Electric Youth is a Canadian synth-pop duo from Toronto, Ontario[1] consisting of Bronwyn Griffin (vocals, songwriter) and Austin Garrick (producer, songwriter, synthesizer, drums).

Electric Youth
Bronwyn Griffin, November 2014
Bronwyn Griffin, November 2014
Background information
OriginToronto, Ontario, Canada
GenresSynth-pop
Years active2008–present
Labels
MembersAustin Garrick
Bronwyn Griffin

Career

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Garrick and Griffin have been dating since grade 8.[2] Their initial breakthrough came in 2011 when their song "A Real Hero", created in association with College, was prominently featured in the movie Drive.[3][4] The song was written by Garrick, in part about Chesley Sullenberger and the crash landing of Flight 1549.[5] "A Real Hero" was nominated for a 2012 MTV Movie Award in the category of "Best Music".[6]

Spin magazine named "A Real Hero" one of the 20 Best Songs of 2011.[7]

Contrary to some reports in the press, the group did not name themselves after Electric Youth, the 1989 album by pop singer Debbie Gibson.[8] Garrick explained to Rolling Stone magazine about the group's sound:

The thought of recreating the past with music is not interesting to us, it's probably been the biggest misconception of our music and what we're about thus far. The reality is, we're much more interested in creating things for the future than things from the past. We are nostalgic people, not in the sense that we long for a different time, because we love the present, but how could we not be reminded of the past when every day, we see the person we had a crush on since 7th grade?[2]

In late 2013 Electric Youth signed with Last Gang Records and Secretly Canadian.[9] On September 30, 2014, the band released their debut album "Innerworld" through Last Gang Records in Canada and Secretly Canadian in the rest of the world, debuting at #13 on the Billboard Top Dance Electronic Albums chart.[10] "Innerworld" was produced by Electric Youth. Vince Clarke (Erasure/Yazoo/Depeche Mode) and Peter Mayes (PNAU/Empire of the Sun) provided additional production, and the album was mixed by Mayes. "Innerworld" includes previously released tracks 'The Best Thing' and 'A Real Hero (feat College)'[11] It received wide critical acclaim including NME[12] and NPR First Listen.[13]

Rolling Stone declared Electric Youth one of the Ten Artists You Need To Know in 2014.[2]

Electric Youth carried out their first headlining tour across the US and Canada in November, 2014.[14]

In 2019 Electric Youth released their second studio album “Memory Emotion”, receiving a Juno Award nomination for Electronic Album of the Year.[15]

Discography

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Studio albums

  • Innerworld (2014) (Secretly Canadian/Last Gang)
  • Breathing (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack from a Lost Film) (2017) (Milan)[16]
  • Memory Emotion (2019) (Watts Arcade Inc./Last Gang)
  • Come True (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2021) (Sony Music)

Singles/EPs

  • Runaway (2014) (Secretly Canadian/Last Gang)
  • A Real Hero with College (2012) (Watts Arcade)
  • Right Back to You (2011) (Watts Arcade)

References

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  1. ^ "Electric Youth on CBC Music - Free Streaming Radio, Videos, Songs, Concerts & Playlists". music.cbc.ca. Archived from the original on 2014-08-26. Retrieved 2014-08-24.
  2. ^ a b c "10 Artists You Need To Know". rollingstone.com. 18 July 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-07-20. Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  3. ^ "Various Artists: Drive OST | Album Reviews". pitchfork.com. Archived from the original on 2014-08-30. Retrieved 2014-08-24.
  4. ^ "Electric Youth ignite Drive soundtrack". nowtoronto.com. Archived from the original on 2014-08-26. Retrieved 2014-08-24.
  5. ^ "College and Electric Youth Explain the Captain Sully Inspiration for Drive's 'Real Hero'". vulture.com. Archived from the original on 2014-07-20. Retrieved 2014-08-24.
  6. ^ "Best Music: 'A Real Hero,' College and Electric Youth (Drive)". MTV.com. Archived from the original on 2014-12-05. Retrieved 2014-11-13.
  7. ^ "Spin 20 Best Songs of 2011". spin.com. 9 December 2011. Archived from the original on 2015-06-17. Retrieved 2011-12-09.
  8. ^ Electric Youth [@_electricyouth] (September 28, 2014). "Okay journalists, once and for all we need to set the record straight on something: WE ARE NOT NAMED AFTER A DEBBIE GIBSON ALBUM!!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 2015-01-30. Retrieved 2014-09-29 – via Twitter.
  9. ^ "Electric Youth Sign to Last Gang Records". music.cbc.ca. Archived from the original on 2012-02-12. Retrieved 2014-08-24.
  10. ^ "Billboard Chart Placement". billboard.com. Retrieved 2020-08-15.
  11. ^ "Last Gang Records - Innerworld by Electric Youth". lastgangrecords.com. Archived from the original on 2014-10-03. Retrieved 2014-09-29.
  12. ^ "NME Review". NME.com. 28 September 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-10-02. Retrieved 2014-09-29.
  13. ^ Beta, Andy (21 September 2014). "NPR First Listen". NPR.org. Archived from the original on 2014-09-22. Retrieved 2014-09-21.
  14. ^ "Brooklynvegan". brooklynvegan.com. Archived from the original on 2014-09-11. Retrieved 2014-09-10.
  15. ^ "Juno Awards Nominees". junoawards.com. Retrieved 2020-08-15.
  16. ^ "Electric Youth's Deeper Hidden Meaning". vehlinggo.com. 20 December 2017. Archived from the original on 2018-10-12. Retrieved 2018-09-15.
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