New York based band, The Young Presidents is an unusual mix of high achievers. It originally started off as a coalition of guitar/vocalist Jake Hertzog (youngest winner of the Montreux Jazz Guitar Competition and a distinguished Berklee alum with six solo albums to his name), and bassist/vocalist, Mitchell Kaneff, CEO of Arkay Packaging and author of a book on family business. It has since grown into a four-piece with the addition of vocalist Daniel Jackson, aka Djax, who had just finished his role in the international production of ‘American Idiot’, and talented drummer and actor, Cinque Ubangi Kemp. Together they are a fully realised rock band, with musical influences range from Cream to Train, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, to Nirvana.
‘Loner’ is The Young Presidents’ most recent release, and it’s from their latest album, ‘Firehorse’, which came out in May this year. ‘Loner’ has a real Americana meets Classic Rock feel to it – think ‘Take It Easy’, by The Eagles – it’s a stripped back approach with a modern feel, focusing on the rock “power trio” of guitar, bass, and drums.
The song is accompanied by a great video, directed by Djax. The band performs in an empty club, with a background story of a young dancer, who is subjected to a gruelling training regime – she manages to escape her trainer (who had been exerting more and more control over her) and finds her way to legendary Cutting Room, in New York City – the very club in which The Young Presidents are playing. It’s here where she is finally able to feel free, and she dances with complete abandon – if only for a short time.
‘Firehorse’ is an album of two parts: side A is “electric”, with the songs recorded and mixed at Room 17 Studios, while side B is “acoustic”, and was recorded at MKM Studios and mixed at Rubber Tracks. The album was released on vinyl, CD, and as a digital download, and two bonus songs, ‘Stuck On You’, and ‘Wide Open’, were recorded for the CD and digital editions. ‘Loner’, the first single from the album, is a blend of both sides, having qualities of both electric and acoustic.
You can buy all three versions of the album from Amazon, as well as download it from iTunes. The Young Presidents can be found online on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and their Official Website.
Check out the video for ‘Loner’:
