Young Pacific

The delightful sun-soaked season invading Vancouver can be demanding; the urge to live life like you’re in a ‘90s pop video becomes insatiable, forcing you to spend a ridiculous amount of time roasting on a beach or cramped in the backseat of a car, on your way to this weekend’s festival or camp out. But no matter how you’re spending the UV-heightened days, a pleasant summer soundtrack is a necessity. Might I suggest keeping Vancouver quartet Young Pacific in heavy rotation?

Formed in 2009, the band originally burst forth from the creative womb while bassist Mike Noble and keyboardist Djavin Bowen were playing backup for a singer-songwriter acoustic duo. When the pair realized that they shared a wealth of musical similarities, they added singer/drummer, Brock Weiderick, to the roster and adopted the name Young Pacific, a shout out to their coastal origins and wrinkle-free faces.

After several gigs and recording their first self-titled EP, the band found themselves pining for a new direction and began a creative metamorphosis, and in September traded their old singer for their current one, Devin Miller. Noble noticed an immediate shift in how the band functioned. “Once Devin came along, it started to pick up. I couldn’t tell you why. Our songwriting got astronomically better.”

A musical devil’s advocate, Miller’s persistence and self-pessimism have improved Young Pacific’s dynamic, growing the group into a more layered ensemble. A prime example of this is new track, “Modern Eyes/Traces of Gold,” where the last half of the nearly six-minute song finds the group trailing off into a slow climbing, climactic jam that showcases the potential within these young coastal rockers.

Since the lineup shuffle, the band’s chemistry and cohesion have both improved immensely. “I took the opportunity seriously,” Miller explains on a patio at New Westminster’s River Market. “I put in a lot of work right away. On my end, I was pushing pushing.”



Another distinction between the sound of the first EP and the latest, Lone Fire, was the band’s approach to recording. Instead of funneling a ton of money into securing professional studio time, the band took up creative residence in the studio/garage of George Knuff, bassist for local indie rockers 41st & Home.

“Instead of throwing down our money and saying, ‘We have five days to record this,’ we literally had all the time in the world to try this and try that. It was a lot of fun, but a lot of trial and error.” Miller found the informal, hands-on environment to be creatively nurturing, but almost frustrating.

“It was a lot of being really nit picky. A lot of the stuff that we recorded we would end up rerecording because maybe we weren’t in a good mood that time. I’d just kind of do my OCD thing. One night, I stayed in there till 3 a.m. in the freezing cold, surrounded by garden tools and bicycles.” While Young Pacific’s first EP was recorded in five days, their second one took closer to three months between last December and early April.

Even if you were familiar with the band before, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the fresh slab of tracks circulating online via their Myspace and Bandcamp pages. The four latest songs are exclusively Miller-era pieces that tiptoe the line between folk-rock and pop. And so far, they’re garnering an overwhelmingly positive response from fans, new and old.

“In the last nine days, we’ve had more hits and plays [on our Myspace and Bandcamp] than in the last year and a half.” Noble says in semi-disbelief. A stand out moment came in February when they played the Cobalt to 300 of their sweatiest, most excited fans. “After that, so many people were like, ‘This is what Young Pacific is now.’ If you’d gone online a few weeks ago, all you would’ve found is our old EP, but that’s not what we sound like anymore.”

photo by Victoria Johnson

photo by Victoria Johnson


Strong ties in the local music community have also played a factor in Young Pacific’s recent success. “A lot of bands we’ve played with [in the past] were sharing our EP and were like, ‘Check out our friends!’ so that’s been great.” Over the years they’ve had the privilege of sharing the stage with local groups the Ruffled Feathers, Chimpanzebras, and the Zolas. More recently, they’ve become the unofficial companion band of Good for Grapes, and will open at their tour kickoff show later this month at the Rio Theatre.

Despite the band’s recent successes, including securing a spot on The Kulth music festival lineup this summer, Miller is content to simmer and take things a step at a time, which includes holding off on seeking a record label to call home.

“I’m kind of scared [of signing to a label]. I like this do-it-yourself thing. Mentally, I’m not prepared for that right now. That’s for when it’s almost becoming a career.”

