Young Friend Shares Headline Canadian Tour Dates, New Song 'Trouble' 　​  ​ 

Vancouver indie rocker and JUNO-nominated artist-producer young friend has shared the last single before unveiling his debut album, motorcycle sound effects. “trouble” paints a dusky atmosphere as songwriter Drew Tarves reflects on a love that wasn’t meant to be. The sparse, almost improvised-sounding backing band adds to the spontaneous feel — like an early morning realization that things won’t be the same.

Tarves elaborates on the song’s meaning: “trouble feels to me like a bunch of dads that get together once a week to jam and play music with each other. The song itself is slow and a little loose, but feels like it hits all the right moments. trouble is meant to feel a bit like a walk down memory lane. You realize now this person wasn't any good for you but at the time it made you feel so alive.”

“trouble” follows recent singles like “i like girls,” “soft light,” “golden rule,” boyfriend material.” Due out on April 4th, young friend’s debut album was recorded in September 2022 and co-produced alongside David Marinelli (FINNEAS, JAWNY, Wallice).

young friend is also excited to perform at JUNOfest on March 29th in Vancouver before embarking on his first headlining Canadian tour. The tour kicks off on June 3rd in Windsor, Ontario, and wraps in Edmonton, Alberta, on June 28th. young friend will be joined by Frances Whitney and Sam Lynch for support. Find the full list of dates below and for more information visit: https://youngfriend.store/pages/tour

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, JAWNY, 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.”

“Motorcycle sound effects is really just about growing up. It’s about the people you encounter and the experiences that make you into the person that you are,” explains Tarves. “I really wanted to capture all the sides of the coin; the sty sides, the side where I was wrong, the side where I did the right thing, and it still didn't work out, the side where something is new and exciting and it's all you can think about, all of it.”

YOUNG FRIEND 2025 SUMMER TOUR DATES:

Mar 29 – Vancouver, BC @ The Fox Cabaret (JUNOfest)*
Jun 03 – Windsor, ON @ Meteor*
Jun 04 – Guelph, ON @ Sonic Hall*
Jun 05 – Toronto, ON @ The Drake Underground*
Jun 06 – Hamilton, ON @ Bridgeworks*
Jun 08 – Montreal, QC @ L’Escogriff*
Jun 12 – Penticton, BC @ Dream Café^
Jun 13 – Kelowna, BC @ Red Bird Brewing^
Jun 14 – Kamloops, BC @ The Night Shift on 5th^
Jun 17 – Calgary, AB @ Modern Love*
Jun 18 – Fernie, BC @ The Northern*
Jun 19 – Red Deer, AB @ Bo’s Bar and Stage*
Jun 25 – Regina, SK @ The Exchange*
Jun 26 – Winnipeg, AB @ Sidestage*
Jun 27 – Saskatoon, SK @ The Capital Music Club*
Jun 28 – Edmonton, AB @ Double Dragon* 

*supported by Frances Whitney
^supported by Sam Lynch

Photo credit: Zachary Vague