
And I was like, "Yo, I've got this crazy It's going to honestly I really think this is going to be amazing." And they go, "What? This is too what?"
26:40
And I remember just feeling like punched in the tummy.
26:44
I was like, "What do you mean what? What do you mean what? I love this." Like, "I love this."
26:52
But I don't regret making the record because I got to come back with probably more authenticity and more bite and more strength to not take no for an answer and and really come back with the idea when I was in the studio being like, "Right, we're going big.
27:12
I'm going to put orchestras on it. We're going to do air.
27:17
I'm going to record it properly.
27:18
We're going to like I'm going to get like Rich Costy, Spike, Stent.
27:22
I'm going to hybrid the mixers.
27:22
I'm going to get Howe to master it analog and digital.
27:26
I was like, I'm going to find this artistic indulgence.
27:29
Your man is a mutang and a bob rock away from a bingo card.
27:34
I'm telling you, full bingo card. I was like fully.
27:36
I was like, I'm going to get the greatest rock.
27:37
I was going to get the greatest rock mixers and mastering engineers and I'm going to I'm going to really I'm gonna make it with the good stuff.
27:45
I'm gonna make it with the good sauce, man. You know what I mean? With good tomatoes.
27:50
So, what's changed between what and okay, you're good.
27:53
What's changed between then and now?
27:55
Because the thing is, right, you could put your foot down and you could say this time around it's idols or bust, right?
28:02
People would still be within their rights to approach that record with a sense of concern being a positive thing, challenge being a positive thing, downright lack of interest being a very negative thing. Completely.
28:16
So, what's changed for the team and the people around you that keep Young Bloodood working when you're out there creating and performing?
28:22
They can see that I truly know who I am, right?
28:28
And I'm not lost and I love it. So, Right.
28:30
So, I guess looking back on it now, maybe you didn't believe it then.
28:35
You had the songs, but you still didn't know how to drive the car. I know 100%.
28:38
I still didn't know I still didn't know how to drive the car.
28:40
And I just didn't I think like I found this focus and I found this kind of strength again that's very reminiscent of when I started and this kind of I'm always polite and I'm always smiley but like this my way or the highway kind of energy where I'm like I'm going to go there and I'm going to run and I'm going to carry the ball and I'm not going to let it go.
29:06
I don't give a who's going to try and take me down.
29:07
I'm just going to keep running.
29:08
just going to keep running. It's been interesting because you take all the noise and you take all the misconception kind of like a lot of people were like growing up in a guitar shop I had things handed to me or I had blah blah blah and it would make me kind of again hide who
29:25
I am people call you a plant industry plan I mean I don't cuz cuz you cuz you hung out in a local guitar shop and doncast industry plant's such a funny word in it because I'm telling you I promise you we're in Apple Music in LA right Now, no one is getting heard without working their asses off. Facts. Not one Facts.
29:43
Not one artist you hear a day that's successful. Yeah. You can have anything.
29:49
You can have any backing. You can have no backing.
29:52
You have to work your ass off. Facts.
29:54
So, I always laugh when people call anyone an industry plant.
29:59
if like Lola Young pops up or Chapel Rome pops up, then you like scroll through the comments that industry plan.
30:05
I'm like, "No Lola played Bloodfest last year.
30:10
There were 5,000 kids there on a 35,000 capacity stage."
30:13
I'm like, "This girl's I'm going to be supporting her one day." I'm telling you. Yeah. Yeah.
30:17
And industry plant's such a funny word because like it's just such a you think you know.
30:23
Oh, I just, you know, it's just another line.
30:27
It's an easy dismissal of the arts, right?
30:29
And the thing about the arts is everybody in their heart is creative, but not everybody backs themsel or has the license and to be fair is given the encouragement at key points in their lives to follow some kind of creative art completely.
30:40
And of course that still means you got to keep the lights on, but you can create in your own time.
30:44
I think it's it comes from a place of fr of self-imposed frustration of like I'm not creative in my life enough.