Noble is still absorbing the moment, savouring the little things that make being a musician so - Discorder Magazine

The delightful sun-soaked season invading Vancouver can be demanding; the urge to live life like you’re in a ‘90s pop video becomes insatiable, forcing you to spend a ridiculous amount of time roasting on a beach or cramped in the backseat of a car, on your way to this weekend’s festival or camp out. But no matter how you’re spending the UV-heightened days, a pleasant summer soundtrack is a necessity. Might I suggest keeping Vancouver quartet Young Pacific in heavy rotation?

Formed in 2009, the band originally burst forth from the creative womb while bassist Mike Noble and keyboardist Djavin Bowen were playing backup for a singer-songwriter acoustic duo. When the pair realized that they shared a wealth of musical similarities, they added singer/drummer, Brock Weiderick, to the roster and adopted the name Young Pacific, a shout out to their coastal origins and wrinkle-free faces.

After several gigs and recording their first self-titled EP, the band found themselves pining for a new direction and began a creative metamorphosis, and in September traded their old singer for their current one, Devin Miller. Noble noticed an immediate shift in how the band functioned. “Once Devin came along, it started to pick up. I couldn’t tell you why. Our songwriting got astronomically better.”

A musical devil’s advocate, Miller’s persistence and self-pessimism have improved Young Pacific’s dynamic, growing the group into a more layered ensemble. A prime example of this is new track, “Modern Eyes/Traces of Gold,” where the last half of the nearly six-minute song finds the group trailing off into a slow climbing, climactic jam that showcases the potential within these young coastal rockers.

Since the lineup shuffle, the band’s chemistry and cohesion have both improved immensely. “I took the opportunity seriously,” Miller explains on a patio at New Westminster’s River Market. “I put in a lot of work right away. On my end, I was pushing pushing.”



Another distinction between the sound of the first EP and the latest, Lone Fire, was the band’s approach to recording. Instead of funneling a ton of money into securing professional studio time, the band took up creative residence in the studio/garage of George Knuff, bassist for local indie rockers 41st & Home.

“Instead of throwing down our money and saying, ‘We have five days to record this,’ we literally had all the time in the world to try this and try that. It was a lot of fun, but a lot of trial and error.” Miller found the informal, hands-on environment to be creatively nurturing, but almost frustrating.

“It was a lot of being really nit picky. A lot of the stuff that we recorded we would end up rerecording because maybe we weren’t in a good mood that time. I’d just kind of do my OCD thing. One night, I stayed in there till 3 a.m. in the freezing cold, surrounded by garden tools and bicycles.” While Young Pacific’s first EP was recorded in five days, their second one took closer to three months between last December and early April.

Even if you were familiar with the band before, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the fresh slab of tracks circulating online via their Myspace and Bandcamp pages. The four latest songs are exclusively Miller-era pieces that tiptoe the line between folk-rock and pop. And so far, they’re garnering an overwhelmingly positive response from fans, new and old.

“In the last nine days, we’ve had more hits and plays [on our Myspace and Bandcamp] than in the last year and a half.” Noble says in semi-disbelief. A stand out moment came in February when they played the Cobalt to 300 of their sweatiest, most excited fans. “After that, so many people were like, ‘This is what Young Pacific is now.’ If you’d gone online a few weeks ago, all you would’ve found is our old EP, but that’s not what we sound like anymore.”

photo by Victoria Johnson

photo by Victoria Johnson


Strong ties in the local music community have also played a factor in Young Pacific’s recent success. “A lot of bands we’ve played with [in the past] were sharing our EP and were like, ‘Check out our friends!’ so that’s been great.” Over the years they’ve had the privilege of sharing the stage with local groups the Ruffled Feathers, Chimpanzebras, and the Zolas. More recently, they’ve become the unofficial companion band of Good for Grapes, and will open at their tour kickoff show later this month at the Rio Theatre.

Despite the band’s recent successes, including securing a spot on The Kulth music festival lineup this summer, Miller is content to simmer and take things a step at a time, which includes holding off on seeking a record label to call home.

