A 4-piece band from Kansas City, Young Medicine combines power-pop choruses, metal instrumentation, and keytar electronics that wouldn’t be out of place in an 80’s cinema. On bass they have Peter, on drums it’s Michael, on guitar and vocals it’s Josh and on keys and vocals its Brett.
How did you first get into music, who or what turned you on to rock n roll?
Michael: I remember being super young and noticing music in tv shows and video games. My friends in late elementary/early middle school turned me on to “alternative” music.
Bret: Hearing about older acts like ACDC, Guns N Roses, and Metallica from my friends in middle school initially turned my attention towards music, and soundtrack of the video game Need for Speed Most Wanted showed me what modern rock can sound like from bands like Avenged Sevenfold, Bullet for My Valentine, and Mastodon.
Who was your first rock concert, do you have vivid recollection of it and have your parents always approved?
Bret: My first rock concert was Avenged Sevenfold’s City of Evil Tour in 2007, CKY, Bullets and Octane and The Confession were supporting acts. I’m super fortunate that my parents have been supportive of my music goals and always want to help us out when they can.
Michael: My parents took my to see Elton John when I was super young. I have very little memory of that. The first show
I went to after really getting in to music was Green Day, right after American Idiot came out, with MCR opening. It was amazing. My parents have always been extremely supportive, I wouldn’t be able to make music without their constant support.
What was the first music bought with your own money and how did you acquire your first instrument? What is your most prized music collectible?
Bret: The first CD I bought with my own money was ACDC’s Back in Black, and for my 17th birthday my family collectively bought me a huge Yamaha M06 workstation keyboard, it’s probably also my most prized music possession because of the sentimental value. That keyboard is what allowed me to learn how to write and arrange full productions which is now what I do everyday for a living.
Michael: The first album I bought after really getting in to music was Sticks and Stones by New Found Glory. There was definitely a Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys album here and there before that though. My parents got me a guitar to mess around with when I started getting into music.
How did you become singers, bassists, guitarist’s and drummers and who are your main influences?
Michael: I started on guitar when I was pretty young. My friends and I started jamming in middle school. Once high school
hit, I met new people to jam with. My first solidified project was in my freshman year. I was still on guitar at the start of that. The drummer of that band was actually a solid guitarist. I started messing around on the drums and we decided to switch. Rest
is history.
Bret: I’ve always enjoyed singing but it wasn’t until we needed vocals that I started taking it seriously, my main influences are probably Brenden Urie, Davey Havok, and Patrick Stump, I’d be happy to have even a small fraction of their talent.
Do you read reviews of music, film and food and if so how often do they influence what you buy, watch or where you eat?
Bret: I like to check outlets I trust for things I’m excited about like upcoming movies or games, but at the same time I like to experience things on my own first without outside influence so a lot of times I’ll read reviews after I’ve experienced something.
How much has the local scene changed since you started with Young Medicine?
Peter: It’s actually changed a ton, all kinds of rock and metal bands come and go but there doesn’t seem to be too many that sound like us. We can kind of fit in with a bunch, but at the same time it’s hard to fit us on many lineups.
Michael: A lot of bands have come and gone, including the band I was in when I joined YM. It seems like the scene has
shrunk quite a bit, at least in quantity of bands, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing
What’s the best show you have played so far with Young Medicine and why?
Peter: Our album release show was a blast. Tons of people there and we finally got to play some new material. Also it was my birthday.
Michael: That’s a tough one. I definitely enjoyed our album release show a lot. We had great production and it felt great
to finally be able to release our album, along with a lot of new merch. I got to see a lot of friends and fans that I hadn’t seen in a long time. Everything about that show was great.
What kind of gear is bringing us the Young Medicine sound?
Peter: We use a time machine to go back in time and capture the atmosphere in a glass jar, then we open that jar next to a USB drive and plug it into Bret’s laptop so synthy things can happen.
Bret: I use Alesis Vortex Keytar and Sennheiser Microphones, and everything’s hooked up to my trusty macbook!
Michael: Personally I’m using Mapex and SJC shells, DW hardware, Zildjian, Vic Firth, Evans, and a Carmichael throne.
Besides our physical gear, a lot of 80’s synth and 00’s metalcore.
What has been the biggest challenge in keeping a band together?
Michael: Our current line up is pretty solid. We all have our individual roles and put in a lot of time and energy to
keep growing the band. It’s definitely not easy, but is absolutely worth it.
What kind of scams and shady business practices have you encountered and managed to avoid?
Bret: Unfortunately we’ve been prey to many unscrupulous practices, everything from bad contracts to stolen money/gear, cancelled shows, and pretty much any other setback a band can go through. Luckily every single time this happens we always end up much better off on the other side so they’re all good learning experiences for us.
Which of your social media do you like/dislike the most and why?
Bret: We’re strongest on instagram and facebook, twitter has always been a challenge for us to keep up and snapchat is a little harder for bands to utilize from a marketing standpoint. TBH we all miss myspace and we anxiously await it’s glorious return to the top of the social media food chain.
Who living or dead is in your dream 5 piece super group with you?
Belinda Carlisle, Kenny Loggins, and all three members of Bananarama ❤
Whats next for Young Medicine?
We’ll be hitting the road in October, planning on an east coast run and we’ll be working on even more music to release next year!
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