Trevor Powers is being followed by a security guard.
Reached by phone in Columbus, Ohio, on a recent Friday, Powers, the mind behind Youth Lagoon, had to duck and cover.
In the midst of talking about how his approach has changed between his two previous efforts and the pop experimentation on Savage Hills Ballroom, released last month, a voice suddenly interjects.
“I was just wondering if I could help you with anything,” the guard said.
“I’m just on the phone… thanks dude,” Powers replied.
Powers laughed off the interaction.
“I’m in these tiny black running shorts and this weird leather jacket, so I look like a freak,” he said.
But back to Savage Hills Ballroom. If there’s one standout difference, it’s the immediacy of Powers’ voice — previous albums obscured his vocals behind layers of fuzz.
Beyond that, “I took a while off from writing, Powers said. “I spent about three to four months just at home, clearing my mind and not working much on my music.”
“I started with just a lot of these percussive ideas and programming elements,” Powers said of ‘Again,’ the first song he worked on in the new album. “I think the biggest way that I approached things differently was me having to learn all kinds of new shit, that I had no idea how to do before — like, the programming aspect. I approached it so differently before, where I’d use really easy-to-use beat machines.”
“I had no idea what I was doing,” Powers said. “But that made things feel more fresh to me. I think there’s something to be said about the idea of doing something you’re wrestling with… you’re sort of in this weird realm and struggling with something.”
Youth Lagoon comes to Paradise Rock Club Friday, Oct. 30 with the full live band. What can we expect from a Youth Lagoon live set?
“The live show is much more intense,” Powers said. “I get so bored if I see a band play that sounds just exactly like the album, but it’s just turned up a little bit more. There’s no point in going to shows if that’s the way it is, because I’d rather just stay at home and just listen to a record.”
“It’s taking the album and some of the old songs and taking them to where, they’re much more theatrical and intense,” he continued. “It’s a little more aggressive than people are expecting.”
Powers’ music deals with themes of love, death and everything in between. On “Rotten Human” he critiques himself: “You were the habit that I couldn’t break / Lying awake for 8 hours straight / Human, I am a rotten human.”
Later, amid talk of how odd things always are while the band tours in Columbus (including how the band played the same night as Insane Clown Posse a few years ago; they caught some of the ICP set), Powers discussed what inspires him to make music.
“There’s something about the way that music can communicate that I haven’t found anything else that’s like it,” he said. “Words alone, you can only express so much. There’s an infinite amount of sounds you can make, whereas in the English language there’s only so many words you can say.”
Youth Lagoon is touring in support of Savage Hills Ballroom for the foreseeable future — a European tour and the festival circuit are in the plans. Toronto’s Moon King opens for Youth Lagoon at the Paradise. See current US tour dates below.
Oct 30, 2015 Paradise Rock Club Boston, MA
Oct 31, 2015 Union Transfer Philadelphia, PA
Nov 1, 2015 9:30 Club Washington, DC
Nov 3, 2015 Cat’s Cradle Carrboro, NC
Nov 4, 2015 Terminal West Atlanta, GA
Nov 5, 2015 Mercy Lounge Nashville, TN
Nov 6, 2015 Proud Larry’s Oxford, MS
Nov 7, 2015 One Eyed Jacks New Orleans, LA
Nov 9, 2015 Warehouse Live Houston, TX
Nov 10, 2015 Club Dada Dallas, TX
Nov 11, 2015 Mohawk Austin, TX
Nov 13, 2015 Crescent Ballroom Phoenix, AZ
Nov 14, 2015 Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach, CA
Nov 17, 2015 FONDA THEATRE Los Angeles, CA
Nov 18, 2015 The Fillmore San Francisco, CA
Nov 20, 2015 Neumos Seattle, WA
Nov 21, 2015 Doug Fir Portland, OR