Formed in 2021, London-based duo Tainted Youth return with their latest single ‘Drifting Away’. Infusing pop and liquid drum and bass, this emotionally rich sound and DIY ethos is a testament to Tainted Youth’s hands-on artistry and unwavering authenticity. We caught up with the duo after the release to discuss all things ‘Drifting Away’ and more below.
“Drifting Away” began as a song in 2017. How did the original lyrics hold up after all these years? Did you rewrite anything or keep it as it was?
Kathleen – So we kept almost all of the original lyrics the same, except we changed the last two lines to make the ending of the song a bit different. We wanted the last couple lines to stick with the listeners and felt like having slightly different lyrics would help achieve that! What we did do was change the instrumentation, structure & some of the melody though.
You’ve played some iconic venues already—what’s been the most surreal live moment so far?
Ryan – Every time we play live and people have paid money to see both of us play is surreal to be honest. I think Kathleen would agree with me that playing at the Troxy & our headline show at the 02 academy Islington this past weekend was special. So many amazing artists have played at these venues, so it really makes us feel like we’re doing the right things.
Do you feel like your music is speaking more to the D&B community or the pop/indie crowd—or both?
Kathleen – I think something that we really try to achieve is a balance between those genres. Drum & Bass and Pop inspire us the most and so we incorporate aspects of both, which also allows our music to reach listeners across both genres.
How do you stay emotionally honest in your songwriting without feeling exposed?
Kathleen – Some songs are definitely more personal than others. Some are conceptual and are about experiences that lots of people our age are going through, and then some songs are an opportunity to vent about something that’s going on in my life. Making music is about sharing a part of yourself so I think that feeling a bit exposed is healthy and part of what draws people to you.
What’s your definition of success with this song—not numbers, but on a personal level?
Ryan – We have the same goal every time we release music. It’s going to sound so corny but if the song just makes one person’s day better or it becomes their comfort song then mission achieved. We have been so lucky that people message us from all over the place to say this song really helped me in a certain time and that genuinely is the best feeling ever.
Who do you imagine listening to this song? What kind of headspace do you hope it reaches?
Kathleen -‘drifting away’ is definitely one of those songs that you listen to while you’re on the bus or the train and you’re reflecting on your life. It’s about going through change and evolving, so I feel like it works perfectly to help foster that pensive and introspective state.
If this song were a scene in a film, what would be happening?
Ryan – If I close my eyes and visually picture this song, I feel like it would be 3am on a Sunday morning, raining. Sitting on the top level of the night bus going through central London heading home. Staring out the window watching the world and being reflective.
How has your collaboration as artists changed your individual creative identities?
Kathleen – I definitely feel like we’ve both found this middle ground between how we used to write individually and how we write now. The process itself is quite different but we both try to maintain the essence of our unique styles in order to create something that we feel is a good representation of who we both are as artists. That’s always been really important to us.
What do you want someone to feel after they’ve heard “Drifting Away”?
Kathleen – we want people to feel inspired and empowered to accept change, even when it’s difficult. Change is scary and I think a lot of people go through life trying to avoid it at all costs. This song hopefully can remind people that sometimes change is necessary and can actually bring you to a better and healthier place.
Looking back, what would you tell your 2017 selves now that “Drifting Away” is finally out?
Ryan – A few things actually. Firstly, save all your demos, even if you think they are rubbish at the time. I don’t remember either Kathllen or myself being that excited over this song in 2017. So, save everything & then you can come back to it years later and you might feel very different about it. I’m pretty sure there are songs we both made either individually or together we didn’t save and one of them could have been another drifting away.
