Gang of Youths

Gang of Youths is a five piece indie rock band whose music draws quite a bit of inspiration from the '90s alt-rock scene. They are led by singer-guitarist David Le’aupepe, who sounds somewhere between a more relaxed Matt Berninger (of The National) and a younger Bono (of U2). In fact, the influence of the latter band, especially its Joshua Tree period, is fairly apparent in the band's instrumentation and flow. Their songs usually have a strong propulsive drive, rousing choruses, but the overall angst is fairly turned down in favor of a triumphant tone. Even in songs that chronicle some grueling and painful episodes in their lives, their songs come with an unmistakable spiritual uplift, a sense of hope pushing through the darkness.