We live in a weird era of music. The stuff on the radio isn't getting much appreciation from it's listeners anymore, and if you're not creating music through a turntable or a Macbook, you're probably not getting the attention that you deserve. In this age where everything seems to be more of a remix of their predecessors work, it's nice to find original songs that cleanse the pallet. With music that is constantly filled with bass drops and Travis Barker remixes, it's refreshing to hear bands like Youngest of Elders getting back to the basics.
Youngest of Elders is the brain child of singer/songwriter Jesse Gale. Based out of Concord, CA, Jesse and his outfit are definitely a group to keep an eye on. By combining simple folk elements with the rich and full style that is known as "dream pop", they are bringing high quality musicianship back to the Bay Area music scene. They have created these very dynamic sounding songs by building off of simple structures, but don't let the word simple deceive you. Simple in their concepts, but their music showcases them in a way that is very powerful and comforting. After listening to just one of their songs, I felt completely consumed by the music, and it came with the reassuring sense that everything was going to be just fine. It's a rare occasion to have a song genuinely make me something deep down inside, but Jesse and the gang seem to have figured out the key to connectivity. Because of their originality and high quality songwriting skills, they are this week's SF Solid Gold's Artist of the Week. I got to talk to Jesse and learn a little more about this group of musicians, enjoy! -JS
What is your name and your role in Youngest of Elders?
"I'm often referred to as Jesse Gale. I write down words, sing the aforementioned words, and make noises with my guitar."
Where are you from/based out of?
"Straight outta Concord, but since most people aren't familiar with that town, let's just say the San Francisco East Bay."
How did the band get created, and what did you hope to achieve by starting this project?
"This project started in of May 2014 when I was going through old songs of mine from the last decade or so that I had never done anything with. I then started reworking them into what I think they should've sounded like back then. After working on about 20 or so songs, I realized that certain ones had a lot in common. So, the plan was to release them as a "concept EP" and/or full length album to try to tell some of my stories. Whether or not people pick up on that is totally up to them."
If you could describe your band in only one word, what word would you use?
"Melodramatic."
When did you start playing music?
"I started playing music back in my single digits with the piano, since my mom wouldn't let me learn drums. Like an average kid, I got bored of that and then wanted to learn guitar at around age 12, which made my guitarist father ecstatic. After a few months of learning and playing, I didn't get bored of it, and I wanted to see what sounds could be made with it. I think around age 17, my good friend Adam started a band called The Catholic Comb, and they were a huge inspiration for me to finally form a band. Soon enough, I got together with my friends Nadair, Eric and Eric's cousin Brian. We started Earth Itself, which was sadly shortly lived. Then again, we were kids that got bored easily."
Who or what band has been your biggest musical influence? Are they still an influence in your playing today?
"Narrowing it down is pretty tough, but Pedro the Lion is probably my main influence day in and out. Lyrically and sonically, I'm constantly in awe of what they've done and what their former front man, David Bazan, continues to do on his own."
What would you say is your favorite song that you have written?
"That would have to be the song "Fiction". A few years back, I was involved with this girl for a couple of years, and the whole relationship made me question the meanings of trust, loyalty, vulnerability, and ultimately, love. I sat down and started with (what is now) the chorus: "I'll believe in you, if you believe in me, let's just wait and see how far we can push the envelope." After that, the rest came pretty naturally with the mindset and mood I was in at the time. The song is about thinking really hard about love: be it platonic, crushes, true love, etc. I think it's the one song that I completely get lost in myself whenever I play it, it's that personal and my most openly vulnerable song. People have told me it's their favorite too because of its lyrics, so that's always reassuring. hahaha"
"I'm often referred to as Jesse Gale. I write down words, sing the aforementioned words, and make noises with my guitar."
Where are you from/based out of?
"Straight outta Concord, but since most people aren't familiar with that town, let's just say the San Francisco East Bay."
How did the band get created, and what did you hope to achieve by starting this project?
