Rooted in the Canberra indie rock scene, the group was formed in 1996 by Narrabundah College school friends Paul Murphy, Toby Martin and Andy Cassell. The fourth founding member, Danny Lee Allen, never lived in Canberra, instead growing up in Maroubra and then Coogee in Sydney, meeting Paul through attending Marcellin College in Randwick. Andy Cassell was one of three partners in the Ivy League / Winterman & Goldstein group of companies. Of the original members, only Martin and Allen remained. The band's first show was in November 1997 at the Warren View Hotel in the inner Sydney suburb of Enmore. At this stage, Allen had played drums for approximately two months. Their first album, Urban and Eastern, was released in 2000.
In 2003, the band played at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas and performed on 4 dates with The Vines and The Music on a US West Coast tour.After various configurations, including the temporary membership of John Lattin of La Huva, the lineup was finalised in 2004 through the addition of Cameron Emerson-Elliott on guitar (previously a member of The John Reed Club) and Patrick Matthews on bass (formerly of The Vines). A series of chance happenings lead Epitaph Records boss Brett Gurewitz to hear their second album, Skeleton Jar, in 2004 and release it in the U.S. in 2005. The band supported Death Cab for Cutie in 2005 on a coast to coast US tour.
Their single "Forever Young", a cover of the 1984 song by Alphaville, was used in the television show The O.C. and heavily featured in promos for Australian TV station Channel Ten at the beginning of 2006. The song debuted on the Australian charts at No. 2 in March 2006, and eventually peaked at No. 1. It was also No. 1 in the first ever digital download chart. During 2006, they supported Coldplay in their sold-out tour of Australia. They also won an ARIA for Breakthrough Single.
In July 2006, the band released their third album, Casino Twilight Dogs, which featured "Forever Young", along with the album's second single, "Catching & Killing". On 24 July 2006, Casino Twilight Dogs debuted at #10 in the ARIA Album Charts. The album was produced by Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla.
They supported Kings Of Leon and Interpol on their 2008 tours of Australia.
They released their fourth album, The Night Is Ours, in July 2008 through Ivy League in Australia and in April 2009 on Worlds Fair Records in the US. The song "What is A Life" from The Night Is Ours was featured on The CW show Gossip Girl episode "The Bonfire of the Vanity".
Youth Group toured the US twice in 2009, as well as once again opening for Death Cab for Cutie in Australia, before moving into a hiatus. Though the band are still on good terms, they are focusing on other projects. Martin released a solo album, Love's Shadow, in July 2012 on Ivy League Records. Allen currently lives in New York and tours with We Are Scientists and plays with Brooklyn band, The Drums. Elliott and Matthews are both currently members of Sydney-based indie rock band Community Radio. Matthews also spent time in The Jewel and the Falcon.
The band reunited to play shows in 2015.
Guilty
Youth Group Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He hasn't seen it since '93.
He sleeps the sleep of the guilty.
And is guilty that he slept at all.
We agree that words are hard.
While he flinches at the station guard.
He sleeps the sleep of the guilty.
And is guilty that he slept at all.
He shows me shots of his covered head
Taken at the Mascot anz.
He sleeps the sleep of the guilty.
And is guilty that he slept at all.
The lyrics of Youth Group's song Guilty depict the internal turmoil and guilt of a character who has been involved in some sort of criminal activity. Through the lines "He sleeps the sleep of the guilty. And is guilty that he slept at all," we can see the weight of his actions weighing heavily on him as he attempts to rest. The comparison of the guilt-ridden character to the person who "hasn't seen [the scenery] since '93" emphasizes the contrast in their experiences and how the former has been consumed by their wrongdoing.
The mention of the "station guard" implies that the character is either on the run or has been caught and is facing consequences for their actions. The line "We agree that words are hard," along with the overall somber tone of the song, suggests that the character may be struggling to come to terms with what they've done and express their remorse. The use of the word "we" in this line could also indicate that the character has someone with them, possibly a friend or confidant, who is attempting to understand and support them.
The final verse about the character showing "shots of his covered head" from the Mascot anz adds a layer of poignancy to the song. It is unclear what exactly happened to the character and why their head is covered, but the simple act of sharing these photos with someone else indicates a level of vulnerability and desperation for connection in the face of their guilt.
Line by Line Meaning
I gaze at the scenery.
I am taking in my surroundings and admiring the beauty of my surroundings.
He hasn't seen it since '93.
The person I am with has not been in this place since 1993.
He sleeps the sleep of the guilty.
The person I am with is feeling guilty and it is affecting his sleep.
And is guilty that he slept at all.
He feels bad about sleeping and thinks he should have stayed awake to deal with his guilty conscience.
We agree that words are hard.
We both acknowledge that communicating our thoughts and feelings can be difficult.
While he flinches at the station guard.
Despite our agreement about communication, the person I am with still feels uncomfortable and anxious around authority figures like the station guard.
He shows me shots of his covered head
The person I am with shows me pictures of his head that was covered, likely indicating that he was involved in some sort of altercation.
Taken at the Mascot anz.
The pictures were taken at the Mascot anz, which could be a reference to a place or event where the altercation occurred.
Contributed by Caroline K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Shinigami Kitsune
Catchy