Words By: Brianna Vacca

Arrested Youth — Ian Johnson’s moniker and YUNGBLUD’s former tour-mate — is native to Hudson, New York. He was born in the mountainous state, then raised in Louisville, Kentucky, learned some lessons in Los Angeles, and made his way back to Hudson. His ability to blend rock, pop, and hip hop offerings allow him to remain distinctive with a leg up in the game which is incomparably exemplified in his newest single “Ego.”

Produced by Goldfinger’s John Feldmann and exclusively written by Johnson, “Ego” wrestles the hostility against dating in a social media-dominated world. It possesses a pop underbite, laced with a contemporary alternative-punk style that boasts the song’s illustrative storytelling.

We got the chance to chat with Arrested Youth about his latest single, his upcoming record and plans for the future!

Play Too Much: Thank you so much for joining us! For anybody who is unfamiliar with your work, what are a few words that you would use to describe your sound?

Arrested Youth: I typically like to describe my sound in four words. Really, really, really… bad. All jokes aside, my music is fairly eclectic when it comes to sonic inspiration. Musically, it pulls from rock, hip-hop, pop, and singer-songwriter genres. The production is mix of programmed and live instrumentation. The songwriting leans on pop-forward song structures, but keeps the listener on their toes with introspective lyrics and varying vocal styles (singing, rapping, spoken-word, etc.).

PTM: You began writing freestyle raps and lyrics at a young age, what types of themes and stories were you interested in and how has your lyrical content matured since your teenage years?

AY: Back then it was all the classic teenage rap lyrics you might suspect. We’d freestyle about being cool, parties, relationships… nothing my parents would have wanted to know about (ha-ha). But when I would go home and write lyrics on my own, I was always trying to tell a real story, even back then. My songwriting has definitely matured over the years, as I experience more and continue to reflect on who I am and where I’m at in my life. Even the songs I’ve been writing since finishing NONFICTION are completely different. They have an edge of maturity, both lyrically and sonically, that this album does not. My goal as a songwriter is similar to my goal as a person — to always grow and develop. 

PTM: Congrats on the release of “Ego”! Can you take me through your songwriting process for this track? How did you combine your personal narratives when writing this track?

AY: Thanks a lot. This song came pretty naturally. I wrote it in my home studio with a good friend of mine, Sean Van Fleet, who’s a great guy and awesome songwriter. We were messing around on the acoustic guitar. We both like nostalgic, story-telling records. He started playing the chord progression you hear in the song, and the melody wrote itself. We had a cool idea going, but there were some parts that still didn’t make sense, mainly lyrically. So that night when Sean left, I sat down and kept tweaking it. I was alone in my studio – that’s when I wrote the final chorus line, “I’ll die alone masturbating in my home.” I had been working on music nonstop since moving to LA and had no social life at that point – intimacy included (ha–ha). This song was incredibly honest for the time that I wrote it. 

PTM: The fact that you find hooking up over the internet to feel morally wrong is very commendable since it’s off-brand for essentially dating in the modern digital world. Did you feel like you almost had to try to be accepting of such love since it seems like that’s what everybody else is doing?

AY: To ensure I’m not on my high-horse, it’s important to state that I used these apps for the same purpose. So, I can’t preach (ha-ha). But yeah, I definitely realized after a few months that this was not the route I wanted to take in my personal life with finding and forming a real relationship. It started to reflect on my own morale and made me question who I was and where I was at in my life. And no, I didn’t feel the pressure in that sense, I think I was just seeking human connection at the time — like most people on those apps. 

PTM: Did you actually meet a girl at a coffee shop who was more invested in taking pictures of her latte for social media that you met via Twitter?

AY: Great question. It wasn’t over Twitter, but I did meet a girl like this. It was really bad. It was a first date, and I was living in LA at the time. The barista placed her latté on the table, and she spent about five minutes taking multiple photos, then texting them to her friend. In that moment, I knew there would not be a second date (ha-ha). 

