Young Culture

Young Culture, the three-piece alternative rock band from Albany, NY, is back and ready for summer with their 2021 feel-good EP, Godspeed. After spending nearly every Sunday during the pandemic brainstorming and writing together, childhood friends Alex Magnan (vocals), Gabe Pietrafesa (guitar), and Troy Burchett (guitar) were ready to share the found happiness and love that many people are now being able to experience once again.

The band’s debut self-titled LP released in 2020 was an extremely diverse mix of songs, so the guys decided to base the pop-rock sound of this EP off of the style of music their fans enjoyed the most from their previous album. Offering the group some new perspective, Young Culture took a different creative approach and decided on the artwork and the name Godspeed before they dove into the writing process. “We knew what kind of vibe the artwork and name would have, so we polished off these songs with that in mind,” Gabe reflected. This approach created a cohesive blend of happy songs that are perfect for summer and a great reminder to practice love wherever you go.

Because the pandemic forced them to take a different approach to the recording process as well, the group recorded this EP in a true DIY fashion. After tracking the songs at an old friend’s studio in Albany, they were then passed onto long-time friends of the band, Derek DiScanio of State Champs and Sam Guaiana, to produce, and Gabe’s brother, Tony Pietrafesa, to engineer. It became clear that the connection between the guys grew even greater during those Sunday sessions when it didn’t take long to polish off this group of fun and loving pop rock tracks. “It felt good to be able to see that we can do this on our own and have it come out like this,” Gabe commented.

The EP kicks off with a strong title track, “Godspeed”, which focuses on two star-crossed lovers and the importance of continuously exploring life with the one you love. According to Young Culture, “when writing this song, it just felt so natural. This idea started from the notes app on our phone, and it’s now the first song you hear on our new EP.”

Filled with catchy riffs and feel-good instrumentals, “Hum”, the first single off of Godspeed, touches on how fun it feels to be in love. The lyrics portray a relatable story that alludes to feelings of both a nostalgic past and a hopeful future no matter who the listener is. The remaining tracks continue to bounce off of these feelings of romance and pure joy and will be exciting additions to your favorite summer playlists.

According to Alex, “these 5 songs are just a showcase of what we’ve always been about, solidifying who we are and what we do. I want the listeners to feel the different emotions we’re trying to convey with each track. Each song has something special to offer and I want it to be felt to its fullest.” Young Culture had so much fun making this EP and they are very eager to kick off this summer with some positivity and love for anyone who will listen.