Poor Young Things guitarist and vocalist Matt Fratpietro interview. Talks about the latest EP Force Of Nature and more. Poor Young Things are a rock band from Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Poor Young Things Interview
– What’s new in the world of Poor Young Things?
Well we were in New York for a little while, recording with Gus Van Go. Those sessions yielded a nice round 6 song EP called ‘Force Of Nature’. That hit the shelves on October 9th and now we are on tour across Canada with The Glorious Sons and Northcote for a month and a half. Got to keep busy, you know?
– How was it recording your EP Force Of Nature?
It was awesome! Three weeks in Brooklyn? Come on. Gus and his partner, Werner, really helped us expand our sound. They have a great ear for the nuances in songs that you wouldn’t even think about. Plus they love dumplings, and we love dumplings, so it was a match made in dumplings.
– When writing a song, is there such a thing as investing too much time?
What’s the shortest time you ever took to write one? What was your strangest inspiration? As much as you want to write that perfect song, at some point point you just have to let it go and see what happens. If you don’t, you end up with Chinese Democracy. Art’s subjective anyway. Sometimes you won’t know what a song is really about until you see what it means to someone else.
– Vinyl is making a comeback. Do you have a personal preference? Is your band producing on vinyl?
Listening to vinyl is an experience unto itself. You get that warm sound that’s a little rough around the edges. It’s a little humanity in a world that now expects perfection. We put out a vinyl 7 inch a few years ago, and we definitely hope to get some new stuff pressed up.
– Could you describe some of your earliest influences in life and in music?
I was and am a huge Beach Boys fan. The arrangements and the harmonies are unparalleled. You can see their footprint in stuff like Weezer’s Blue Album. I was pretty much into whatever my older brother’s were listening to at the time
– How important are music videos in the industry today? How do they compare to videos from 20 years ago?
Videos are still a nice addition to the music. Anything you can show to your fans is a plus. These days, with all the advances in technology, you can do so much more with so much less. It’s works out well for indie bands that don’t have those major label budgets. It also allows artists to break from the music video conventions of old and get a little weirder and more interesting.
– Making videos must be a lot of work and still fun to do. How do you look at it?
If you’re working with the right people, it should always be fun.
– Without social media could bands today manage to survive?
I’m sure they could, but every little bit helps. Being able to talk to your fans directly at any time is amazing, and it allows them to get a deeper look at the band personality.
– In your opinion, which album would be essential to have if someone were stranded on a deserted island?
Who’s Next by the Who. You wouldn’t be able to play it, but you could smash it and use the pieces to hunt a boar.
– Any words of wisdom to share with aspiring artists?
Do your thing and don’t be afraid of criticism. And get out there and play in front of people. No one is going to see you in your parents’ basement.