The Spirit Of Competition
M
ALBU EW
REVI
Youngblood Hawke is a wildly creative, fun,
and musical journey of five friends
By Desiree Keegan
Photos Cour tesy of YBH
amed after a Herman Wouk
novel of the same name, the band
was originally formed in Los Angeles
by longtime friends Sam Martin
and Simon Katz, “over a late night
creative musing.”
In an interview with The
Backstage Artist Lounge in Austin
at SXSW 2012, Katz said the novel
is about an artist who moved from
the mountains of Kentucky to the
big city of New York and becomes
a successful writer. “I was just really
inspired by the book and loved the
name,” he said.
The band members, formerly
of Iglu & Hartly, decided that after
two years of touring with their
former band, the scene proved
to be too stressful with the added
commercial pressures. In search of
a new, creative outlet where they
could share their music with family
and friends, Katz’s longtime friend
Tasso Smith moved to Los Angeles
12
from Texas to join the band after
he had heard demos. Simon Katz’s
wife Alice, who was a key part of the
original songwriting sessions, joined
as well to sing harmonies. Finally, to
round out the lineup they recruited
drummer and friend Nik Hughes.
The band released its self-titled
EP on August 14 off Universal
Republic Records, and just in time
for summer’s conclusion. The band’s
single “We Come Running” quickly
b