"This project started in of May 2014 when I was going through old songs of mine from the last decade or so that I had never done anything with. I then started reworking them into what I think they should've sounded like back then. After working on about 20 or so songs, I realized that certain ones had a lot in common. So, the plan was to release them as a "concept EP" and/or full length album to try to tell some of my stories. Whether or not people pick up on that is totally up to them."
If you could describe your band in only one word, what word would you use?
"Melodramatic."
When did you start playing music?
"I started playing music back in my single digits with the piano, since my mom wouldn't let me learn drums. Like an average kid, I got bored of that and then wanted to learn guitar at around age 12, which made my guitarist father ecstatic. After a few months of learning and playing, I didn't get bored of it, and I wanted to see what sounds could be made with it. I think around age 17, my good friend Adam started a band called The Catholic Comb, and they were a huge inspiration for me to finally form a band. Soon enough, I got together with my friends Nadair, Eric and Eric's cousin Brian. We started Earth Itself, which was sadly shortly lived. Then again, we were kids that got bored easily."
Who or what band has been your biggest musical influence? Are they still an influence in your playing today?
"Narrowing it down is pretty tough, but Pedro the Lion is probably my main influence day in and out. Lyrically and sonically, I'm constantly in awe of what they've done and what their former front man, David Bazan, continues to do on his own."
What would you say is your favorite song that you have written?
"That would have to be the song "Fiction". A few years back, I was involved with this girl for a couple of years, and the whole relationship made me question the meanings of trust, loyalty, vulnerability, and ultimately, love. I sat down and started with (what is now) the chorus: "I'll believe in you, if you believe in me, let's just wait and see how far we can push the envelope." After that, the rest came pretty naturally with the mindset and mood I was in at the time. The song is about thinking really hard about love: be it platonic, crushes, true love, etc. I think it's the one song that I completely get lost in myself whenever I play it, it's that personal and my most openly vulnerable song. People have told me it's their favorite too because of its lyrics, so that's always reassuring. hahaha"
Vulnerable is a perfect word to use when describing the music that Jesse writes through Youngest of Elders. For example, the song "Fiction". This song is what I hope to hear on the radio when I start my car to go to work in the morning. "Fiction" is a great example of the balance of light and dark tones that can be featured in songwriting. It's both light/airy in tone and heavy in how it's composed. The progression of the song is pleasing to the ear and seems very well rehearsed, but that quality of musicianship is present in all of their songs.
Another great display of their simplicity in song writing is their track, "Romance." With vocals that bring to mind the early days of Interpol and back up harmonies that add richness to the overall sound of the song; it is almost ghost like in the sense that it gives me the chills when it hits my eardrums. The entire song is surrounded in layers of softness, and it makes for a very surreal sounding type of experience. The group's dynamic qualities seem to be highlighted on this particular track.
Another great display of their simplicity in song writing is their track, "Romance." With vocals that bring to mind the early days of Interpol and back up harmonies that add richness to the overall sound of the song; it is almost ghost like in the sense that it gives me the chills when it hits my eardrums. The entire song is surrounded in layers of softness, and it makes for a very surreal sounding type of experience. The group's dynamic qualities seem to be highlighted on this particular track.
What's one album you could never get tired of listening to?
"That's gonna have to be Joy Division's "Unknown Pleasures". From the opening drums of "Disorder" to the sound of a window being smashed at the end of "I Remember Nothing", you're under their spell. That entire album became so monumental and influential for so many people. The sounds and words and emotions are all so perfectly crafted within those 10 songs. It's one of the first records I heard that had made me sit down and really listen to it, then start it all over again and again to really soak it in. To this day, there are still things that I'm hearing for the first time that gwere cleverly mixed and thrown into certain parts of songs. Ian Curtis and company will always swoon the hell out of me."
If you could jam with anyone, alive or dead, who would it be?
"Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine. The man's a goddamn guitar sound genius. I probably wouldn't even pick up an instrument if we got to jam. I'd just sit there with my mind blown, watching him do what he can do. If people don't know who he is, those folks have some homework to do."
What would you say is your favorite concert that you have ever attended?
"There's been so many great ones, but it's a toss-up between Mark Kozelek (Red House Painters/Sun Kil Moon) at Great American Music Hall and Slowdive at The Warfield (both in 2014). Amazing performances, company, and memories."
