Gang of Youths frontman David Le’aupepe talks love and loss on the band’s freshly minted album The Positions, which chronicles a tumultuous relationship Le’aupepe shared with a woman battling stage four cancer. In this interview, Patrick Muller catches up with the Sydney band’s frontman.
How did you all meet and start the band?
We all met over the course of 10 years at Jesus camp — I began writing and recording by myself and subsequently enlisted these kids to help me out. We stuck it out after that, thus birthing Gang of Youths.
Where does your band name come from?
Honestly, it just sounded abrasive and like something that would never be cool or trendy sounding. I also may have ripped the name off of Gang Of Four. So, I’m really sorry Gang Of Four!
Have you guys thought about when you get old? Will you keep the same name?
[Laughs.] Excellent fucking question, and probably! The members of Sonic Youth are all approaching senior-citizen age and still kicking around, so it’s not too concerning to us.
You played with Montaigne on triple J. How did that come about?
Jess is a close friend and recorded backing vocals for Benevolence Riots and another track which also didn’t make the recording. We thought it would be fun to bring her in because she’s just a fucking angel. I feel like we look consciously for excuses to work with her.
I hear the album took two years to record. Why did it take this amount of time?
Probably because I’m a control freak and a perfectionist and an all round asshole about what I do artistically. My shitshow clusterfuck of a personal life didn’t help either. Max, Joji and Jung were beautiful and kind and patient with me though, which is all you could ever ask of your friends.
How was it working with Kevin McMahon (Frightened Rabbit, Titus Andromicus) and Peter Katis (The National, The Grates)? Can you share any stories or experiences with us?
Macca is like fatherly and warm version of Dr. Gregory House — his genius knows very few limitations and he’s occasionally so deeply involved with what he’s doing that I think he forgets to sleep and whatnot. He was always fixing some piece of broken-ass music equipment or making a smart ass comment about some shit we were doing badly. I love him. He’s my hero.
Your songs have some pretty cool titles. How do you name them and what are they about?
Thanks! I take care in naming songs like one would name a book or a movie. Titles are important. Most of the time they’re implicitly related to the thematic concept of the track, even if it’s only in some abstract and theoretical configuration. Another thing I do is find the word or phrase within the song that captures my imagination the most or rolls off the tongue in the way I find most palatable. They’re all about different facets of my relationship with this woman from the genesis to the breakdown and every thing in between related to our fight against the sickness in her body.
The title of your debut album is The Positions. Where does the name come from and why did you choose?
It’s related to the stages of grief, that old truism where one passes through 5 significant stages in a process of coming to terms with pain. I liked the tragic implications and thought it was a pleasant sounding and all encompassing title. It’s more or less derived from Leonard Cohen’s record Various Positions, which has implied sexual connotations.
Catch Gang of Youths on their national tour:
Friday 15 May – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
Saturday 16 May – Woolly Mammoth, Brisbane
Friday 22 May – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
Sunday 24 May – The Exeter Beer Garden, Adelaide
Friday 29 May – Jimmy’s Den, Perth
Saturday 30 May – Mojo’s Bar, Fremantle
Grab your tickets from gangofyouths.com.
The Positions is out now via Sony Music Australia.
