“Anything’s possible” during Young Fathers’ Latitude set

“This is the third time we’ve played Latitude,” says Graham ‘G’ Hastings. His band, Young Fathers are returning this year to help the festival celebrate its tenth birthday. “We played a stage in the woods, a small but good show. And then obviously the guys that worked there, they asked us to come back a play a bigger stage. It’s a great festival, we’ve always enjoyed it. I like the layout.” “We’ve got a better stage this time,” adds Alloysious Massaquoi. “We’ve built our way up.”

The band will be playing on a line up that also includes headliners Alt-J, Portishead and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, as well as James Blake, Warpaint, Wolf Alice, Years & Years, Laura Marling and loads, loads more. In terms of performance, what sets Young Fathers apart from the rest of the pack? “It’s a new mindset that we’re bringing to the table,” Alloysious continues. “Like being able to do what the fuck you want in the studio. Without any rules. You hear so many bands who say they’re different, but when you listen to the record, they’re not any different from so and so.

“We’ve got a mindset where anything’s possible. Anything. You’re talking about using that violin string. Just using a bottle tops. Or anything. It’s DIY and industrial. And it’s this vibe that’s carrying us through. It’s making it less razz-ma-tazz for some people. This is work. The general perception of artists and musicians is that you’re living some lavish life, that you don’t really care. You do a little bit and then you relax. For us, this is work. We take this very fucking seriously. We’re not gonna muck about. And people see that in the performance, because we care. That comes across. And whether you like the music or not, you feel it. A lot of people say they don’t like rap or anything like that, but they like us. And you feel it.”

Young Fathers will play Latitude (16th - 19th July), where DIY is an official media partner. Tickets are on sale now. Visit diymag.com/presents for more information.