Best band moment, on or off stage:
"Definitely the last gig at Red House in Walnut Creek, when my buddies from BullyWest joined me onstage for the final two songs of my set. It was pretty tight having a full live band for the first time for this project."
Have you ever had an embarrassing moment on stage?
"I'm pretty sure everything I do is embarrassing, but from time to time, I'll forget chords and lyrics. That is almost always devastating to my confidence. I'm glad that now I can laugh it off if it happens."
"That's gonna have to be Joy Division's "Unknown Pleasures". From the opening drums of "Disorder" to the sound of a window being smashed at the end of "I Remember Nothing", you're under their spell. That entire album became so monumental and influential for so many people. The sounds and words and emotions are all so perfectly crafted within those 10 songs. It's one of the first records I heard that had made me sit down and really listen to it, then start it all over again and again to really soak it in. To this day, there are still things that I'm hearing for the first time that gwere cleverly mixed and thrown into certain parts of songs. Ian Curtis and company will always swoon the hell out of me."
If you could jam with anyone, alive or dead, who would it be?
"Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine. The man's a goddamn guitar sound genius. I probably wouldn't even pick up an instrument if we got to jam. I'd just sit there with my mind blown, watching him do what he can do. If people don't know who he is, those folks have some homework to do."
What would you say is your favorite concert that you have ever attended?
"There's been so many great ones, but it's a toss-up between Mark Kozelek (Red House Painters/Sun Kil Moon) at Great American Music Hall and Slowdive at The Warfield (both in 2014). Amazing performances, company, and memories."
Best band moment, on or off stage:
"Definitely the last gig at Red House in Walnut Creek, when my buddies from BullyWest joined me onstage for the final two songs of my set. It was pretty tight having a full live band for the first time for this project."
Have you ever had an embarrassing moment on stage?
"I'm pretty sure everything I do is embarrassing, but from time to time, I'll forget chords and lyrics. That is almost always devastating to my confidence. I'm glad that now I can laugh it off if it happens."
Where do you see yourself 2 years from now, and where do you see yourself in 5 years?
"I'm working on a new EP that'll be out in mid-June, followed by a northwest tour around the same time. In 2 years, I'm planning on another EP or two and also a full length album. A solidified full band would be nice too. In 5 years, it'd be amazing if I were to be signed by an indie label to help with tours, merchandise and other future releases, but I'm not worried about it. As long as I'm still making music and someone wants to listen to it, I'll be happy."
Who are some bands that you play around your area with?
"I've always been a huge supporter of the local scene. I'm friends with a fair amount of the people in those bands. I've had the pleasure of sharing the stage with only a few of them, but that would be BullyWest, The Iron Heart, Electric Strawberry, Highway Hymns, Overland, Well Secluded, Wild Imaginaries, Kelley Stoltz, Books on Fate, Mall Walk, Mama Foxxy, The Bilinda Butchers, YesterYear, IV Orpheus, Surviving the Era, The Soonest, WARM (from Orange County, NJ). Would love to do shows, either again or for the first time with that lot."
Where can people go to follow your progress and find your music?
We're on most of those "social" things.
Facebook.com/youngestofelders
Music: youngestofelders.bandcamp.com
Twitter: @youngestelders
Instagram: @youngestofelders
Anything else you would like to say before you go?
"A huge thanks to my mom, sister, hypothetical future wife and kids, and all of my friends for putting up with me for this long. Huge thanks to SF Solid Gold for taking the time to do this! Last but not least, an endless thank you to all of the people listening to the music and coming out to the shows."
Absolutely, you are always welcome here at SF Solid Gold. That just about wraps things up here, but before you go, I've got one last question for you. If you could have written any song in history, which song would you choose?
"Definitely "Bread and Butter" by The Newbeats."
Thank you for reading! If you like what you saw, check us out every week for a different artist review. If you'd like to be featured as one of SF Solid Gold's Artists of the Week, please go to the contact page and submit your work that you would like reviewed. Cheers!
Written By: Jacob D. Schmidt