30:51
This person's getting away with it. Yeah. industry. Yeah. That's what I'm saying.
30:57
And it's just like I promise you, you cannot you you if if you know about an artist, it's because they've ripped their heart out and and ran so fast that you you're finding them.
31:11
It also depends on kind of how visible you are.
31:12
And it was a while there where you were real visible. Yeah.
31:16
You know, and it you're a striking looking guy.
31:18
You came out, you presented yourself as the as the complete package.
31:24
It wasn't like you were sort of like I'll figure that out when I'm on stage.
31:28
It's like, "No, I'm the same offstage as I am on stage. This is who I am.
31:29
How I look represents how I feel.
31:31
How I feel is in my music."
31:33
So, everyone's like, "Okay, well, there's there's no ambiguity here."
31:36
No, this guy is there's no mystery.
31:39
This guy's in rockstar mode at all times. Completely.
31:41
And that can be polarizing, but what it also does is it gets a lot of attention cuz people like striking images. Yeah. 100%.
31:48
How did that fit and feel at the time when you when I would say fame was probably a part of pretty pretty essential part of the equation. Not that you look now.
31:54
I'd like to I'd like to appreciate the fact that you've shown up in Young Bloodood mode and your new photos look great.
32:00
Well, I mean, I'd say your dress sense is awesome, but you're barely winning wearing any clothes on this. 100%.
32:04
I had to I had to vive on that. Yeah.
32:07
Well, you know, you don't put the hours Well, you don't put the hours in the boxing ring unless you get to show it off, right? 100%.
32:10
But we'll get to boxing in a minute cuz I'm a I'm a fan as well.
32:14
But but but how did how did fame feel? I always wanted it. I know.
32:18
That's why I asked you how it felt.
32:19
I was saying it was it was it was awesome when it first happened. Of course.
32:23
It's just like I always I always loved performing for people and I always loved entertainment.
32:30
The thing about me is I am loud. I am going to be cheeky.
32:35
I am I do want to be looked at.
32:37
I want to walk out and be like, "Fucking hell, he looks cool."
32:39
And I think to be honest, up until this moment, I've been afraid to even say that. Yeah.
32:45
You know what I'm saying?
32:46
Because it's like a downplayed thing. Right.
32:47
Now, I think it was in a Kinkx book, was it that I read once where the manager of the Kinks was like, "Dress like you are somebody and then you probably will be." Yeah. It's beautiful.
32:57
But I liked that and I liked that like that kind of British rockstardom of like utter confidence and it.
33:03
That's what I grew up on.
33:05
That's what I wanted to be.
33:07
I didn't want to be quiet.
33:07
I didn't want to be mysterious.
33:09
I didn't want to But you're interesting though, bro, because that was real lad culture back then and there was a lot of toxicity around there.
33:14
And yet, you're not a lad, are you? No.
33:16
I wanted to just my vibe was like I wanted to do that now.
33:21
You know what I'm saying?
33:21
In all I wanted to come out the gate with this kind of bullish confidence in a within a new idea. You know what I mean?
33:32
I was always there's as much kind of Gary Newman going on with you as that kind of like culture of the mid to late 90s. 100%.
33:38
I love and that's why again people can't always place me because one day I'm like one day I'm like trying to be Robert Smith with my makeup but then I'm like going to throw a Liam bit of attitude on and I'm going to shake me ass like Freddy. You know what I mean? What you don't Yeah.
33:55
But you what you don't have and I mean this as a compliment because I'm I don't have it but I also mean as an insult cuz both of us wish we had a little bit of it is you don't have that kind of like them attitude which Liam does.
34:06
Like you put Liam on a mic and you just toss him a band for his sons. They got nits. Yeah, 100%.
34:13
You know, like you just give him anybody.
34:16
Like he's Should we pull up some of Liam's greatest disses?
34:18
Oh, Amy had that as well, didn't she? Do you remember that? Oh, yeah.
