The Young'uns Explained

The Young'uns
Background:group_or_band
Origin:Stockton-on-Tees, England
Genre:Folk
Current Members:
  • Sean Cooney
  • David Eagle
  • Michael Hughes

The Young'uns are an English folk group from Stockton, County Durham, England, who won the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards "Best Group" award in 2015 and 2016 and “Best Album” for Strangers in 2018.[1] [2] [3] They specialise in singing unaccompanied, and they perform traditional folk songs and sea shanties, contemporary folk songs such as the 40 year old song Billy Bragg's "Between the Wars" and 60 year old song Sydney Carter's "John Ball", and original works including "You Won’t Find Me on Benefits Street" (alluding to Stockton's reaction to a Benefits Street television crew) and "The Battle of Stockton" (on a 1933 clash with Oswald Mosley's blackshirts). They champion the folk music of the Northeast of England, where they are from, celebrating local history and performing songs by local songwriters such as Graeme Miles.[4]

The members are Sean Cooney, David Eagle and Michael Hughes, who met as teenagers and encountered folk music as underage drinkers in a local pub. They enjoyed the music and returned to the Stockton Folk Club, where "One day someone said 'let's hear a song from the young'uns' and we sang this one verse we knew from a sea shanty", hence the band's name.[5]

2017 album Strangers includes nine new songs celebrating inspiring people 'A homage to the outsider; a eulogy for the wayfarer; a hymn for the migrant.' "These Hands" tells the life story of 1950s immigrant Sybil Phoenix while the story of the Battle of Cable Street is told through the words of Stockton teenager Johnny Longstaff.[6] [7] In February 2020 the band debuted the stage production 'The Ballad of Johnny Longstaff' at Newcastle's Northern Stage theatre to rave reviews.[8] [9] [10]

The Young'uns released a book 'Bound Together'[11] in 2017, chronicling their history as a band and the stories behind some of the songwriting.[12]

In 2023 The Young'uns released their ninth album Tiny Notes, which consists entirely of original songs that "recall victims of war and terrorism and heroes of the hour, turning the spotlight on injustice and ultimately celebrating love, tolerance and the indomitable human spirit."[13]

Discography

Awards

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Folk Awards 2015 - The Winners!. BBC Radio 2. 14 April 2016.
  2. News: Irwin. Colin. The Young’uns review – an irresistible set from the folk group of the year. 14 April 2016. The Guardian. 28 May 2015.
  3. Web site: Heath. Theresa. Interview: Introducing…The Young’uns. For Folk's Sake. 14 April 2016. 8 September 2012.
  4. Web site: BBC Radio 4 - My Muse, Series 2, The Young'uns on Graeme Miles . 2023-08-15 . BBC . en-GB.
  5. News: How a happy accident launched vocal trio into the inclusive world of folk. 14 April 2016. Western Morning News. 10 August 2012.
  6. Web site: Cooney . Sean . 4 February 2019 . A working-class hero: how a scruffy teenager fought fascism . 4 February 2019 . Theguardian.com.
  7. Web site: Sheffield show depicts amazing life of 1930s fighter against fascism, Johnny Longstaff . 4 February 2019 . Sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk.
  8. Web site: Sinclair . Tracey . The Ballad of Johnny Longstaff review at Northern Stage . 2020-02-14 . The Stage . en-US.
  9. Web site: Kelly . Mike . 2020-02-13 . Theatre review: Folk stars The Young'uns captivate Newcastle audience . 2020-02-14 . nechronicle.
  10. News: Radcliffe . Allan . The Ballad of Johnny Longstaff review — a paean to youthful idealism . en . 2020-02-14 . 0140-0460.
  11. Web site: The Young’uns – Bound Together. 2018-09-20. The Young’uns. en-gb. 2019-04-26.
  12. Web site: FATEA - Home. www.fatea-records.co.uk. 2019-04-26.
  13. Web site: Tiny Notes, by The Young'uns . 2023-08-15 . The Young'uns . en.
  14. Web site: Kidman . David . The Young’uns – Another Man’s Ground . Folk Radio UK . 2 September 2022.
  15. Web site: When Our grandfathers Said No. The Young'uns Shop. 14 April 2016.
  16. Web site: Never Forget. The Young'uns Shop. 14 April 2016.
  17. Web site: Another Man's Ground. The Young'uns Shop. 14 April 2016.
  18. Web site: Strangers by The Young'uns on Apple Music. iTunes Store (US). 3 October 2017.
  19. Web site: Folk Awards 2016 - The winners. BBC Radio 2. 3 May 2016. 2016.
  20. Web site: The 2015 Spiral Earth Award Winners. Spiral Earth. 14 April 2016.
  21. Web site: Fatea Awards Winners And Runners Up 2014 . FATEA . 14 April 2016.

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