Source: Promo Image
Blood Youth began life in late 2014 where frontman Kaya Tarsus recalls that “Before the band I was flitting between jobs and countries, searching for something that worked for me”. He was living and working in Spain in a dead-end telemarketing job when he got an unexpected Skype call from Chris Pritchard asking if he “wanted to come back and start a band” which was all the encouragment Kaya needed to come back to Yorkshire to knuckle down and create the band’s debut EP Inside My Head.
Last March saw the bands’ sophomore record Closure come out which helped the band forge their own unique sound and saw them support bands like Silverstein, While She Sleeps, Architects and Beartooth alongside two of their own headline tours. Having played Download, Hevy Festival, Camden Rocks, Butserfest, Ghostfest, 2000 trees, Destruction Derby and Y Not you can’t deny the band are hard working.
The bands’ full-length debut Beyond Repair is out now and to celebrate we had a chat with frontman Kaya to find out more about the emotion behind lyrics and how the band come up with the words behind the tracks.
Mosh: How does the lyric writing process begin for you – Does the music come first, or the lyrics?
Kaya: It’s a bit of both really, usually I’ll just write up a big block of lyrics and then try matching it up to what Chris and Sam have written. Sometimes what I’ve written fits perfectly and then there are times I’ll save it for a different song.
Mosh: Do you collect fragments and ideas when inspiration strikes?
K: 100%, it’s one of the most important things when you’re writing lyrics. I have pages and pages of lyrics in the notes section of my phone from when I’ve just been walking around or even when im just feeling down. It’s useful to write down exactly how you’re feeling, I would say 70% of BY songs are written like this.
Mosh: Is this process always straightforward for you? Have you ever struggled with ‘writer’s block’ or similar?
K: I don’t think I’ve experienced true writer’s block yet, I think it’s all about finding that inspiration and then all of the writing just falls into place. When we were writing Beyond Repair I took a couple weeks off from writing lyrics and then came back with so much to write about. The worst thing you can do is rush or fake a song, all of our writing comes from real life experiences and events, but you have to go through it all first!
Mosh: Do you go back to lyrics you have previously written and edit or refine them, or is it a case of ‘one and done’? Do you collaborate or share lyrics with other band members and take their feedback on board?
K: When I write pages of lyrics they’re always the skeleton or draft of the final outcome. When we’re putting everything together there’s lines and words that are changed to make sure everything flows nicely. Everybody in the band has to approve the lyrics I put forward before anything is finalized or recorded.
Mosh: Are there any bands or artists that have impressed or inspired you lyrically? Do you try and emulate any other lyricists in particular?
K: There’s a few! I think I first attempted to write lyrics was when I first heard RHCP, I loved Anthony Kiedis’ flow and delivery. Eminem was another inspiration when I was growing up, I think when I discovered the Marshall Mathers LP at such a young age my world was turned upside down, the darkest and craziest lyrics I had ever read. When I got into heavier music, bands like Every Time I die and Converge opened my eyes to a completely different way of writing lyrics and they still do today.
Mosh: Do you draw lyrical inspiration from outside of music, such as authors, films or artists?
K: I’ve always been a huge film and literature fan. I’ve always been interested in the darker and more psychological side of writing. When I first started properly reading books I read a lot of Chuck Palahniuk, which I’m sure a lot of people will pick up on after watching our video for Closure.
Mosh: Is there a specific space (mental or physical) where you get ‘in the zone’, or can you write anywhere at any time?
K: 90% of Beyond Repair was written in coffee shops, I’ll have 2/3 coffees and then it all just comes out. Drinking coffee makes me very anxious but for some reason, I write my best lyrics after a couple cups!
Mosh: Do you choose to publish your lyrics or keep them personal? Is it important that fans be able to access lyrical content?
K: I have a few notebooks full of lyrics that nobody will see. In a way, writing lyrics and putting them on a show is like publishing your diary. It was pretty strange at first but I’m okay with it now. I like that people can read them and connect.
Mosh: Can you remember when you began writing lyrics? Was it a conscious choice? Something you drifted into out of necessity?
K: I think I started writing lyrics when I was like 15 years old. I was a very shy and quiet kid so I never had many crazy things to write about, so I just used to write about my favourite tv shows or WWE. Worst songs ever haha!
Mosh: What is your favourite lyric and why?
K: Oh that’s a tough question…
“I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour
But heaven knows I’m miserable now”
…I love The Smiths.
Mosh: What is your favourite lyric that YOU have written?
K: Not necessarily a favourite, but I really like
“Fatal, you’re just another name. You got me so high nothing feels the same”
that’s from Making Waves.
Mosh: Is there anything you actively try and avoid when writing lyrics? Any topics or themes you think are overdone?
K: I don’t think so, I just write what’s going on in my life. We have a few break-up songs, but there are millions of songs about break ups out there, I think it’s all about how you tell your version of things.
Mosh: Is it important to you that lyrics always tell a story or have meaning?
K: Definitely, otherwise there’s no point of putting songs out. I write lyrics because I want to tell people about stuff I’ve gone through and experienced. That’s why it always means so much when fans tell me what a certain song means to them.
Mosh: Does your knowledge of your vocal delivery have any impact on how you write lyrics? Do you write to fit a vocal style, or fit the delivery to the lyrics?
K: All of the melodies come together when we are recording and putting the songs together as a band. But I do tend to write with a rhythm in my head and a general idea of how I think the song will sound in the end. We all sit down together with all of the riffs and lyrics and put it together.
