Yorkshire newcomers Hidden Youth have crafted an engaging sound that toes the line between emo rock and post-hardcore, which they describe as “loud, melodic and emotive.”
The band is formed of “a bunch of dudes that love to play somewhat sentimental melodic punk music” from Leeds, Sheffield and Wakefield. They’ve all played in various projects in the past and started the band in 2023, having various vocalist misfires before finding Jake towards the end of last year.
On the sound they’ve honed since, they told us: “We kind of sit in this space that occupies melodic punk, post-hardcore and mid-90s emo. But we also still like to put our own spin on things and try not to box ourselves in too specifically; otherwise, we believe this can limit the scope of what the band can do.”
Our first taste of this is their debut single Vignette, which was released last month. It opens up with a lively intro of guitar licks and drums, which feed into an opening verse led by Jake’s engaging vocals. The vocals intensify and kick into a big catchy chorus “Beat out the tenderness, Cut cut the nerves that feel it, Cut cut the bruised and bleeding, Hold on to what’s left, Cut cut we’re feeling nothing, Cut cut we’re fearing nothing.”
The second verse features almost shouted vocals answered by lighter retorts before flowing into another chorus. That’s followed by intense shouted vocals, as it goes really emo on us, then drops into more laid-back guitars and vocals “Held on to fear that I don’t want to feel.” Heavier dual vocals set up a big conclusion with a funky little guitar lick in the background.
On the track, the band told us: “It’s just a relief to finally have some music out. After various setbacks with members coming and going, we honestly weren’t sure if the band was going to make it to actually having music out. The reception has been positive, and we’ve been grateful for everyone who has taken the time to check us out, especially at a time when it feels like Spotify and other platforms are entirely saturated with new music.”
The Hidden Youth sound has been influenced by bands like Jawbreaker, Texas is the Reason and Sunny Day Real Estate, but the members share a love for many different types of music. “It’s so hard to pin point the specific reasons why we do what we do,” they told us. “I think if you’re able to create anything that brings you enjoyment from that process, it’s worth perusing as this can bring some element of fulfillment? In terms of themes within the music, Jake’s lyrics are very personal to him, covering issues around previous trauma, sadness and coping with life.”
Vignette is the first of a series of songs that will be periodically released over the next few months to form Hidden Youth’s debut EP. They’ll then be back in the studio to record new music. You can also see the band live at Grindhouse in Leeds on Saturday 20 March, and then at The Eagle Inn in Salford on 9 May and Caroline Street Social Club in Shipley on 24 May.
You can follow Hidden Youth on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.
GigRadar 
Leave a comment