Movie soundtracks and 80s nostalgia may be having a bit of a renaissance recently, but for enigmatic duo Young Empress, this passion project has been a long time coming. Lost Time is the long awaited debut album from song writing duo Rebecca Davies and Robin Davies (not related), who have utilised their shared love of classic synths, haunting guitars, powerful harmonies and punchy 80s-inspired drums to create a sound that is indulgently retro, immersive and atmospheric.
Formed in 2019, Young Empress bounced from the studio launching tracks with everything required for an epic cinematic soundtrack. Their love of film and television has helped them shape a sound that transports listeners straight from their 9 to 5 and onto the set of Stranger Things. Bursting with energy, together they have crafted their own unique brand of invigorating Synthwave.
Named in reference to the Childlike Empress from childhood classic The Neverending Story, Young Empress takes inspiration from, and is definitely for fans of The Midnight, Tears For Fears, Fleetwood Mac, M83, as well as iconic soundtracks for movies that they both grew up listening to such as The Lost Boys and The Goonies.
“We often watch movies on mute in the background when we write our tracks,” shares Rebecca. “It gives us an initial concept of where we want things to go and helps us drive the overall vibe of the music forwards. We take our initial inspiration from a film or TV show and then transform our ideas into tracks from there.”
Talking of their unique writing process, Robin adds “…it’s something we’ve done from the beginning. It’s just how we like to put our tracks together. We love 80s music, 80s cinema and the 80s aesthetic just as much, so this seems like the most logical starting point for us when we write”.
Lost Time demonstrates not only their songwriting abilities but their relationships with other popular artists such as Sunglasses Kid, Zak Vortex, Maxx Parker & LAU, who they have collaborated with to create tracks such as The Boys & It's Always Dark, two particular favourites of the Synthwave pair.
Celebrating their previous success with tracks such as Ghosts & Eyes Closed, Young Empress proudly present their debut album, featuring 10 unique tracks that radiate 80s vibes throughout. Their headline track Lost Time is both heartwarming and emotive, taking you from your headphones to the centre of a live gig or the middle of a movie set.
Young Empress are a two-piece living in the shadows of the music scene, quietly creating their retro-inspired soundtracks but fast picking up pace and falling into the eye line of fans on the music scene. Their debut album makes cinematic waves that are driving them forward into new realms of songwriting.
What's next for Young Empress? A deluxe version of Lost Time will shortly follow and then in early 2022, it's time to take this album on the road. We hope to see you at a live show very soon!
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