Youth Novel was an emotive … Read Full Bio ↴Known as Heavenly Blue from 2021 onward.
Youth Novel was an emotive hardcore band from Ann Arbor, Michigan formed in 2012 at the University of Michigan. The band featured shifting members throughout its tenure, some of whom didn't play at live shows but played on recorded material and vice-versa. The group played a few shows (see below) in the Michigan area before going on hiatus in 2016 after the majority of the members graduated and dispersed throughout the country. The band was known for their energetic, confrontational, and at times menacing live performances which could include physical contact with crowd members and equipment.
During the Covid-19 quarantine, members resurrected and completed a previously abandoned full-length record, which was released on Valentines Day of 2021 on Zegema Beach Records. Later that year following the departure of the last original members, the group changed their name to Heavenly Blue though they would continue to utilize material written during the Youth Novel period.
Members of Youth Novel have also played in Blue Noise, TheCheeseburgerPicnic, Vampires!!, Goodthink, (The Heart She) Holler, Girl Genes, Bonzo, Homestead, Odessa Girls, Mikiri Counter, The Mint, Megan Goes to Oregon, Serpent Column, Pipe Dreams, Heavy Sigh, Gwyneth, Lein.
-------releases-------
2013: "Demos" (pressed 25 to 5" lathe records by Driftwood Records)
2014: "Turned Around Abruptly Beside a Mirror and Jumped At My Own Reflection" (Skeletal Lightning Records [US], Zegema Beach Records [Canada])
2015: "The Gentle Harm of Tradition" split with Coma Regalia (Middle Man Records, Zegema Beach Records, Too Far Gone Records, Dingleberry Records)
2017: Discography (Digital Release)
2021: Youth Novel LP (Zegema Beach Records)
-------show history-------
2013
July 7, 2013: w/ Pet Symmetry, Sundials, Secret Grief, SRVVLST @ DAAC in Grand Rapids, MI
July 28, 2013: w/ Mid Nineties @ Angelo's house in Ferndale Michigan
September 6th, 2014: w/Brave Bird, hawk & sun @ Metal Frat in Ann Arbor
2014
Jan 25th, 2014: w/ Brave Bird @ Metal Frat in Ann Arbor
March 16th 2014: w/ 2194, Jamie from Temple, Former States, Mid Nineties @ Frozen Banana Stand in Ann Arbor
March 18th, 2014: w/ The Hotelier, Secret Grief, Osoosooso @ Metal Frat in Ann Arbor
May 25th, 2014: Bled Fest in Howell, MI
July 26th, 2014: Rockamura Fest @ Nakamura in Ann Arbor, MI
August 7th, 2014: w/ Neck First, Making Mirrors @ The Rockery in Wyandotte, MI
September 12th, 2014: Undead Wedding/Funeral @ Metal Frat in Ann Arbor, MI
September 14th, 2014: w/ Gas Up Yr Hearse‼, Ice Hockey, The Truth About Dreaming and Kuwabara @ Screamo Frat in Ann Arbor, MI
2015
February 19th 2015: w/ Oliver Houston, Cardboard Swords, Bonzo @ Metal Frat in Ann Arbor, MI
March 22th 2015: w/ The Exploration, Wicked Boy @ The Quad in Grand Rapids, MI
April 11th 2015: w/ Secret Grief, Bobbi Palace, American Dirtbike @ 96 Bronco House in Ypsilanti, MI
April 20th 2015: w/ Loma Prieta, The Heart Of, Eyesore, Touch @ Sanctuary in Detroit, MI
September 13th 2015: w/ Whenskiesaregray, The Truth About Dreaming, Ghosts of Poets @ Metal Frat in Ann Arbor, MI
November 6th 2015: w/ The Saddest Landscape, Empire! Empire!, Convenient Trash @ Mac's Bar in Lansing, MI
December 6th 2015: w/ Xerxes, Oliver Houston, Bonzo @ Metal Frat in Ann Arbor, MI
2016
January 6th 2016: w/ Facility, Weather Lore, Ourselves, Broadacre @ Sanctuary in Detroit. MI
II
Youth Novel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
unhand me (to the pulsing tide)
my heartache and my confidant
i love, i live
the touch of your skin is leaving me flushed
and i live with the guilt of knowing too much
i'll be just fine
brand me undignifed
and release me to the pulsing tide
my heartache and my confidant
i love, i live, i loved, i lived
In Youth Novel's song II, the singer seems to be experiencing intense emotional turmoil, alluded to through their use of phrases like "brand me undignified" and "my heartache and my confidant." The singer seems to be caught up in a love affair that has left them feeling exposed and stripped of their dignity. They long to be rid of the pain and suffering they have endured as a result of their intense emotional connection with another person, and they seem to seek release in the pulsing tide. The pulsing tide serves as a metaphor for the ebb and flow of life's challenges and uncertainties, and the singer suggests that only by surrendering to these forces can they hope to find peace.
The second verse seems to delve deeper into the singer's internal struggle, with lines like "the touch of your skin is leaving me flushed" suggesting that the intense physical connection they shared has left them feeling exposed and vulnerable. At the same time, the singer seems to regret having given so much of themselves to another person, as indicated by the line "and i live with the guilt of knowing too much." Despite these intense feelings of despair, the singer tries to reassure themselves that they will be just fine.
Overall, the song seems to explore the intense emotional highs and lows of romantic love and the ways in which we navigate these powerful emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
brand me (undignified)
Label me as unrespectable and without honor
unhand me (to the pulsing tide)
Let go of my hand and allow me to be carried away by the rhythmic waves
my heartache and my confidant
The source of my emotional pain and my trusted friend whom I confide in
i love, i live
I have a strong affection and passion for life
the touch of your skin is leaving me flushed
The physical contact with your body is causing me to feel warm and blushing
and i live with the guilt of knowing too much
I carry the burden of feeling guilty for having knowledge or information that I should not possess
i'll be just fine
I will manage to cope and handle the situation effectively
brand me undignifed
Label me as unrespectable and without honor
and release me to the pulsing tide
Set me free to be carried away by rhythmic waves
my heartache and my confidant
The source of my emotional pain and my trusted friend whom I confide in
i love, i live, i loved, i lived
I have had and continue to have a strong love and passion for life.
Contributed by Emily M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.