PTM: Personally, we love in the second verse, “Well, I don’t really use my heart much I use my hand more – in the worst way.” What is your favorite lyric from “Ego?” 

AY: Ha! Yeah that’s a pretty absurd yet funny lyric. I personally enjoy the lyric, “We ended up getting some coffee at this dump down the street.” It paints this vivid picture in my head of that terrible first date I told you about, and it makes me laugh every time.

PTM: You are able to infuse a number of different influences all into one while perfectly interlacing your personal narrative into it. Do you draw more heavily from one influence than the other? 

AY: That’s another great question. On NONFICTION, my songwriting approach was pretty straightforward. I relied on my influence in hip-hop to tell my story throughout the verses. That’s where I’d establish the setting, storyline, emotional state, etc. of the song. Then I’d change over to my rock / pop skillsets to create memorable, easy-to-sing-all-with chorus and pre-chorus melodies. I like how the genres balance each other out on the record. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I do think it gives the album its own sound and style. 

PTM: How excited are you to release your debut album Nonfiction? Can you take me through the album’s developmental process?

AY: I’m incredibly excited. It’s been a long-time coming. I actually finished writing this album almost a year ago to-date. So, it’s been here with me for a while. That’s been both good and bad for me. It’s been good because I’ve got to spend a lot of time with these songs. These days as artists, we release things so quickly, we don’t even get a chance to make peace with our own music before we put it out there for everyone to listen. So, I’ve enjoyed having the extra time in that sense. But it’s also been tough, because I’m always writing new music. I’ve been working on a follow-up album, and that album lives in such a different sonic world than this one. So, I’m having to learn how to live between two different worlds of music at once. 

PTM: Can you tell us about some of the album’s collaborators such as Blink 182’s Mark Hoppus and producer John Feldman? How did that come about? What can fans expect from this collaboration? 

AY: Ironically, John and I met over coffee as well. However, he didn’t take a photo of his latté, so I decided it was safe to work with him. John and I formed a great relationship, and I wrote the entirety of this album (besides a few select songs including “Ego” and “Leave My Casket Open…”) at his studio. The developmental process had a nice flow to it. I would write the songs, while John produced-out the music in real-time. We both knew our strong suits and had a strong understanding of what we were both bringing to the table. This made the creative process pretty seamless, especially from a demo standpoint. Determining the final sonic state of each song was a much more drawn-out, time consuming process that occurred later on.

As for Mark Hoppus, John sent him the song “Find My Own Way” and he really enjoyed it. He wanted to be a part of it. The only issue was COVID was at its peak, and I was living in Texas at the time. Mark, John, and I hopped on a Zoom call and wrote Mark’s verse from our own studios. Mark recorded it from his home studio. It was such a quick and easygoing process. The next day we had a finished record. 

PTM: What are a few words you would use to describe the album’s aesthetic? Is there an overall message you’re hoping fans walk away with? 

AY: NONFICTION has two sonic chapters to it. Songs 1-7 are brighter, more nostalgic records that touch on more youthful subject matter. The second half (songs 8-15) are darker, more thoughtful records that focus on building a stronger sense-of-self. My goal was to write honest, introspective lyrics that I knew would relate to the listener. I wanted this album to be a friend to others. Hopefully I accomplish my goal, because I think the relatability of this album can help a lot of people. But I also had a second goal when writing this album. I didn’t want to buy into this sad, depressive, self-loathing attitude that so many artists are selling these days. I wanted the album to have a positive message and tone overall. I hope my listeners understand my intent when listening to the record. 

PTM: Thank you so much for your time today! It’s been a pleasure. Is there anything else you would like to add before we go? 

AY: Of course! Likewise. These questions were thoughtfully written, and I appreciate you all taking the time to ask them. I don’t have much more to add, but if you’re reading this interview and you’re new to my music, feel free to reach out. I always enjoy talking to people who relate to the songs I write.

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