Young Circles pose a problem. Their songs, with their serpentine structures… Read Full Bio ↴Young Circles pose a problem. Their songs, with their serpentine structures, dynamic percussion, and many-layered, spacey sounds, are not easily distilled or generalized. Though you can hear similarities to other bands in Young Circles’ work, the similarities can only be found in swatches, which, when quilted together, create a sound that is difficult to compare to anyone else’s. It’s hard to believe, then, that this genre-defying Florida band spent its first few years playing straight-up rock and roll.

Though Young Circles cofounders Jordy Asher and Jeff Rose always gravitated towards bands that pushed the envelope musically, when they met in high school they started playing more traditional garage rock together. “We just got sick of doing the same thing all the time,” says frontman Jordy Asher, “We realized that the only songs that excited us musically were the two most out-of-place songs on our records.” So they saved those two, scrapped the rest, changed their name and started on their debut work, the Bones EP, which was released to rave revues in January 2011. “It feels really good,” says Jordy, “to know that when we started following our instincts that’s when people started paying attention to us.” Now, less than a year later, they’re back to prove their mettle with their first full-length album, Jungle Habits.

Where the Bones EP hits fiercely from the start, with searing feedback and stormy beats, Jungle Habits is all about the hypnotic build in force. The first half of the album is introspective and emotionally raw, but as intensity builds, the band’s focus turns outwards; by the time you reach “2012,” a danceable end-of-the-world anthem, the album has exploded into something celebratory and carefree.

Highlights of the album include “Asthmatic” and “Dreams,” a pair of songs about Asher’s recent divorce. Winding and ethereal, “Dreams” was meant to mirror a dream in its structure. “I can never remember how my dreams stop and start,” says Jordy “and when people reach the end of ‘Dreams,’ I want them to forget how they got there.” The heart of Jungle Habits, however, is its title track, which was the first song written for the album. With its emphasis on playful, dynamic percussion, it sets the tone for the rest of the drum-heavy album.

This focus on percussion carries over into Young Circle’s live act, too. In concert, the band stations drums throughout the stage, with each member playing them at some point (or all at once).“What we learned from being a garage rock band,” Jordy, “is how to rock a live show. We don’t want to recreate our recordings. We still want to have that rock and roll energy, to hit harder, to turn up louder.” Though Young Circles can satisfy the cerebral listener who slowly parses through layers of sound, they also know how to hit in the gut – Young Circles will make you move.

The band’s continuity with their garage rock roots is also evident in their D.I.Y. approach. The band’s album art and music videos are self-produced. Most of Jungle Habits was recorded over a seven-day period in Jeff Rose’s home with Jordy Asher’s mobile recording setup. Jordy engineered the sessions and did the first mix, with Jeff mixing it yet again. “Jeff and I have been working together for so long now,” says Jordy, “that I just trust that he catches what I miss and hears the things I didn’t hear.” Though Jeff and Jordy are the only two remaining cofounders of Young Circles, they’ve recently added Antonio Gonzalez as another permanent member, and Adam Badlotto and Eric Ocasio for their live band. “I’m excited to mature musically with this group,” says Jordy, “the point was never to constantly recreate ourselves, but just to keep ourselves happy artistically.”

Young Circles will release their first full-length album, Jungle Habits, on August 23, 2011.

2012
Young Circles Lyrics

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Oh, the cuckoo she's a pretty bird
She warbles as she flies
But I never give her water
Till the forth day of July.

It is often that I wonder
Why women love men
And I look back and I wonder

Why men are men.

Oh, the cuckoo she's a pretty bird
She warbles as she flies
But I never give her water
Till the forth day of July.

Gonna build me another castle
On a mountain so high
So then I can see my true love
As she passes by.

Oh, the cuckoo she's a pretty bird
She warbles as she flies
But I never give her water
Till the forth day of July.

--- Instrumental ---

Jack of Diamonds, Jack of Diamonds
I know you of old
You have robbed my poor pockets
Of silver and of gold.

Oh, the cuckoo she's a pretty bird
She warbles as she flies

But I never give her water
Till the forth day of July

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Young Circles's song "2012" seem to be a disjointed collection of verses that don't seem to have an obvious theme. The opening lines mention the cuckoo bird, who is described as a pretty bird that warbles as it flies. However, the singer claims they never give the cuckoo water until the fourth of July, making it unclear why this particular bird is being singled out. The second verse shifts gears and poses a philosophical question about why women love men and why men are the way they are. The third verse returns to the cuckoo bird, with the singer expressing a desire to build a castle to see their true love as she passes by. The final verse introduces the Jack of Diamonds, who the singer accuses of robbing them of their silver and gold.

Overall, the lyrics to "2012" may be intentionally cryptic or open to personal interpretation. The intermittent references to the cuckoo bird throughout the song could be symbolic of something, such as change or the passage of time. The verse about men and women may be a commentary on gender dynamics or relationships more broadly. The final verse featuring the Jack of Diamonds could represent a struggle against an adversary or a warning against materialism.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh, the cuckoo she's a pretty bird
The singer admires the beauty and sound of a cuckoo bird

She warbles as she flies
The bird sings while flying

But I never give her water
The singer doesn't provide water to the bird

Till the forth day of July.
The artist only provides water to the bird on a specific day

It is often that I wonder
The artist frequently contemplates

Why women love men
The singer ponders why women are attracted to men

And I look back and I wonder
The singer reflects on their past experiences

Why men are men.
The artist questions why men behave a certain way

Gonna build me another castle
The artist intends to construct a new home

On a mountain so high
The artist wants the castle to be on a tall mountain

So then I can see my true love
The singer desires to gaze upon their beloved