Youth Lagoon is back with a new album, 'Heaven Is a Junkyard'

Youth Lagoon has returned, announcing a brand new album and dropping the first single 'Idaho Alien'.

Youth Lagoon released three albums between 2011 and 2015 before retiring the name in 2016 and releasing two albums under his real name, Trevor Powers. Now Powers is making the switch back, ready to release his fourth album as Youth Lagoon, 'Heaven Is a Junkyard'.

The album is due out on 9th June via Fat Possum, and is previewed by the first single 'Idaho Alien', with a video directed by Tyler T. Williams.

Powers spoke of his return to the Youth Lagoon name, saying: "I felt like I was in a chokehold. Even though it was my music, I lost my way. In a lot of ways, I lost myself."

It wasn't until October 2021 that Powers' life took a turn for the worse, after a bad reaction to an over-the-counter medicine caused him to lose his voice. "I saw seven doctors and multiple specialists. I lost over 30 pounds. No one could help me," he says.

After a trying time, Powers found himself with a renewed focus on home. He remarks: "I’ve always written about far away things, but the best material has been right in front of me this whole time in Idaho."

Speaking about the new single, Powers explains: “I’ve always loved old hardboiled crime novels. They’re twisted but pure. ‘Idaho Alien’ comes from that space. Home often feels like a Jim Thompson book. One of my neighbors smokes meth all day and mows the lawn at 2:00 am. Her boyfriend lived in a tent in her backyard, and one day she locked him out of the house so he went as far as trying to stab her. He got sent to prison for 10 years. She told me she still loves him, and I told her she deserves better. The last time I asked her not to mow the lawn at 2:00 am, we wound up talking about aliens and Subway sandwiches. Every November, a church group rakes her leaves and tells her about Jesus. I don’t think it’s working.”