Young Drug is an Indie Rock band made up of three members —Jane Dan, Simon Liu, and Guo Weilun—all who come from Qinzhou, a small city in China. Though their music mainly revolves around the presence of guitar riffs and simple instruments, the band plays around with other various beats and genres, such as retro disco and punk rock.
When working on their music, the members explore various sounds and lyrics that embody their own personal sentiments and experiences of that moment in time. They welcome the freedom to do so without being restricted down to standards that appeal to large, mainstream audiences. This band takes pride in their process of creating authentic and unconventional music.
Group member Jane Dan voices out this humble concept:
“We live in a small border town, and then the influence of the city on us is not great. Our main source of creation comes from the people and things around us, as well as some phenomena and some feelings in our hearts.”
The band formed at the end of 2016 after each member decided to stray from their string of various jobs. Jane Dan and Weilen specifically worked as officers before the formation of the band which is very surprising considering how intense their music is compared to the stringent lifestyle of policemen. Although policemen are considered more reserved, this band is anything but traditional. Both the drummer and bassist even brandish tattoos to commemorate their time on the force with Jane Dan having an armband graphic tattoo and Weilen having a tattoo that reads “Democracy Wealth and Power”. With their magnetic voices and zeal, the band was able to take off and spread across southeastern China through word of mouth.
Over time, the band members have formed several different nicknames for each other like Simon being called the “Dance King of Guangxi Rock” because of his unique dance style or Weilen being called “Little Devil”. Overall, these nicknames are suitable as it reflects the band’s lifestyle of going out to drink with their fans after shows. They love to truly connect with their followers on an intimate level with Weilen even showing off his 5-second bottle blowing trick. These three possess wild, funny personalities that are bound to draw large audiences.
When it comes to the feel of their music, the members discuss how their music can come off “overwhelming” and unconventional to new listeners. To slowly immerse potential listeners, the members recommend starting with their song “Emily” as it holds a much sweeter sound than their other songs. Looking towards the future of the second half of this year, the band members share their unique aspirations:
Jane Dan: “I hope I can make the band better”
Simon Liu: “Tour and laugh”
Guo Weilun: “Let's go on tour, I prefer the feeling of walking on the road”
So far the band has started this quest to widen their influence in a ten city tour in cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu!
Commenti