From his home studio to social media screens and stages, singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Youngr has amassed a worldwide audience with his viral one-take performances. A blend of original tracks and beloved bootlegs invites listeners to create a dancefloor wherever the music finds them. Youngr discusses his familial musical roots, new album creation, and how the FANTOM synthesizer changed his life.
A Family Affair
You come from a musical family. What was it like growing up watching your dad, Kid Creole, on stage?
It was amazing. It’s the reason why music seems like second nature to me. One of my first memories was being on tour with him. At a festival in Germany, I remember my dad let me play the drums at sound check. I was like, “This is so cool!” I must have been four or five, so music is just ingrained.
After getting started in bands with your brother, what made you strike out on your own as Youngr?
Part of it is having a whole song mapped out in my head. When technology became available to let that happen fluidly, that’s when I jumped on board with Ableton. And when live looping became possible in the laptop world, it felt like a natural progression. I’d always played drums and piano and dabbled in guitar and a little bit of bass, and I already sang and wrote my own tunes. It felt like a natural moment.
It was tough being like, “Hey, bro, I know we’ve been in bands all our lives. See ya.” But he’s still on the road with me. He helps with tour managing, and sometimes he techs because he’s a tech wiz. He’s an amazing DJ. He sometimes warms up with his project LORNÆ before me. So, we’re still very intertwined, and it’s still very much a family affair.
Rogue Underdog
You posted on Instagram recently that you find it hard to call yourself a professional musician; why is that?
Because it’s just music. I go up to my studio and fiddle some knobs and play on the keyboard. I love it so much, and I have so much fun. My girlfriend walks in sometimes, and I’m just dancing. I’ve got a loop going. She can’t hear it in the speakers. It’s all in my headphones. I’m just like this [fist pumping] in my room. And I’m like, “That can’t be a job, can it?” It feels amazing. And then, when someone calls me professional, I don’t like the pressure. I like still being the rogue underdog.
"When someone calls me professional, I don't like the pressure. I like still being the rogue underdog."
Bootleg DNA
Your new album, Let The Music Guide Us, features Red Hot Chili Peppers, Coldplay, Backstreet Boys, and Linkin Park bootlegs. How does your approach to remixing a whole track differ from using stems?
I stopped using stems because my videos kept getting blocked from copyright. It got annoying. I decided I could re-sing or replay the bits I like. So, when doing TikTok, instead of sampling people, I just replayed it.
Chili Peppers, Linkin Park, Coldplay—those songs are about the vocals, and I grew up with them. I was in a Red Hot Chili Peppers covers band when I was 13, so those songs are ingrained in my DNA. I love singing those records, and usually, when I’m doing the remix, I make a quick loop and then see how many different songs I can sing or if I can sing the song over the new loop. Those tracks came together really quickly because I love the originals so much. It felt nice to not use the stem. It felt more like I was putting my stamp on it.
Studio Sounds
You’re known for original real-time music creation videos as well. How has the FANTOM influenced your workflow?
The FANTOM is amazing. That synth literally created the sound of Live From Llamaland Studios, the record before Let The Music Guide Us. I got it during the pandemic. I flew to Manchester to see my mum for Christmas. And the UK left the EU at the same time lockdown happened. Sweden wouldn’t let anyone outside of the EU come back in. And my whole studio, every piece of kit, was in my dad’s house in Sweden. I had nothing but my laptop.
Roland sent me a FANTOM, and it literally changed my life if you want to get dramatic with it. I first went viral on TikTok with the FANTOM. It gave me a second wind as an artist, as we were all struggling during lockdown. I’ll never forget that moment. Just being in my bedroom, making tunes on the FANTOM. And when they introduced the SH-101, JUNO, and JX-8P Model Expansions, it changed the game for me. It’s played a huge part.
"I first went viral on TikTok with the FANTOM. It gave me a second wind as an artist, as we were all struggling during lockdown."
What was it like being locked down without your studio?
It was funny because I was like, “Oh my God, what am I going to do?” But then I realized that limitations can be useful. Having one synth is great. I mean, the FANTOM can basically take over the world. It can do everything. But not having loads of stuff, not having a drum kit or three shakers to choose from—who really needs three shakers, you know? So, it was good having limitations.
What other Roland gear is essential within your studio?
The MX-1 is amazing because I route synths through it, and it’s just quick jamming. You can use the Side Chain. I use a filter on it a lot. It’s a good, handy piece of kit. And it’s light, which is nice.
I’ve been playing with the GAIA 2. Its sounds are really rich. And I’ve just got the Roland Cloud Connect adaptor that plugs in, and you can go on the app and choose different sounds. I was like, “Oh my god, I can change sounds on my phone! This is amazing!” So that’s been fun to play around with.
Going Live
You have an upcoming show at Elsewhere Rooftop in Brooklyn on June 11. How do you balance using prerecorded music and improv to keep things fresh?
It’s been a seven-year-long battle in my head because I want to go out there with a clean slate and just jam. But I know there are songs people know and want to hear. Sometimes, it can take ten minutes to loop the parts to a song. I’ve been toying around with how much I want to jam and how much I want to play the records, and I’ve got a nice balance at the moment.
I see it as a live DJ show, but it’s not deejaying because I still don’t know how. It’s more like playing a few parts of the track, beats, and a few of the chord pads and then adding the fun things on top, like the guitar, obviously the vocals, the drums—the sprinkles.
Because of how quick and amazing my new M2 chip laptop is, I can have loads of different synths. I’ve multi-sampled the Roland SH-101 and some of my favorite sounds into Ableton Racks, and I have them all available now to switch up and choose which kind of bass or pad I want. So halfway through a song, sometimes I keep the vocals and beat going, and I’ll flip the bassline and record a new one and remix the tune as I’m going, which is fun. I always try to get to fluidity, and it feels really fluid at the moment.
"It's like playing a few parts of the track, beats, and a few of the chord pads and then adding the fun things on top, like the guitar, obviously the vocals, the drums—the sprinkles."
How long does it take you to prep for a live performance—online or in person?
The prep is horrific. Day one, you think, “Okay, this could be fun.” Day two’s kind of exciting. And day three, that middle bit, you wonder, “Is this the worst thing I’ve ever done? Should I redo my whole show? Should I do ukulele covers?” A whole world of doubt hits you, and then you get out of that slump and get to the other side. By day five, I’m like, “It’s the best thing in the world!” Rehearsing is a treacherous path.
How do you decide what gear hits the road with you?
Annoyingly, it’s got to be transportable. It comes down to what fits in the bag, baggage allowance, and how expensive bags are. Sometimes, I hire gear, and it doesn’t come as I want it, and I don’t have enough time to load my sounds on. So, I’ve got to a point where I just take the essentials. And it’s got to be easy, quick, and failsafe—something that’s not going to break on me. But every couple of months, I like to get a new piece of gear and change up my headspace.
Let The Music Guide Us
Now that your new album is out in the world, what’s next?
I’m writing the next one. I’ve got a couple of singles lined up already. I’m trying to dig deeper into the sound and what I’m trying to achieve. I feel like this album and Live From Llamaland set me on a new path. It’s like a live DJ vibe, which I’m digging. So, I’m seeing how far I can push that and if I can bring back the element of song and really experiment with rhythms. I’ve been playing some Afrobeat drums, and it’s great. Adding that to an electronic house beat and then adding some filthy, dirty bass on it—it’s fun just experimenting.
