young friend shares the homespun, twangy new single “the real deal”

October 10, 2024 BY Emma Orland

Today, Vancouver’s JUNO-nominated artist young friend follows up “boyfriend material” by serving up a healthy dose of indie twang on his new song “the real deal.” Songwriter Drew Tarves is earnest in his quest to define true love, and what it means to believe in it. With the help of co-producer David Marinelli (FINNEAS, JAWNY, Wallice), the song’s romantic harmonic and dreamy pedal steel guitar lines only add to the charming Western aura.

Drew explains: “The real deal, at its core, is a love song. it asks a lot of different questions like, Are we in this? Are we going for it? this song feels like the point in the rough patch where you either make the effort to make it work or you just give up.”

young friend is coming off a string of West Coast tour dates where he debuted some new material, including his latest tracks, “boyfriend material” and “the real deal.” A notable show at Genghis Cohen in Los Angeles had fellow artists FINNEAS, Remi Wolf, and Adam Melchor in attendance.

Listen & Share young friend “the real deal” here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJolKdr0lWU

Drew Tarves’ music as young friend feels classic and immediate all at once, capturing the nostalgia of post-adolescence while diving deep into a pool of self-reflection. His next project is bursting with big feelings and perfect golden light. It feels messy and raw, like long summer nights piling into the back of a pickup truck with all your friends, sprinting to catch the last summer sunset, taking off your shoes and dancing in the grass, falling, getting back up. 

A trained dancer for most of his adolescence, the 24-year-old Vancouver native switched artistic disciplines after spending time jamming with his musician friends. “I found out very quickly that I loved it,” he recalls. “It was my favorite thing to do.” Armed with a guitar and a laptop, Tarves started hashing out early songwriting attempts on GarageBand as he found his own style that suited him: “It was all about experimenting while trying to find what worked for me.”

In 2022, Tarves released his indie-pop debut EP HOW DID WE GET HERE?, and quickly followed it up with a sophomore in 2023 titled scaredy cat. 2024 brought in his first Canadian and international touring, as well as a JUNO nomination. Now, young friend is prepping his debut full-length that’s produced by friend and frequent collaborator David Marinelli (FINNEAS, Ashe, Wallice, spill tab). The album pulls inspiration from a multitude of places and artists, landing in this comfy space of new and familiar while also making room for self-discovery. It will take you along for the ride of your life. “This album takes notes from a lot of different artists and bands that I really love, and as a result, it is this sort of genre-bending fever dream album.”

YOUNG FRIEND IN THE PRESS…

“young friend keeps it casual and cheeky, but can’t help but charm listeners as the chorus melts into an earnest admission.” 

– Ones to Watch

“…summer anthems that sound otherworldly…”

SHEESH MEDIA

“…young friend has established himself as a rising act in heartfelt pop, building an expansive sonic world brimming warm nostalgia and self-reflection.”

–EARMILK

“One remarkable aspect of songwriting is the ability to paint a picture. It’s a rare talent, being able to use words to create a visceral image within the mind of a listener. With his slow-burn acoustic pop hits, young friends has mastered this art.” 

– V Magazine

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