Northern Youth’s Diverse, Distinctive Sound [free Mp3]

Life-long musician and Orange County native, Luke Messimer, was raised in an atmosphere of highly musical influences. Audiophile parents, along with the local church music scene and persistent jam sessions with friends, all helped shape the guy behind the young project known as Northern Youth (@northyouthmusic). Pulling from artists like Jack White and The Beatles, Northern Youth’s sound is decidedly retro-inspired pop. After being involved in LA’s music scene for some time, Messimer recently decided to relocate to Seattle, which has given him the opportunity to collaborate and seek inspiration in a very different environment.

As of right now, there are two free tracks available on the Northern Youth Bandcamp page. The first track, “Broken Minds”, is upbeat and percussive, reminding me a lot of Arcade Fire with its falsetto and harmonic vocals, instrumental combinations, and emotive builds. The second track “Woods” shows off the folky side of the project, utilizing finger-picked guitars and soft, trembling vocals. These two tracks are promising, as they deliver a quality sound that’s both diverse and distinctive.

An EP (that may actually end up as an LP) is currently in the works and should be released by early summer, followed by a stint of West Coast shows. Messimer says that “traveling is in [his] blood”, so we’ll be on the lookout for Northern Youth on the tour and festival circuit soon.