New Music: Introducing - Yellow Days

I’ve always been fascinated by what a ‘genuine music fan’ is. It’s a term that gets thrown around a lot but there never seems to be a concrete definition. Does a genuine fan have to spend money on their passion or can you be a genuine music fan with a Spotify free account and nothing else? After all you could certainly listen to a lot of music. Is that one of the criteria? To be a genuine music fan do you have to have heard a broad range of records or is it OK to just care for a few songs or albums deeply and only ever listen to them? Do you have to go to gigs? Do you have to know a lot about different musical styles and genres? And what about genuine new music fans? Do they have to know about every new band on the planet? Do they have to spend a certain % of time every day listening to music? I really don’t know the answers, but for me it’s something around commitment and passion for music, shown by your actions. It’s why I write this blog. 

But whilst I might be a genuine new music fan, I can’t keep up with everything. No matter how committed I am. It’s why until a week or so ago I’d completely missed George van den Broek aka Yellow Days from Haslemere, Surrey, who it seems has been getting approval from a significant section of what remains of the blogosphere for over a year now. It’s easy to see why. He stands out. Note to self: Read more blogs – after all why should I expect anyone to read mine if I’m not reading them?

What makes him stand out first and foremost is his voice. It’s untreated, untarnished, raw and real. It has soul. Then there’s his music, which is reflective, some might say indulgent, lacking regular structure and possessing a lo-fi feel and sound (listen to the hiss on the track below). There’s been comparisons to King Krule, which I fully agree with. There’s also been suggestions of greatness – which are probably a little premature, but there’s no doubt he’s hellishly good. With a big output already on Soundcloud and an acclaimed EP Harmless Melodies on all streaming services, his latest tune So Terrified Of Your Own Mind is a slice of smoky subdued spliffy late-night chill-rock that finally brings him to the pages of Breaking More Waves. I suspect it won’t be the last.

Yellow Days - So Terrified Of Your Own Mind