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Question periodThe all-or-nothing attitude of Young Galaxy
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by ERIK LEIJON Nobody ever said love was easy, and there are precious few musical groups in this cynical world who continuously put their hearts on the line like Young Galaxy’s attached-at-the-hip principal songwriters Stephen Ramsay and Catherine McCandless. A lifelong relationship born out of an adulterous affair, the group had it all backwards when they signed with Arts & Crafts and released their eponymous debut without a single show under their belts (save for Ramsay having been the touring guitarist for Stars). Now independent and well-heeled as a live outfit, the group has returned with Invisible Republic, a darker affair that encapsulates the couple’s all-or-nothing approach in life and music. “If we fail, we fail huge,” says Ramsay about releasing Invisible Republic independently. “The scenario for us, because we’ve taken the risks so far to get to this place of independence, is that we feel like we want to take it a step further and show people that we’re not afraid to fail. We’re not afraid of ridicule, and we have to go out there and put it all on the line. “There’s a strong conviction we feel as independent artists. We’re defined by it, and we’re proud of it.” Although their decision to leave Arts & Crafts occurred at the tail end of the recording process, Invisible Republic is loud, anthemic and emotive, clearly the work of a headstrong group that’s broken out of their dreamy, spatial shell. That’s not to say 2007’s insular eponymous disc was a passionless affair, but, as Ramsay put it, it was an accumulation of 10 years of demos and the still-shy McCandless was getting used to singing, both in the studio and on stage. It also didn’t help that the band was cutting their teeth as a live act, learning the trade in front of audiences expecting another immaculate gem at the height of the label and city’s indie rock revolution. “For the first time in our career we’re in a position to manipulate the show a bit, and not just struggle, just seeing if we can do it. We don’t just stand up there in our street clothes looking like we’re just happy to be playing music.” The growth of McCandless as a frontwoman is a key development, to the point where she might assume full-time singing duties in future recordings instead of trading vocals with Ramsay. Although on the band’s first recordings, she couldn’t even sing with her beau in the room, she’s now comfortable with the spotlight and writing songs about their relationship. “They’re not exactly love-song lyrics,” jokes Ramsay. “Well, they are, but they’re intense.” Ramsay’s guitars might crunch a little bit harder and McCandless’s sweet, hint-of-Celtic vocals may feel that much more personal, yet the biggest strides made by Young Galaxy were in better incorporating bassist Stephen Kamp and keyboardist Max Henry into the songwriting process. One would think when a group led by a real-life couple adds two more bodies to the musical bed, it would make things pretty uncomfortable, yet Ramsay thinks the group found the right balance. “I wanted to hear other interpretations on these songs [McCandless and I had written]. We were doing a lot of the writing right from the floor, which was unheard of for this band. We were questioning the songs together, and the questions never stopped coming.” WITH TREASURE HUNT AT IL MOTORE |
