Youth Killed It

Youth Killed It emerged from Norwich, England, unleashing their 2017 debut album Modern Bollotics as a biting commentary on British society and politics, echoing the tradition of U.K. socio-political acts that stretches from Crass through Sleaford Mods.

The lineup coalesced after the dissolution of local metal outfit Under the Influence, with Jack Murphy handling vocals and guitar alongside Carlos Montero on guitar, Josh Thexton on bass, Ben Ford on drums, and Josh Arter-Taylor also on guitar. In 2016 the musicians pivoted away from their earlier aggressive metal sound toward the melodic terrain of '90s Brit-pop and early-2000s indie rock, adopting their new name in the process. Drawing fuel from Britain’s shifting political climate and a desire to spotlight social injustice, they self-released the paired EPs Welcome to the Sad Boys Club and Welcome to the Happy Girls Club that same year.

Those recordings secured a deal with the Italian punk imprint Rude Records, whose roster already included Emery and Guttermouth, prompting the swift arrival of Modern Bollotics in 2017. Subsequent live appearances placed them alongside kindred spirits Slaves and MassMatiks, after which the group retreated to the studio for a follow-up. Concentrating on the aftermath of Brexit, widespread public discontent, and ongoing social problems, the wryly titled album What's So Great, Britain? appeared in late 2018, led by the singles “Great British Summer” and “Where Did It All Go Wrong?”