WILD YOUNG FREE


Artist: Weekend
Released: November 4th 2013
Recorded: August 2012 - September 2013 London, Los Angeles
Genre(s): Pop, Rock/Pop, New Wave, Electropop, Electronic dance, R&B, Synthpop
Producers: Deneil Khan, Oracle, The Invisible Men, Lumberjack, Dr. Luke, Steve Mac, Jase Rockstar, Brian Lloyd, ThundaCatz
Writers: Dustyn Blue, Riley Hamilton, Billy Khan, Oscar Ward, Scott Wellington, Cathy Dennis, Lukasz Gottwald, Sara Hollywood, Kelly Franklin, Reece Sykes
Label: Chaos Records/Five Pesky Kids Records



Background
"Wild Young Free" is the second studio album from Australian/British/Irish boy band and pop giants, Weekend. It is set to be released on November 4th 2013, four months later than originally planned after numerous personal issues meant that the members wouldn't be able to commit to promotion duties. It is their first record to be distributed by their own label, Five Pesky Kids - a subsidiary of Chaos Records. 'Wild Young Free' will be available in both CD and digital download formats.

After forming in October 2011, Weekend quickly became a household name in a matter of months and nobody was prepared for how big things would become in such a short space of time. Being formed by G2L member, Lyrica Ocha, as a "little" side project she wanted to work on whilst her band went on a hiatus, nobody expected anything to really come of the venture as 'boy bands didn't sell any more' and the fact that they had no label, no business skill or professional training before forming. Fast forward two years; everyone knows who they are, they have topped singles and albums charts around the world, ventured into many different projects, presented award shows, became millionaires, graced the cover of many popular magazines, embarked on a sellout world tour, are the biggest selling band in pop right now, have high profile relationships, outsold their own creator, own their own record label and have millions of fans from all across the globe and all this is before they've even released a second album.

It's fair to say that after conquering the globe in a matter of months and having their debut album "Fired Up" and it's re-issued version, "Fired Up: Reloaded", topping multiple charts and both going several times platinum, following all that up would be no easy task. With their first record, they captured the hearts of many teenage girls (and some of their mothers) around the world but came under fire from a lot of the male population and the anti-pop alliance. With more creative control and a lot more experience, it seems as if the boys are looking to appeal to an even larger audience with their maturer sound.

Writing and recording officially began in December 2012, however, two tracks that appear on the record were actually written in the summer of 2012 purely out of boredom and not initially intended to be for the second album. After finishing off their first tour, the members went their separate ways to wind down after a long, strenuous few months of performing and travelling. In their spare time, the boys would write songs for the record and would meet occasionally to compare notes. Scott Wellington would often have to Skype with the other members as he moved to L.A to live with his now fiancee, Jennifer Armstrong. This long distance relationship between Scott and the other four members is also another major reason why progress on the album was slower than expected. Scott's relocation also meant that rehearsals, recording sessions and the opportunity to write songs as a five-piece were very thin on the ground. In fact, only one song on the record features writing credits from all five members. Dustyn Blue is the only member to have a writing credit on every song.

The album was lead by the synthpop/R&B infused, "Out Of My Mind". The single was released in June 2013 and was met with huge critical acclaim. Many music critics praised the song for it's fresh, new sound that was appealing to a new audience yet keeping just the right amount of Weekend charm from their old records to keep long term 'Weekenders' happy. Although it was the lead single, Dustyn Blue stated that it doesn't really represent the sound of the record as a whole and in fact 'doesn't really fit in' with the rest of album but was released solely because of how much they loved the track and to show that they are willing to take a risk

With 'Out Of My Mind' and the album, 'Wild Young Free', being Weekend's first pieces of work to be released via Five Pesky Kids, their own label, it allowed the boys to show everyone how they wanted their music to be handled. It also gave the band the opportunity to have more control and bring in writers and producers that they wanted to work with instead of being 'hooked up' with people that their former label wanted them to work with. Weekend approached the likes of Sara Hollywood, Dr. Luke, Oracle, Steve Mac and Deneil Khan to work on this record and help craft "the difficult second album" which many acts fear.



