- Words Yazzi Gokcemen
The Minneapolis-based rock band enters a new era with their candid, seven-track EP.
Last week Minneapolis-based trio Yam Haus released ‘Stupid and Famous’, a seven-song EP, which marks a pivotal moment in their rising music careers. Comprising of frontman and singer Lars Pruitt, guitarist Zach Beinlich and drummer Jake Felston, the rock band have garnered a strong following in the US – prior to this EP debut, they had 13 Spotify singles and 50+ headline shows under their belt, a production deal with Fleetwood Mac’s producer Mark Needham, and this summer opened for The Killers at a festival in their hometown.
Produced by award-winning mixer/producer Tony Hoffer, ‘Stupid and Famous’ retains Yam Haus’ distinctive indie-rock sound but has an added sonic complexity and lyrical candidness. The band puts this shift down to growing up (or becoming less ‘Stupid’); making music in the early days, they considered how it would perform on social media (their daily vlogs on YouTube drew 20 million views), whereas now the artists are more concerned about connecting with audiences on a real level.
This EP is less pop-synth than Yam Haus’ previous releases, more guitar-led grit. As for the lyrics, they see frontman Lars confront personal struggles and open up about his journey with the band. Now filled with newfound confident optimism, Lars and his bandmates are on tour in America until December 10th. Big things are still to come – Lars can guarantee it with his recent band tattoo, “…on my ass, so I’m here for the long game.” Until then, you can listen to ‘Stupid and Famous’ below.