“I’m kind of scared [of signing to a label]. I like this do-it-yourself thing. Mentally, I’m not prepared for that right now. That’s for when it’s almost becoming a career.”

Noble is still absorbing the moment, savouring the little things that make being a musician so - Discorder Magazine

LIVE at Squamish at Logger Sports Ground and Hendrickson Fields on Saturday, August 25

Following the previous night’s rootsy and rowdy Friday Night Hootenanny, which highlighted a small roster of B.C.-based talent, LIVE at Squamish’s first full day of activities brought a range of artists from all over the continent.

Vancouver still got to start the party, though, as local boys Young Pacific had the task of opening Saturday's show with a brief set at the Meadow stage, a modest affair situated in between the two main stages. The group kicked off its set with a three-part vocal harmony that brought to mind Fleet Foxes more than it did the Beach Boys, and what followed suit was a brief taste of the troupe’s homey indie-pop catalogue.

An accident on the Sea-to-Sky Highway held up both incoming concertgoers and performers, so the scheduling seemed a little off for the first part of the day. Instead of the rapid fire back-and-forth organizers anticipated, it was nearly an hour before the next act of the day, Gold & Youth, hit the Garibaldi stage.

The quartet tinkered with a moody neo-new wave sound hinting at early Interpol, which may have played a little too noir underneath the blazing sun. That said, multitasking member Louise Burns put on a stunning mid-set performance when she dropped her regular bass and keyboard duties to man the mike on the pulsing “Jewel”.

Walking toward the massive Stawamus stage, which featured an idyllic and breathtaking view of the Chief, you’d have heard some sort of nightmarish country-dub concoction coming out of Current Swell. The hippies in attendance were grooving to the outfit’s ultra laid-back vibe, but the real party was back over at the Garibaldi stage, where soul stunner Charles Bradley had the crowd losing their goddamned minds. - The Georgia Straight

LIVE at Squamish at Logger Sports Ground and Hendrickson Fields on Saturday, August 25

Following the previous night’s rootsy and rowdy Friday Night Hootenanny, which highlighted a small roster of B.C.-based talent, LIVE at Squamish’s first full day of activities brought a range of artists from all over the continent.

Vancouver still got to start the party, though, as local boys Young Pacific had the task of opening Saturday's show with a brief set at the Meadow stage, a modest affair situated in between the two main stages. The group kicked off its set with a three-part vocal harmony that brought to mind Fleet Foxes more than it did the Beach Boys, and what followed suit was a brief taste of the troupe’s homey indie-pop catalogue.

An accident on the Sea-to-Sky Highway held up both incoming concertgoers and performers, so the scheduling seemed a little off for the first part of the day. Instead of the rapid fire back-and-forth organizers anticipated, it was nearly an hour before the next act of the day, Gold & Youth, hit the Garibaldi stage.

The quartet tinkered with a moody neo-new wave sound hinting at early Interpol, which may have played a little too noir underneath the blazing sun. That said, multitasking member Louise Burns put on a stunning mid-set performance when she dropped her regular bass and keyboard duties to man the mike on the pulsing “Jewel”.

Walking toward the massive Stawamus stage, which featured an idyllic and breathtaking view of the Chief, you’d have heard some sort of nightmarish country-dub concoction coming out of Current Swell. The hippies in attendance were grooving to the outfit’s ultra laid-back vibe, but the real party was back over at the Garibaldi stage, where soul stunner Charles Bradley had the crowd losing their goddamned minds. - The Georgia Straight

"What mattered was that Young Pacific’s supporters hit the dance floor so hard during songs like the piano-pop gem “Telephone” and the shoegaze-lite number “Be Strong, Young One” that the bottles on the Cobalt’s tables were literally shaking. Stereogorilla faves Best Coast would have loved to have received half as enthusiastic a reception at the Rickshaw recently." - The Georgia Straight

"What mattered was that Young Pacific’s supporters hit the dance floor so hard during songs like the piano-pop gem “Telephone” and the shoegaze-lite number “Be Strong, Young One” that the bottles on the Cobalt’s tables were literally shaking. Stereogorilla faves Best Coast would have loved to have received half as enthusiastic a reception at the Rickshaw recently." - The Georgia Straight