Image by Georgia Moloney //

We hung out with the Sydney-based quartet ahead of their debut album release next month.

International tours, millions of streams and a ripper Like A Version… Sounds like we’re talking about a band that’s been around for a decade or so right? Surely not a band that has only released two EPs… Yet, it’s pretty much how the bio for Yours Truly reads, with the four-piece displaying a real knack for punching well above their weight.

On tracks like ‘High Hopes’ and ‘Circles’ the band tread that line between angsty and melodically addictive nicely, with just the right mix of anthemic chorus and headbanging jam. It’s a sound that has earned them a loyal following in the huge US pop-punk market, not to mention here in Aus where they’ve sold out more shows than most.

With their debut album Self Care hitting earholes on September 18th (pre-order here), we caught up with lead singer Mikaila Delgado to find out how they’ve been dealing with their meteoric rise.

Firstly, how are you coping in this COVID-19 world?

We’re doing well! It’s weird times for everyone but we’re trying to stay as busy as possible and work towards our post Covid future. It can be a bit disheartening to watch a lot of the stuff we had planned get moved or cancelled but we are trying to stay positive!

Has this period been creative/inspirational for you?

We’re lucky we’ve had the album to work on and look forward to. We’ve been able to stay creative through music videos and other projects. If anything, it’s allowed us to invest the most detail in what we’re putting out compared to our past projects. Navigating an album release during a pandemic is odd, but especially when you haven’t put one out before in a normal world.

You played a million shows over the past year or so. What are you missing most about performing live?

Definitely connecting with people. Seeing people know the words of the songs and getting into it is a great feeling. To know your music reaches people and means something is everything. Definitely miss the travel, I won’t be complaining about sleeping on floors or long drives ever again!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TPKTn6qd5c

The last couple of years have been pretty crazy for Yours Truly, how have you coped with the rush of success?

I think sitting down to write the album was the first time I reflected on how the success affected us. When you’re busy you don’t tend to think about what’s going on — it is more a ‘do’ mindset. I like to think we coped relatively well, but I think we definitely took the pressure of the success into the album and dealt with some imposter syndrome around it. It was very much a “this has to be the best album ever or we look like fakes” kind of feeling.

Who or what brings you back down to earth?

We have the best group of family and friends. And we definitely keep each other on the ground. We’re best friends. We spend so much time together outside of music, we are very in tune with each other’s lives. I feel like this Covid experience has put a lot into perspective. Things can be taken away as easily as they’re given and you need to be prepared for anything.

We love your ‘Like A Version’. What was it like heading into triple j studios and recording?

The whole experience was surreal! We’ve always dreamt of doing a Like A Version. We’ve been speaking about potential songs for years. Getting there and seeing the room all set up was a huge ‘pinch me’ moment. I don’t think we expected to get this opportunity so early in our career, but we are so grateful we got to do it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYyyu6aLFJ4

You have fans all over the world, where are you most looking forward to going once all this is over?

We’ve never been to Europe, so that would be really cool. We’ve got Slam Dunk (UK) and Sad Summer (USA) lined up for 2021 so we’re itching to get over to those shows. But we’re very much looking forward to playing Self Care to our home in Aus!

‘Together’ and ‘Composure’ have some of the hardest-hitting YT choruses we’ve heard. Was going for that huge chorus something you were conscious of when writing the record?

We love big choruses. It’s something we have on our checklist when it comes to writing. We wanted to show other sides of the band while still having that big chorus energy. We promise there’s more on Self Care!

What are your three biggest self care tips for Yours Truly fans?

Talk! Get out all the feels to someone you trust, deep and meaningful conversations are always wholesome.
Take a day or two to just do you. Watch TV, play games, eat your favourite food. Enjoy your own company.
Make a playlist of all the songs that make you feel something. Happy, pumped, chill. I like spending time just focusing on music and feeling it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB_8YdRC-ZQ

What do you listen to when it’s self care time? Do you go heavy or chilled?

It depends! I have a playlist of songs that I like to listen to when I’m feeling down and they’re all super bad ass. There’s a heap of Grimes and Dua Lipa haha. But sometimes I just like lying in bed listening to City and Colour.

‘Self Care’ is so close! What part of it are you most excited about sharing with people?

I’m excited to share the next chapter of Yours Truly. We’ve got ten songs on the album and we were really able to explore all the different sides of ourselves. I’m excited to see what people think, how it resonates with them. And most importantly, to play them live!