34:22
She didn't give a No, my favorite with Amy, rest her soul wasn't what she said, it's how she looked.
34:27
Someone would go like, you know, and it seems like you're really interested, Amy.
34:29
And uh, you know, this whole kind of retro type of soul thing. Are you?
34:33
And she'd just be like, "Shut up." Yeah. Literally.
34:36
And then she go, "Yeah, I do like it. Yeah, it's great." Yeah. Yeah.
34:41
I am a lot more gushy in the middle. 100%. That's what I'm saying. You're not really a lad. Oh, here we go. Uh, oi tofu boy. That was one.
34:47
Oh, what about who's got the who's got the worst outfit? Is that you?
34:50
What about null calling Liam? He's so angry.
34:52
He's like a man with a fork in a world of soup. Yeah, I know. I love that. That's such a good one.
34:57
Didn't Liam call Chris Martin a plant pot? Some plant pot. plant.
35:01
Me and Scottish Adam met him backstage once.
35:04
Oh And he said something about me apparently. What'd he say?
35:10
And he was like, um, obviously I was like wearing skirts on stage at the time and it goes to Adam.
35:17
Guitar plays having a like glass of brandy with him or something.
35:18
He's like, "What the What you doing back here?"
35:21
He's like, "Oh, I'm just drinking."
35:22
He's like, "You in a band?"
35:24
He's like, "Yeah, I play with Young Blood." He's like, "Ah, hell. Don't like Young."
35:28
Walks off and then he comes back to him. He's like, "I do. She's amazing. Look at you."
35:33
Cuz I wearing skirts at the time. She's amazing. She's amazing.
35:37
What a beautiful compliment.
35:37
I was I was like, I'm down with that.
35:41
And honestly, they all came back running to the bus like, "You'll never guess what's happening." He loves you. He said, "She's amazing. She's amazing."
35:48
Cuz you know, like we go back to that bit in that pub, right? Yeah.
35:49
That fella comes up to me. Starts yapping. Yeah. And doing whatever. Yeah.
35:55
In my head, I would love to be so quick and be like, "Nah, leave him with it." That's what I'm saying. No, leave him with it.
36:03
But you know what I mean?
36:04
you know what I mean? like you always kind of look to again you look to your idols and you want to be them and then as myself I took that I internalized it I used it as fuel and I made it something positive and that was my that's my way of dealing with things you won dude you get to make art it's
36:23
your life you won 100% and every now and then you're going to come across somebody who's going to be have a little bit of Dutch courage couple of pints down and think like watch this but at the end of the day man you can only be yourself I agree and put it into your music and that and and and that is it. And and plus, you know, he should watch
36:36
And and plus, you know, he should watch himself cuz I know you've been boxing.
36:38
I had I had to do it, I think.
36:39
How long can you plank for? Forearm. Fore forearm only. Forearm like this.
36:44
Probably minute and a half, 2 minutes. Come on.
36:46
You can go longer than that.
36:48
I probably can, but I don't. Why?
36:52
I probably can, but I don't. It's the best ever.
36:55
I could go for 20 minutes, but I don't.
36:57
Yeah, I probably could, but I don't. Do you jump rope?
37:01
Yeah, doing I was doing it this morning. Yeah. How long do you do?
37:03
Obviously very low off the ground. Very easy. Very economic.
37:05
What I do is I I walk in at 15 minutes straight away.
37:08
If I stop or if they catch me, I have to do 15 press-ups with me trainer. That's what he says. Oh, that's a good one.
37:13
I just like boxing because it was almost like the closest thing to being on stage. I hate going to the gym. So so annoying.
37:20
It's so performative and it's also so violent.
37:22
It's like pushing a thousand years.
37:25
And it's like boxing is cerebral. It's like dancing.
37:27
And when you get good at it, you feel good.
37:30
Everyone is so respectful.
37:30
You walk into a gym and everyone's like morning like dabs you up and everything like Yeah.