The Meaning Behind 'Wild Young Free'
As lead singer Oscar Ward states in his 'thank you's' included in the album notes, the phrase 'Wild Young Free' truly represents who Weekend are and where they are at in life. For their first record, a lot of their songs were written before Weekend were even officially formed, showing how pre-planned and controlled things were going to be right from the outset. Although Weekend wrote and recorded a lot of songs afterwards, they were shocked when they received the final cut of their album as the majority of it was made up of the tracks written by others. Judging by the infamous personality traits of some of the members, it's pretty obvious that they didn't take too kindly to being told what to do.

"A day after we formed, we were briefed and basically told how we should live from then on." Billy Khan states. "We were told that we always had to wear bright colours - we MUST be in 'uniform'. We were also told that we couldn't be seen drinking, smoking or partying. We weren't allowed to have partners and if we did, it'd have to be with someone who wasn't famous so that it wouldn't cause tension between fan bases. We weren't allowed to swear, show a lot of skin or speak out against rival artists. Basically we had to be clean-cut, virgin boys next door. It's safe to say we held our middle fingers up to that and gave a massive 'f**k you' to those trying to pull our puppet strings."

One only has to Google their names or check the latest updates on Culture Uncut to realise how "Wild" these boys really are. From cocaine addiction to sex tapes to self harming to naked pictures, Weekend have clearly went through the whole 'controversial celebrity' cycle in the first two years of their career which leaves others wondering (And fearing) what they could possibly do next. Let's also take a moment to realise how "Young" the guys still are. With the age range going from 17 to 22, Weekend are hardly past their expiration date just yet. Looking at what they've accomplished at such a young age really makes you rethink all the criticisms they have received. How many people of that age could achieve and maintain such heights whilst handling the pressure at that age? Not many. Their youthfulness is also reflected in the fun nature of their music. With all the tracks having writing credits from at least one member of the group, it's safe to say that these songs will ooze personality and connect with their target audience of a similar age. Finally, since starting up their own label, Weekend are now "Free" to do pretty much whatever they want. Escaping the cookie cutter 'boy next door' image, Weekend have been able to explore and experiment with this album and show everyone what they are made of.



Singles
In January 2013, not long after the boys had wrapped up promotion for the highly successful 'Fired Up/Fired Up: Reloaded' era, a brand new track that the band had recorded during their first world tour was uploaded onto their official YouTube channel. "Tonight" was the first taste of new music from Weekend in 2013 and was initially set to be the lead single from the record. However, before a release date was chosen and prior to a video being filmed, Weekend decided to cancel the release and instead leave it online as a 'gift' to fans. The reasoning behind the cancellation is still unknown, however, it has been heavily speculated that the recent births of both Roo Ward and Daniel Khan had a lot to do with it - suggesting that both Oscar and Billy wanted to spend more time with their children before promoting a new album. 'Tonight' is included on 'Wild Young Free' but in a new extended and re-recorded version.

"Out Of My Mind" was the first official single to be released from the album. The track was released in June 2013 and became yet another top 5 hit for the boys, reaching No.5 in the charts. The single wasn't as heavily promoted by the boys as much as previous singles were due to busy schedules but the single did receive a lot of support from radios and television stations. 'Out Of My Mind' topped the charts in Australia, giving the boys six consecutive number ones in that region. The song is noted for a change in direction for Weekend. Rather than aggressive rock/pop beats or heavy dance sound that has been featured on previous releases, 'Out Of My Mind' takes on a laid back, chilled sound filled with lots of harmonising and the chanting featured throughout the song showcases just how much they have matured vocally. Popjustice praised the song and stated; "It's not the usual 'slap you in the face' anthem you'd expect from Weekend but one that slowly draws you in before swallowing you whole. There's something so captivating about it". The music video premiered a week before the single's release. In the clip, the boys are seen in a rundown town in a southern US state. Each member has a specific location whilst singing their solo lines. They can all be seen together during the choruses either riding a rusty pick-up truck whilst gaining attention from a few town residents or standing on a vast empty lot, filled with grit and small pieces of debris from the building that once stood on the location.

