The Brazen Youth come from a small town in Connecticut known as Lyme, where they create atmospheric sounds that make you feel nostalgic for another time. The band consists of Nicholas Lussier, Charles Dahlke, and Micah Rubin, and we have an exclusive interview with them below!
Can you introduce yourselves?
Nicholas: Hey, I’m Nicholas. I like art. I write, sing, play guitar, play banjo, and help produce The Brazen Youth.
Micah: My name is Micah Rubin. I am from Middlebury, Vermont. I am 18 years old and have two cats. I am the drummer for The Brazen Youth. I love people.
Charlie: I’m Charlie, I like sound & mycology. I play keys, produce, sing, and write for The Brazen Youth.
Let’s talk about your LP "The Ever Dying Bristlecone Man": Where did you get the idea for the LP name?
Charlie: In the beginning stages of the album, Nick and I were drawing a lot of influence from the wild and alliterative titles from Modest Mouse records. I remember Nick proposing an idea about calling it “The Ever Living” something. I think soon after that I learned about the bristlecone tree (this one desert tree that lives for a long ass time) and pitched the idea that it was the ever dying bristlecone man. Most of the writing and arranging of the album was done once we titled it. Having the name really centralized our creative ideas.
My personal favorite off the LP is “Cry for the Aliens,” what are your favorites and why?
Micah: I personally love “Let Us Be Alone Again” and all the parts of “You’ll Be Forever Nameless” because of the substance of the songs as well as the production. In terms of “Let Us Be Alone Again” I really enjoyed the spoken word part.
Charlie: I really don’t have a favorite overall. I look back on some and think, “damn, that guitar is so out of phase,” or “I hate these lyrics & myself for writing them,” so i certainly know which parts of the album are my least favorite. I really just view the album as one cohesive project overall.
Nicholas: Although it’s often difficult, I try to distinguish the songs I write from the songs of other artists that I listen to. I hear so many incredible ideas in other people’s music that I think if I were to view my own art with the same perspective, I’d probably lack the ability to derive music from my own thoughts.
What are you guys working on right now?
Charlie: New tours, another album, new videos, maybe a poetry collection ? We’re all very busy!
Nicholas: We’ve all got our own individual ambitions that we’re trying to conquer. We all write: Micah’s bringing himself to light as a film-scorer, Charlie and I write poetry. I think that each of us contribute these interests to The Brazen Youth. We’re currently pooling our ideas together and working on our sophomore LP. We’ve got some concepts swimming around that have taken hold of all of us.
Going into making new music, do you have the same mindset as you did when creating The Ever Dying Bristlecone Man?
Nicholas: Different thoughts, different mindset. However, we still follow the same ideology which values collectivity -- and the value of individual occupancy in collectivity.
Is there anything outside of music that contributes to your musicality or helps fuel your creative outlet?
Micah: For me it’s the relationships I have with others, my natural surroundings and just simply how I am feeling that day. If we are playing live and I was angry for some reason I would play a little more angrily, maybe.
Charlie: The farm as of right now
Nicholas: Nature. Especially when it reminds me that I am insignificant, yet simultaneously necessary and important -- as all living things are.
I always find it interesting to hear what music the bands I interview are listening to, and there has been so many great releases this year - do you have any favorite songs or albums?
Micah: We are really into Big Thief. I feel like I could speak for everyone here. To be honest though… personally… a lot of the bands I listen to now have been shown to me by Nick and Charlie. For example, The Districts, Whitney and Foxygen. Who I love now.
Charlie: (sorta) in order:
Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.
Father John Misty - Pure Comedy
Tyler The Creator - Flower Boy
Big Thief - Capacity
Foxygen - Hang
The District's - Popular Manipulations
LittleBoyBigHeadOnBike - God Damn Wonderland
Vulfpeck - Mr. Finish Line
Mac Demarco - This Old Dog
Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked at Me
Nicholas: I spent large quantities of time this year listening to older music, trying to find the influences of those who influence me. Joep Beving and Big Thief both had outstanding releases this year though.
If you guys weren’t musicians, what would you be doing?
Micah: I honestly have no idea. My mom thought I was going to be a ballet dancer though. Maybe I would be interested in doing something with film.
Nicholas: I don’t know what I’d be doing but I’d definitely be really sad.
Charlie: Mushroom farmer
Do you have any upcoming shows?
Charlie: tour announcement soon.. going a little further west this time
Where can people find you on social media?
Charlie: I mean we do a lil tweeting, a lil gramming, a lil booking. We’re pretty easy to find if you look our name up.
Nicholas: Email me, let’s be penpals: Nicholasjlussier@gmail.com
Micah: ..f..fax?
photo by Gabe Kolbert
I always do a lighting round of questions at the end of my interviews, so if you’re up for it, here it is!
Cats or dogs?
Micah: Cats
Charlie: cats s/o to crusty, dusty, and every other feline coming through Ashlawn farm.
Nicholas: I process them equally.
Coffee or tea?
Micah: Maple Latte?
Charlie: black coffee or bust
Nicholas: It depends on where I am / how I am.
Winter or summer?
Micah: Summer
Charlie: I like being really cold when I sleep
Nicholas: winter!!! :)
Cake or pie?
Micah: Cake
What is something you could eat for a week straight?
Micah: Avocado
Nicholas: Tomato Soup :)
Charlie: Micah & Nick
Favorite ice cream flavor?
Micah: plain chocolate
Charlie: Maple Walnut
Nicholas: Mint, because it’s a nice substitute for toothpaste.
Pineapple on pizza?
Micah: Yes
Charlie: Is it still 2016
Nicholas: Shoot, I still need to try that.
photo by Gabe Kolbert
photo by Sophia Minello