MUMBAI: Since going solo, the British new-age musician Dario Darnell (under the moniker ‘Youngr’) isn’t loving a single bit of travelling alone. “It gets lonely very often”, as the young multi-instrumentalist informs, and adds that he’s a natural ‘band guy’ first. In India, however, for the shows in Hyderabad and Bengaluru’s Echoes of Earth Festival, Darnell executed his solo ‘Youngr’ act.
“I am going to evolve the act and add other musicians, perhaps, as I continue,” said the dynamic Mancunian, who gained recognition for his ‘one-man-band’ effort in 2016. “The problem with the solo act is you miss that interaction on the stage. You cannot create those typical ‘band’ moments; stare into your bandmate’s eyes and lock the groove and create the magic.” The songwriter, however, isn’t complaining about the absence of ego and the fact that Youngr allows him to be his own boss. “I can create exactly what I want.”
‘Out of my System’ is exactly what he created. The song’s outreach pushed the artist’s image beyond a club night persona and the former half of ‘Picture Book’ (an electronic outfit with his brother Lorne) finds himself shuttling between Indian subcontinent, European and North American music festivals more than ever. “Sometimes yes, sometimes no,” answers Youngr, when asked about the absence of a bandmate affects the creativity in the studio, “but he does continue to provide me suggestions.” Youngr acknowledges that – musically – great things have occurred through collaborations. Perhaps, that explains the idea behind stretching the act beyond a one-man act in the longer run.
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Asked if his kind of music may not lead to headlining a festival, Youngr disagrees. “I think I will headline a music festival one day. Ed Sheeran has headlined a music festival with just a guitar in his hand. You know why? Because he has amazing songs. But I have been music for too long to have one kind of goal. And headlining the festival is neither my ultimate or ideal definition of goal as a musician.”
Raised in Manchester, Dario Darnell’s experience of football hooliganism drove him away from the sport and the madness that surrounds it performed a key role in his lack of enthusiasm towards the football culture, despite staying a stone’s throw away from Old Trafford. “Manchester culture has played a role, but in the opposite manner. I have seen hooliganism. Supporting football is too much drama, a religion. The same goes with music. My dad used to teach me about James Brown, and then there were The Stone Roses, Oasis and my goal was to make something different.”
Youngr jumps between wit and sincere emotions while replying, and when asked what motivates him to travel from regions like Guatemala to the opposite end of the globe, like India and perform at festival, he says, “I love long flights.” Long flights, not the thousand fans singing along the lyrics to his compositions. Youngr explains how his manager provides balance to an “under-planned, under-prepared” him, and while he can predict an album in the near future, adapting to the ecosystem through ‘single’ releases seems to be the apt approach for the ‘one-man-band’.
“I will release a new single in a couple of weeks,” assured Youngr before signing off.