37:37
Because they know you either earned the right or you're going to or you're trying your best or you won't come back or you're just trying your best. You know what I mean?
37:43
And it's brutal and I and I loved it and it was really with boxing only you're going to give up in round 12.
37:49
Only you're going to only you're going to like stop.
37:51
I love that feeling when it's like look I I'm not into pugilism.
37:54
It's I'm not doing it to to to fight. Yeah.
37:56
Yeah, I'm doing it actually for the cerebral benefits cuz my mom has advanced dementia.
38:01
And so my thing is just like, all right, from this point forward, I'm not doing anything that for any well-being that doesn't benefit all of it. I'm not just doing this.
38:12
No, it's got to benefit this. It's all about my head.
38:14
It's literally It's all about my head because it alleviates 30% of anxiety that you wake up with. Just gone.
38:20
Literally like wake up, go boxing, gone. Yeah.
38:24
And it just like kind of so decision making quicker.
38:26
Like when I'm when I'm doing a blood fest lineup cuz I got I've literally got like I sit in a bathroom like got you want to playoom.
38:36
Hey hey hey no take a zero off and literally like someone drops out someone drops out and like right we got to figure this out or like we can't do this or mad things happen.
38:43
I'm like right I need an hour on the bag.
38:45
Do you prefer heavy bag light bag?
38:46
Do you do like the depends?
38:48
I like the light bag cuz you look cooler cuz you make it rattle. You know what I mean?
38:54
The light bag, you're like, "Whoa, he looks like he knows what he's doing."
38:56
Then you get on the heavy bag, you're like knackered in two minutes.
38:58
God, they should push you back against the wall. Yeah, 100%.
38:59
Like he's trying to hook a hook, he's like, but I've started sparring as well, which is funny.
39:05
Like fighting twice a week.
39:05
Do you pivot for your hooks or do you just do you just stay? I keep it short. Yeah, I keep it short.
39:11
They tell you to pivot hard.
39:12
I can't make my hook's rubbish.
39:12
My uppercut's really good. My uppercut's good.
39:15
My hook is the worst part. Terrible.
39:17
I'm like I can't I can't get it over.
39:18
Can't get the elbow up, man. I mean, wrist hurts.
39:21
Every time I smack smack the bag or a pad or something, it's supposed to hurt.
39:25
I know, but like it's a very context. Not that much.
39:27
I'm like, well, you don't want to be saying ow when you punch somebody.
39:30
Kind of gives the game away. Ow. Ow. Stand right there. I'll you up. People like, will you? Huh?
39:39
People like this guy's I kind of feel like you just gave the game away. Yeah.
39:43
If I'm just if I if I'm hitting you and going, "Ah."
39:46
I'd be like, "Who the is this last wrist over here?" 100%. Yeah, I know. My left wrist is shight. You look good, though. Thank you. It's working for you.
39:54
I felt so out of control. Yeah.
39:54
And I just needed to take back some control. Everybody does, mate. Everybody does.
39:59
Everybody listening to this, watching this, walking around in life, constantly is on the precipice of feeling that way.
40:05
It's kind of the great sort of It's the It's the dark comedy of life. It's so dark.
40:08
And then you start to blame everyone.
40:10
You start to blame others and you start to like become negative.
40:11
It's like It's that thing in the coffee shop, isn't it?
40:15
If like someone's a dick in the coffee shop, it's not your fault.
40:19
Someone's probably going through something that bad that they they need to make sense of.
40:22
And that was what this album was.
40:25
It was all about kind of self-relamation and being like, where am I going now?
40:29
And well, change is a really important song. I love that song. Yeah, it's a great song.
40:33
And it's like why you know, why do you never stay the same?
40:37
It's like you don't want things to stay the same, but the idea of change is scary. I agree.
40:40
And I think I think lyrically I was I was really listening to a lot of like Waters and Gilmore, the glory days. Yeah.
40:47
I mean, long before the not so glory days. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly.