The second single is set to be "Who We Are". The boys uploaded the cover art on their Twitter account however, Amazon and iTunes both use different covers so it is unclear if there has been a change in the artwork. Not much is known about the track other than it being produced by Deneil Khan (Billy's younger brother) and that is was written by all five members of the group. The video was shot in late August 2013 and was directed by Diane Martel, who recently directed the controversial videos for 'Blurred Lines' and 'We Can't Stop'. It is expected to be released one week prior to the album's release.



The Tour
After a highly successful, sold out world tour in support of their first record, there was huge demand for another one to take place almost as soon as Weekend wrapped up the first. Due to many personal issues that members had been enduring in late 2012/early 2013, many speculated that another tour of that scale would be highly unlikely. In May 2013, Billy announced that a world tour would not be happening but a small tour around the UK would take place in October with a few select dates in America following in 2014. These dates were set to be announced in late September but the announcement was held off after growing concerns about lead singer, Oscar Ward's health. Oscar's severe throat infection caused him to lose his voice for almost a week and he is still recovering. Due to this, the mini-tour was cancelled.

However, after being told that his voice should be back to normal in a matter of weeks, Oscar persisted that the group do another tour in the future to make up for so many cancellations. Despite being hesitant at first, all five members discussed the possibility of another world tour to follow up the highly successful 'WWT' which took place in 2012. After much speculation, it has been confirmed that Weekend will be embarking on another world tour in the first half of 2014. Tickets for the "Forever Young Tour" go on sale in late November.



Variations Of The Record
The album, unlike their debut record, will be released in both standard and deluxe formats on the same day which gives buyers the choice of which version they want to purchase most. The standard version of 'Wild Young Free' features eleven tracks, including the hit single 'Out Of My Mind' and a new version of the buzz track 'Tonight'. The cover art for the standard edition sees the boys huddled together in front of a blue background, all showing happy facial expressions which contrasts greatly to the covers of both 'Fired Up' and 'Fired Up: Reloaded'. The standard edition will be released worldwide and will not be altered for any specific region i.e, no alternative cover art or altered tracklisting for a different market. It will cost £9.99 in the UK.

Five deluxe versions are also available to purchase. Each deluxe version is specifically dedicated to different members of the group. If you think that Riley is the sexiest and is your favourite member, why not get a version with just him on the cover and have a bonus Riley solo track thrown in too? Maybe Dustyn is the cutest and you want to hear his beautiful voice on a track all to himself? Well the 'Billy', 'Riley', 'Oscar', 'Scott' and 'Dustyn' versions are all available for £12.99. Get your favourite member on the front cover and hear a solo song from them or better yet, collect all five because you're just so cool like that. Each of these versions will come in a slipcase which has an extreme close up of the member's face and the iconic Weekend 'W' printed on the top-centre. No title appears on the slipcase. Taking the slipcase off shows yet another image of your selected member now on the front of the album booklet with the Weekend 'W' and title printed in the same font and in the same position as on the standard version. Rather than sticking with the dark blue colour scheme shown on the standard edition, the favourite colour of your selected member is used throughout instead - Billy (Purple), Scott (Orange), Dustyn (Baby Blue), Oscar (Red) and Riley (Green). The final track will be a solo song performed by the specific member you have chosen. What more could you ask for!?



Tracklisting

Standard Version
1. Wild Young Free (D.Blue, K.Franklin, R.Sykes) 3:49
2. Out Of My Mind (D.Blue, B.Khan, S.Hollywood) 4:02
3. Who We Are (D.Blue, R.Hamilton, B.Khan, O.Ward, S.Wellington) 3:54
4. Tonight (D.Blue, B.Khan, S.Hollywood) 3:39
5. Boombox (D.Blue, R.Hamilton) 3:32
6. Too Good To Be True (D.Blue, S.Wellington) 4:01
7. ANIMAL (D.Blue, C.Dennis, L.Gottwald, B.Khan) 3:21
8. Crashing Down (D.Blue, L.Gottwald, S.Wellington) 3:42
9. Heartbreakers (D.Blue, R.Hamilton, B.Khan, S.Hollywood) 3:13
10. Carried Away (D.Blue, K.Franklin, B.Khan) 3:29
11. Beat Is Gone (D.Blue) 3:56

