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.
Two Sides
Youth Group Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Become the place where the horizon ends
I am just flesh, sublimated my brain
Made a mistress of lust and a slave out of fame
I have learnt my lesson
There's always two sides
You can't serve two masters
You can't take two sides
I've been studying two doors
One says constancy, the other just says more
There's always two sides
There's always two sides
You can't serve two masters
You can't take two sides
There's always two sides
There's always two sides
You can't serve two masters
You can't take two sides
Have you come here to dance?
To die, to die, to die
To dance, to die, to die, to die
To dance or to die, to die, to die
To dance, to die, to die, to die
To dance, to die, to die, to die
To dance, to die, to die
There's always two sides
There's always two sides
You can't serve two masters
You can't take two sides
There's always two sides
There's always two sides
You can't serve two masters
You can't take two sides
The lyrics to Youth Group's song "Two Sides" deal with the idea of duality and the struggle to choose a path in life. The first verse speaks of seeking oblivion, wanting to become nothingness, and being aware of the limits of the physical body and the temptation of worldly pleasures. The chorus emphasizes that there are always two sides to any situation or decision, and one cannot serve two masters or take two sides.
The second verse alludes to the idea of two doors, one leading to constancy and the other to wanting more, which is a reminder of the choices we make and how they affect our lives. The repetition of the chorus highlights the importance of making a choice and committing to it, rather than trying to have it all.
The bridge of the song contains a mysterious and slightly ominous refrain, asking if the listener has come to dance or to die, suggesting that there may be consequences to our choices in life, and that we should be aware of them.
Overall, "Two Sides" is a song that encourages mindful decision-making and reminds us to be aware of the consequences of our actions. Its message of duality and the struggle to make choices is universal and relatable to all.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm looking for oblivion
I'm searching for a state where I can forget all my problems and struggles
Become the place where the horizon ends
To reach a point in my life where I have accomplished everything I wanted and no longer need to strive for anything
I am just flesh, sublimated my brain
My physical desires and temptations control me more than my logical thinking processes
Made a mistress of lust and a slave out of fame
I've let my desire for pleasure and my obsession with being popular or well-known dominate my actions and decisions
I have learnt my lesson
I've realized the harm that my past actions have caused and am determined not to repeat them
There's always two sides
Every decision or choice has both positive and negative consequences
You can't serve two masters
It's impossible to focus on and fulfill the demands of two conflicting priorities or goals
I've been studying two doors
I've been considering and evaluating two different options or paths
One says constancy, the other just says more
One option emphasizes staying consistent and true to myself, while the other focuses solely on accumulating more things or experiences
Have you come here to dance?
Have you come to enjoy yourself in the moment without concerning yourself with the consequences or future problems that may arise?
To die, to die, to die
To experience something so overwhelming or exciting that it feels like a form of metaphorical death
To dance or to die, to die, to die
To have the choice between participating in something enjoyable but possibly dangerous, or to be consumed entirely by the overwhelming nature of it
There's always two sides
Every decision or choice has both positive and negative consequences
You can't take two sides
It's impossible to support both opposing viewpoints or take both sides of a disagreement or conflict
Contributed by Bentley B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ajd1126
Cam's dancing is the bomb. Can't wait to steal some of his moves when they play this the next time I see them live :)
lilianlies
this is surely one funny video, and I love the song : )
Francina Caro
I wish parties were like that in real life, that have that kind of music and people were dancing like that ha
Codemonkey3
I like this video, I think it's nostalgic. The parents are throwing a party/dance in their garage. The kids are all enjoying myself, they dance and play innocent games. No one is half naked, no one is drinking and there isn't bumping and grinding or anything. It makes me wonder what happened to society.
Paweł Czereszkiewicz
Woow they sounds here like the church :D
brainofj99
love you
Downfamily
I like side Salad