Biography
Sauna Youth's members drew from punk backgrounds yet committed at the outset to an aggressively angular noise pop direction. Releases on the notable British labels Faux Discx and Upset the Rhythm cemented their standing through unyielding post-punk albums, among them the 2015 effort Distractions, whose incisive lyrical observations paired with hooks of surgical sharpness.
The group assembled in London in 2009 around vocalist Rich Phoenix, guitarist Lindsay Corstorphine, bassist Christopher Murphy, and drummer Reza Mirehsan. With members split between Brighton and London addresses, they first circulated the demo cassette Planet Sounds, then issued the self-released single "Youth" in 2010. The Mad Mind cassette followed that year, while 2011 brought the single "Lists" and a split with Ale Mania. Personnel adjustments arrived the same year when Phoenix switched to drums and Jen Calleja joined on vocals and sampler. The revised lineup recorded a debut album, discarding two earlier versions before settling on Dreamlands, jointly issued by Faux Discx and Gringo Records in 2012.
After the 2013 single "False Jesii, Pt. 2," work began on a second album, only for creative obstacles to prompt the members to trade instruments and launch the side project Monotony. Prior to the album's arrival, Upset the Rhythm released a split Sauna Youth/Monotony single in May 2015, and Distractions appeared the following month. Sporadic U.K. performances occupied the next two years, alongside day jobs and activity in Primitive Parts, Feature, and Cold Pumas. For the subsequent record the band deliberately complicated the process by booking studio time with no songs yet written. Five months remained to compose and rehearse a full album's worth of material, requiring focused weekly meetings that curbed overthinking. In June 2017 they tracked twelve fierce noise punk songs across three days at No Recording Studios with John Hannon; the tracks addressed political turmoil, work/leisure balance, and artistic integrity. Deaths appeared in September 2018 on Upset the Rhythm.
The group assembled in London in 2009 around vocalist Rich Phoenix, guitarist Lindsay Corstorphine, bassist Christopher Murphy, and drummer Reza Mirehsan. With members split between Brighton and London addresses, they first circulated the demo cassette Planet Sounds, then issued the self-released single "Youth" in 2010. The Mad Mind cassette followed that year, while 2011 brought the single "Lists" and a split with Ale Mania. Personnel adjustments arrived the same year when Phoenix switched to drums and Jen Calleja joined on vocals and sampler. The revised lineup recorded a debut album, discarding two earlier versions before settling on Dreamlands, jointly issued by Faux Discx and Gringo Records in 2012.
After the 2013 single "False Jesii, Pt. 2," work began on a second album, only for creative obstacles to prompt the members to trade instruments and launch the side project Monotony. Prior to the album's arrival, Upset the Rhythm released a split Sauna Youth/Monotony single in May 2015, and Distractions appeared the following month. Sporadic U.K. performances occupied the next two years, alongside day jobs and activity in Primitive Parts, Feature, and Cold Pumas. For the subsequent record the band deliberately complicated the process by booking studio time with no songs yet written. Five months remained to compose and rehearse a full album's worth of material, requiring focused weekly meetings that curbed overthinking. In June 2017 they tracked twelve fierce noise punk songs across three days at No Recording Studios with John Hannon; the tracks addressed political turmoil, work/leisure balance, and artistic integrity. Deaths appeared in September 2018 on Upset the Rhythm.
Albums
Singles
