Youth Lagoon Announces New Album 'Rarely Do I Dream' With Lead Single Speed Freak
Thursday, 09 January 2025
Written by Jon Stickler
Photo: Tyler T. Williams
Youth Lagoon, the musical project from Trevor Powers, has announced a new album.
The Idaho-based producer and songwriter will release 'Rarely Do I Dream' on February 21 via Fat Possum, following up 2023's 'Heaven Is a Junkyard', his first record after an eight-year hiatus. Recorded with co-producer, mixer and engineer Rodaidh McDonald, the LP stems from Powers viewing a series of VHS tapes documenting his childhood, found at his family home in 2023.
"When I took the tapes home and popped in the first one, it was my brother Bobby and I at the state fair. I was 4 years old choking on a corn dog,” he laughed. “If anything’s a summary of life, that is."
"What I was really consumed with was how much I could zoom in on my actual history," he continued. "I wanted to really make someone feel like they were inside my living room in 1993, but rearrange the furniture a bit. Something about combining that level of hyperreality with fairytales of devils and detectives weirdly felt like the truest way to immortalize these pieces of my family."
"The more I rewind the tapes of my life, the more I can hear the voice of my soul,” Powers added. “This isn’t nostalgia. Life’s much more messy than that. It’s a dedication to all the parts of who I was, who I am, and who I’m going to be."
The new album is previewed by the single Speed Freak, which is built around a dark, distorted synth bassline, and comes with a video directed by Powers' longtime collaborator Tyler T. Williams. Powers said:
"This song came from a thought I had of giving the angel of death a hug. We spend our whole lives running from this thing we can’t outrun. This body is temporary, but there is no death. Only transformation. A door opens when you learn to let go of the identity you’ve been building your whole life. Someone told me a couple years ago, ‘I have good news for you and I have bad news. The bad news is Trevor is doomed. There’s no hope for Trevor. The good news is — you’re not Trevor.’ When I heard that, it clicked."
The song follows his 2024 singles Football, Lucy Takes a Picture, and My Beautiful Girl, all of which feature on the new record.
Youth Lagoon will tour North American this spring. Tickets go on general sale at 10am on Friday (January 10). Get details here.
'Rarely Do I Dream' tracklist:
1. Neighborhood Scene
2. Speed Freak
3. Football
4. Gumshoe (Dracula From Arkansas)
5. Seersucker
6. Lucy Takes a Picture
7. Perfect World
8. My Beautiful Girl
9. Canary
10. Parking Lot
11. Saturday Cowboy Matinee
12. Home Movies (1989-1993)
Youth Lagoon Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows
Thu March 27 2025 - SPOKANE - District Bar - WA (USA)
Thu April 03 2025 - PORTLAND Oregon - Aladdin Theater (USA)
Tue April 08 2025 - SAN FRANCISCO California - August Hall (USA)
Wed April 09 2025 - LOS ANGELES California - Regent Theater (USA)
Fri April 11 2025 - TUCSON Arizona - Club Congress (USA)
Sat April 12 2025 - ALBUQUERQUE New Mexico - Launchpad (USA)
Mon April 14 2025 - SAN ANTONIO Texas - Paper Tiger (USA)
Tue April 15 2025 - AUSTIN Texas - Mohawk - Austin (USA)
Wed April 16 2025 - DALLAS - Deep Ellum Art Company (USA)
Sat April 19 2025 - ATLANTA Georgia - Masquerade - Altar (USA)
Sun April 20 2025 - CHAPEL HILL North Carolina - Local 506 (USA)
Mon April 21 2025 - WASHINGTON District of Columbia - Atlantis (USA)
Tue April 22 2025 - PHILADELPHIA Pennsylvania - Foundry (USA)
Thu April 24 2025 - BROOKLYN New York - Warsaw (USA)
Fri April 25 2025 - JERSEY CITY - White Eagle Hall (USA)
Sat April 26 2025 - HAMDEN - Space Ballroom Hamden (USA)
Sun April 27 2025 - CAMBRIDGE - Middle East Downstairs (USA)
Thu May 01 2025 - TORONTO Ontario - Axis Club (formerly known as Mod Club) (Canada)
Mon May 05 2025 - INDIANAPOLIS - Hi Fi (USA)
Wed May 07 2025 - CHICAGO Illinois - Outset (USA)
Thu May 08 2025 - MILWAUKEE Wisconsin - Vivarium (USA)
Fri May 09 2025 - MADISON Wisconsin - High Noon Saloon (USA)
Sat May 10 2025 - SAINT PAUL Minnesota - Turf Club (USA)
Tue May 13 2025 - LAWRENCE Kansas - Bottleneck (USA)
Thu May 15 2025 - DENVER Colorado - Marquis (USA)
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