The Dirty Youth Interview - Danni Monroe (Vocals) & Matt Bond (Lead Guitar)

The Dirty Youth are a female-fronted quintet from Wales and they are bringing out pop-rock melodies to the crowds. They recently set out on the Welcome Home tour supporting Heaven’s Basement alongside Glamour of the Kill. I managed to grab a ticket to see them at the Electric Ballroom in Camden and I took this opportunity to sit down with vocalist Danni Monroe and lead guitarist Matt Bond.

TOATM: So The Dirty Youth, how would you describe your music to anyone who hasn’t heard you before?

Matt – “Well our music is really good so I guess everyone should pay attention to us and definitely go buy our record!”

TOATM: I see that you have also been added to the line up for Download Festival this year on Saturday, are you excited for that?

Matt – “This is the third time that we've played it so to be playing the second stage it’s mega exciting – We can’t wait.”

TOATM: Well that’s great to hear. So you’re on the Welcome Home tour which has Heaven’s Basement and Glamour of the Kill on it, it’s a nice celebration of British music therefore. But more specifically what would you like to say you’re bringing to the future of Welsh music?

Danni – “Well we’d like to bring the best pop music ever since Tom Jones haha”

Matt – “It’d be nice to get our music and take it to the next level.”

TOATM: That’s great, I’m sure you will. On another note your bassist Leon (Watkins) has been noted to look a lot like Malfoy from Harry Potter, so on that note if you were going to Hogwarts, what house would you be in and why?

Danni – “Well I’m actually a really big Harry Potter fan and I’ve done the online test *laughter*  and I came out as Gryffindor.”

TOATM – “So only positive attributes and no dark side to you then?”

Danni – “Yeah there’s no dark side to me at all, I’m lovely... all the time.”

TOATM – “What about you Matt?”

Matt – “I don’t watch Harry Potter, It’s not that I don’t like Harry Potter I just don’t watch it.”

TOATM – “Ah that’s a shame – nevermind!”

TOATM: So looking back on your childhood and growing up would you say there are key influences that had an impact on you and would you say you bring any of it into your music?

Danni – “We’ve all got completely different influences, so like I say as a mixture we create our sound, but just massive rock stars like Queen, Foo Fighters.”

TOATM: Recently you released your single “Alive”, so do you have any plans to release an upcoming album or is it going to be another EP?

Danni – “Yeah we’re going to be releasing another full length album and we are going to bring out two singles before the album is coming out, and that’s coming out later this year.

TOATM: Seeing as you’re on a support slot with Heaven’s Basement at the minute, do you have any plans to do a full UK headlining tour of your own after this at all or any other tours?

Danni – “Yep, we’re going to be doing a full length headlining tour later in the year!”

TOATM: Regarding the band’s sound, is there anything you want to bring to music as a whole? Is there anything you haven’t seen in a while that you would like to see a revival of?

Danni – “Well I don’t think there has been a massive rock band since Queen, so to see a new band like Queen would be great.”

Matt -  “I think British female-fronted bands as well you’re not seeing much of them that much nowadays, so it would be cool to take the reins.”

TOATM – “It seems like there is Paramore and The Pretty Reckless doing well as successful current female-fronted bands, so I think you’re right and it’d be good to see you at the fore-front of music.”

TOATM: So regarding your set tonight what can we expect to hear from you tonight?

Danni – “We are going to be demoing about six new tracks from the upcoming album so it’s exciting to be playing them yeah.”

TOATM – “How’s the tour gone so far then with the new tracks and how are they being received?”

Danni – “It’s awesome and we’re getting really good responses from the crowd so it’s great for us!”

Matt – “I also think personally that it is three really good bands and it does seem like a really good show, I mean if I could I’d go and watch it definitely!”

TOATM: “Well thankyou for taking time to talk to me, it’s been great to talk to you tonight, good luck tonight!”

Danni & Matt – “Thanks, you too!”