Y Luv
Y Luv is a Los Angeles-based band who released their EP How Chill Can You Let Go in April of this year. The band was formed while the members attended USC, and vocalist Freddy Janney comments, “Sam (lead guitar) and I grew up together but we didn’t really start the band until we got to SC. Marcello and Evan are still in school. Evan’s the youngster. We call him Elvis…why? Because it’s easier to say than Evan.” On their studies, Janney adds, “Luke, Marcello, Elvis and I were music students and Sam studied some nerd stuff. Our music is a reflection of us, so our college experiences definitely have affected the music.” He also remarks that living is the biggest inspiration for Y Luv’s music: “What we enjoy about life I think comes through most because playing in this band is so damn enjoyable. Also, dreams and questioning life. The stuff that doesn’t make sense.” The band’s studies in life and music have paid off, as apparent in How Chill Can You Let Go.
“Marcello and I were having a late night jam session. He started laughing and stopped playing and said, ‘how chill can you let go.’ I loved it. It kind of makes no sense but it kind of makes perfect sense,” Janney remarks about the album’s title. The EP features five extremely catchy songs, with soaring vocals and perfect background harmonies.
Janney’s vocals channel those of Kings of Leon and The Black Keys. A bass driven beat threads through the opening track of How Chill Can You Let Go, entitled “All Night.” The chorus invokes a head bob, if not a little dancing. “Never Touch The Ground” opens with a flood of catchy “oh oh’s,” which continue throughout the song, featuring Janney’s strong, but vulnerable vocals and lyrics. “Feel Sound” opens with an electronic feel by way of electric guitars, backing Janney yet again, as both soar perfectly through the speakers. Harmonies structure the song throughout, and give it the distinct Y Luv sound. “Be Free” conveys the same electronic instrumentation and harmonies as the rest of the EP, but Janney’s vocals seem more raw and emotional in this track. The EP closes with “Super Heavy,” which is everything but super heavy. A light and happy guitar riff introduces the track, and continues in between verses. Toward the end of the song, “Super Heavy” gains a psychedelic feel, which has been noted as one of the genres Y Luv has been placed into. How Chill Can You Let Go ends on a catchy and funky note.
Y Luv released their album as an EP, rather than a full length, because “we had those songs ready and we wanted to get them out, but it’s also that we want to experiment with different kinds of releases and see what works… singles, EP’s, LP’s. There are so many options, so many new methods of release/distribution to explore. We’re releasing two new songs next month, each as its own single. We are still very new so I don’t know if it’s time for an album just yet,” Janney remarks. The Los Angeles rockers may be new to the music scene, but it doesn’t keep them from experimenting to see what works best for their band, something that not very many artists today do.
Y Luv followed their trend of experimentation by releasing How Chill Can You Let Go as a free download, as well as on iTunes for a cost. “People don’t buy music much anymore and especially from new bands. We would much rather have the music be free and heard by as many people as possible. It’s up on iTunes for anyone who feels the need to support us monetarily. That’s okay with us too.” Marketing strategies like this are what set Y Luv apart from many artists trying to make it in the industry.
As far as the future, Janney describes what can be expected from their upcoming shows at The Mint: “We are getting more and more comfortable with our two new songs and integrating them into the set. I’m excited for those new songs to really come together with the old ones and make a great 40 minutes of live music. We don’t hold anything back on stage. It’s Y Luv: Raw.”
Y Luv has a bright future ahead of them as a band, and they are just getting started. “We have these two new songs that will be released in the next couple of weeks and some good LA shows that will take us right up to the end of the year,” Freddy Janney concludes.
Y Luv? Because they’re fresh, fun and funky. Catch them in November at The Mint in Los Angeles, or download How Chill Can You Let Go for free, so you can love Y Luv too.