Deluxe "Billy" Version
12. Chaos (D.Blue, B.Khan) 4:07

Deluxe "Dustyn" Version
12. Half Of Me (D.Blue) 4:13

Deluxe "Riley" Version
12. Paint A Smile (D.Blue, R.Hamilton) 4:43

Deluxe "Oscar" Version
12. Trust In Me (D.Blue, R.Sykes, O.Ward) 4:01

Deluxe "Scott" Version
12. Bring It On (D.Blue, S.Wellington) 3:42



Personnel
Dustyn Blue - Executive Producer, Guitar, Vocals, Writer
Riley Hamilton - Vocals, Writer
Billy Khan - Executive Producer, Vocals, Writer
Oscar Ward - Vocals, Writer
Scott Wellington - Vocals, Writer
Deneil Khan - Drums, Producer
Sara Hollywood - Writer
Kelly Franklin - Writer
Lukasz Gottwald - Producer, Programming, Writer
Cathy Dennis - Writer
LosOscuros - Producer, Programming
Oracle - Bass Guitar, Producer
Brian Lloyd - Producer
Steve Mac - Producer, Programming
Reece Skykes - Writer
The Invisible Men - Producer
ThundaCatz - Producer
Lumberjack - Producer
Jase Rockstar - Producer
Lyrica Ocha - Management, Mixing
Keisha Tyler - Photography
Farrah Queen - Engineer
Gary Sandford - Engineer
Mike Warner - Engineer

Artist: Weekend
Title: Wild Young Free
Length: 3:49
Genre: Pop Rock
Written By: Dustyn Blue, Kelly Franklin, Reece Sykes
Produced By: The ThundaCatz
From The Album: Wild Young Free

The opening track to Weekend's sophomore effort is the title track itself, 'Wild Young Free'. There are numerous reasons why this guitar driven, pop rock anthem kicks off the brand new album. The title itself sums up what the boys are all about and the message they want to get across with this record - they are a group of five young guys with the world at their feet (and now with not many people to answer to) they can practically do whatever they wish.

Background
'Wild Young Free' was written in May 2013, rather late on into the project. After experiencing huge success with their rock/pop sound that featured predominantly on their debut album, it was pretty obvious that the boys had to keep that distinct Weekend sound alive whilst also progressing it to the next level rather than directly copying the sound of the 'Fired Up' album. Around the time of writing this track, many members had been enduring a lot of strenuous and overbearing personal issues which resulted in progress of the album being a lot slower than expected. Only one member, Dustyn Blue, was able to continue writing and remain focused on the record at this point in time hence why he is the only member with a writing credit on not only this song but every track on 'Wild Young Free'

The original concept of this song was to recreated a new, evolved version of their debut single, 'Everything About You' which experienced a lot of success on the charts worldwide. Whilst wanting to capture the same, rock/pop edged essence of their debut, the group also wanted to show that they have matured vocally and lyrically. A combination of their original rock influenced sound and their new approach to lyrical themes shows that although they have grown and moved up in the world, they still haven't forgotten their musical roots.

Dustyn drafted in good friends Kelly Franklin (of Radioettes) and Reece Skyes who had writing credits on Weekend's 'Fired Up: Reloaded'. Whilst the initial 'skeleton' of the song and it's hook was written by Dustyn at home after putting his son to bed, the song was then 'fleshed out' when Dustyn, Kelly and Reece met up in a café in central London. 'Wild Young Free' was never intended to be such an important song for Weekend. In fact, during it's composition the majority of the band already thought that the album was more or less completed and new songs wouldn't be necessary. As it turns out, the youthful and energetic vibe of 'Wild Young Free' not only resulted in it opening up the new album but it also meant a whole name change for the project as it captures everything Weekend wanted to show in one song.