40:51
They they they really would question the ideas of life itself.
40:56
I didn't want to sing about necessarily specific things.
41:02
I But you do refer to daggers in your heart. Yeah, 100%.
41:04
What's that reference to?
41:06
I was I was just like it's almost going everything that's ever hurt you, anything that hurts is an interesting medium to explore instead of repel.
41:18
It makes you who you are.
41:21
And I I was like, why is it that at every point in my life when I start to feel comfortable, everything changes again? Why is it like that?
41:31
and and and and I remember saying that to Matty in passing and his eyes went, "What an amazing song idea and going like what we were talking about with Zombie."
41:43
Everything on this album started either at a piano or with a guitar.
41:47
It was never bringing up samples or beats.
41:49
It was like we were not doing on that on this album.
41:50
We were going, "Okay, let me just sit."
41:52
You have to kind of look the universe in the eye and go like, "All right." Yeah. What does it feel like? Yeah.
41:58
what the f how do I want this emotion I'm about to convey to express itself within music and that was on that that that kind of that chorus B section and I really on this song was crying my eyes out when I made it because I had to face myself it sounds like you're so much harder on yourself than than than anyone else like that's that I bet You're a great ex-boyfriend.
42:29
I bet you all your exes still love you. Is that right? I think so.
42:34
I I would like I would like to say I knew it.
42:37
I say my point being that I reckon you're just a good dude, but you something in there is just questioning that every day assessment.
42:44
And I remember like how do you know that I care for disaster?
42:50
Higher the low with the pocket of lies.
42:51
Why it could no longer fold?
42:53
You're fine fighting it all. Yeah.
42:56
And why do you sigh when you're walking?
42:58
I need you with wildfaced desire.
43:00
Cuz I'm already shut in a shattered state.
43:02
And I wish you'd stayed in my life.
43:04
How I know every word that gets shouted and said about you. Nothing ever goes.
43:08
Does that look like a good shot to you? Are you ready, boy?
43:13
And the end of that song, I was when I was singing it, I was crying because everyone's taking a shot, but they haven't hit me yet.
43:27
and remember that I was like it was it was the fundamental part if I didn't call the arm idols I'd call it change you know and it was it was a turn literally it was a turning point in my life through a 30 secondond piece of
43:38
music going like I you are walking with your head down man and I need I need where are you I need your chin up where I need your confidence is that why it's the last song on side one it had to be and then the vocal all the guitar solos and everything. It It was like proggy.
43:59
It's just a moment that that lands side one so beautifully and kind of before we go into the second part of the album like Greatest Parade.
44:10
It kind of m it made it made sense of the idea of the turning point within the album. Damn Dom, we're at time. Thank you.
44:18
Thank you so much for all the support.
44:20
I always love talking to you.
44:22
It's so cool to have friends in every iteration because with all this I I've really realized within my like career I was always trying to like reclaim something.
44:40
Reclaim rock, reclaim rap, reclaim it.
44:44
And I all all I needed to do was really reclaim myself and figure out life can be really beautiful if you want to see it.
44:51
And and this album has really kind of provided me with like a strength and a happiness.
44:57
And I really can't wait for people to discover it because it's not necessarily the album that people would want me to make on paper. How do you know?
45:11
But it's the album that I wanted to make.
45:12
That's all you have to say.
45:12
I hope you love it as much as I do.
45:15
And that's all you can do. Exactly.
45:17
There's all you can do is make what you love, have the courage to release it, and move on.
45:25
And I can tell you it's a adventure. Yeah, man.
45:27
That's why you did it in the first place. Yeah, man.
45:30
It's been the craziest adventure.
45:31
You know, this album is an adventure, but the whole thing is an adventure. That's why you did it.
45:34
And that's what you got introduced to in the Guitar Store when you were a kid. Yeah.
45:37
For better or for worse, man, it's all a adventure. 100%. 100%.
45:40
All right, let's see that hook. [Music]