Song Description
The song immediately catches the listeners attention with it's live sounding instrumentation. The rapid strumming of the electric guitar (played by Dustyn Blue) hits you around the head without any warning and things only build up from there. The chords on the guitar sound more aggressive as the intro to the song continues and the sudden arrival of thrashing drums catch the listener completely off guard, whether you're aware of it or not you will definitely some sort of little dance no matter where you are. The riffs of the guitar are almost like a gift to die-hard 'Weekenders' who constantly pester Dustyn and ask why he rarely plays the electric guitar anymore (something which didn't feature on recent tracks such as 'Out Of Mind', 'Turn Up The Volume' and 'Lock It Up'). Those who aren't fans of the band and dislike the idea and sound of boy bands will still find themselves bopping their heads along and not even realise that this track is in fact from Weekend. They might be left red-faced when the discover who sings the track but at some point, they will be forced to admit that it's a great song and give the boys credit....and maybe even convert into a Weekender!

Oscar Ward takes the first verse of the song and shows that he is back and better than ever. He belts his way through the first verse with about just as much much power and aggression and the instrumentation itself. As soon as his verse is over, Dustyn Blue takes the reins immediately - just overlapping Oscar's last note. Just like Oscar, the youngest member of the band sings with the same amount of power (maybe even more) and gives it that edge which takes it from just being another pop song to an 'anthem'. As the pre-chorus approaches, the instrumentation becomes a lot tamer in nature, allowing the listener to relax into Billy Khan's dreamy vocals.

The chorus kicks in apologetically with great force and all five members of the band sing together. As all of their vocals have matured in one way or another, their collective voice sounds more powerful than ever and makes the chorus sound like more of a chant. Whether or not this is released as a single, it will surely becoming a fan favourite due to the chorus being catchier than a cold and the boys being their usual, chaotic selves.

Riley Hamilton takes on the third verse and despite his vocals not being as 'aggressive' as Oscar and Dustyn's, it doesn't upset the flow in any way as the guitar has become a little tamer so that it doesn't overpower the vocals. Scott Wellington takes the next pre-chorus which is cut shorter than Billy's so that the song doesn't go on for too long. The chorus comes in again, only this time it has a few ad-libs thrown in by Dustyn and Billy, the former showing off his wonderful vibrato.

A few more angst ridden chords are played before slowing into the bridge. The song's instrumentation is turned down to the bare minimum, almost sounding like it's morphed into an acoustic track. However, rather than turning things down a notch, Oscar Ward returns and sings with just as much power and might as he did in the first verse. The minimum instrumentation means that the listener can solely focus on Ward's rock influenced vocals. As the bridge comes to its end, muffled chanting from the boys can be heard as well as a few ad-libs from Billy being thrown into the equation.

As the chorus returns, everything comes back into full swing - the vocals, electric guitar, drums etc. Just like in the previous chorus, Blue and Khan ad-lib but with much more might, sometimes overpowering the rest of the boys. The chorus then repeats itself but more focus is on the ad-libs which would impress even the harshest of critics. One long, powerful note from Blue is heard before everything calms down again. Billy then sings more ad-libs against a bare minimum instrumentation before the song fades out.



Vocals
Oscar - Oscar takes on a major chunk of the song and being the lead singer, it's no major surprise. His role in the song may be considered as one of the hardest as his vocals have little time to rest before he has to sing again. Not only that but every time he sings, he puts a lot of power into it as demonstrated in the first verse, the bridge and even the chorus as he has to join in with the other four members. His vocals have definitely matured, showing off a deeper and huskier sound than before. He might not have the most extensive vocal range in the group but he has lots of control and power which makes him the best choice for lead singer.

Dustyn - Many have questioned why he isn't the lead singer and truth be told, he is probably the most powerful out of them all. Some say that Dustyn's voice is like Marmite, you either love or hate it and for those who weren't a fan of his throaty, bluesy tone filled with an Irish twang and outstanding vibrato then it's bad news for you as they are even stronger on this track. His unique voice is unmistakable as soon as he comes in and takes over from Oscar. He blasts his way through the verse, showing off some serious vocal acrobatics and pronouncing a few words in his thick Irish accent for good measure. Towards the end of the song, he ad-libs and shows off a lot of skill as he manages to move up octaves with ease whilst showing off his vibrato.

Billy - Billy sings the first pre-chorus and contrasts greatly to Dustyn and Oscar who took the verses before him. Rather than singing in a similar fashion to them, Billy comes in with a silky smooth tone and could melt anyone's heart. It may appear odd that someone with such a tough exterior and notorious for being quite the troublemaker has such a sweet, relaxed voice that gently carries the song along whilst kissing the listeners ears as he does. Later on in the song, he shows off his new vocal 'belts' in the ad-libs and becomes the band's secret weapon. Billy closes the songs, singing in a more relaxed manner as if calming everyone down after 3:49 seconds of pure chaos.

Riley - Riley takes the third verse in the song and although he may not have a voice as powerful as Dustyn and Oscar who took the previous verses, it actually shows off how much Riley can adapt his vocals. In his part, Riley sings with a sort of 'husky' and aggressive voice just like the other aforementioned members but it should be noted that Riley is most known for his high harmonies and relaxed high chest voice (drawing comparisons to Adam Levine and MIKA). This just shows how versatile Hamilton is.

Scott - Scott has very little to sing on his own during this song. Only taking the pre-chorus, Scott doesn't really demonstrate his range but from what is heard, he has improved from the last record. Many used to criticise him for having very thin vocals that appear almost drowned out by the instrumentation on tracks. Now, although still singing rather softly, he shows that his voice has become more powerful and can take on more uptempo songs.

KEY
ALL
HIGH NOTE
Billy
Dustyn
Oscar
Riley
Scott



Why are we sitting around doing nothing?
Why are we trying to make to keep all others pleased?
It's like they're trying to mould us all into something
Things would be different if it were up to me

Scolded for not paying attention
I'm a bad boy for wanting to chase my dream
It's like they're guiding me in the wrong direction
But now it's time for me to be set free

Let's just do it how we do, rock the party, act like I'm 'cool'
We're just wild little things, ain't got a thing to lose, oh oh yeah
I'll just do it like I do, pump it up and raise the roof
It's my house, I make the rules so try and stop me

Doesn't matter where we are, just put that record on blast
Grab your girl, grab your guy, move to the beat and shake that...
It doesn't matter who you are, you can be who you want to be
Just come with us, share the love, stay wild, young and free

We're gonna go live it up. Tonight, we ain't coming down
We're forever wild. Oh wild, young and free

Throwing the rule book out of the window
What do I have to do to make you see?
I can't be tamed, it's just not that simple
Won't be shaped into what you want me to be

I'll just do it like I do, pump it up and raise the roof
It's my house, I make the rules so try and stop me

Doesn't matter where we are, just put that record on blast
Grab your girl, grab your guy, move to the beat and shake that...
It doesn't matter who you are, you can be who you want to be
Just come with us, share the love, stay wild, young and free

We're gonna go live it up
Tonight, we ain't coming down
We're gonna stay wild, Oh wild, young and free

They think they know us, couldn't be more wrong
They think they know every little thing that's going on
They think they know me, but all they do is speculate
If they wanna know who I am, let me demonstrate

(Oh, whoa, oh) Let me demonstrate
(Oh, whoa, oh) Let me demonstrate (yeah)

Doesn't matter where we are, just put that record on blast
Grab your girl, grab your guy, move to the beat and shake that...
It doesn't matter who you are, you can be who you want to be
Just come with us, share the love, stay wild, young and free

We're gonna go live it up
Tonight, we ain't coming down
We're gonna stay wild, Oh wild, young and free

Doesn't matter where we are, just put that record on blast (put it on, put in on, oh oh oh)
Grab your girl, grab your guy, move to the beat and shake that... (shake that)
It doesn't matter who you are, you can be who you want to be
Just come with us, share the love, stay wild, young and free (wild, young, free-ee)

We're gonna go live it up
Tonight, we ain't coming down
We're gonna stay wild, Oh wild, young and free

Let's be wild together, oh we'll stay young forever
Let's be wild together, oh we'll stay young forever

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