Premiere: Youngblood Hawke, ‘Waking Up the World’

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Youngblood Hawke (Photo by Shaughn Crawford)

Seven years after arriving with a debut album of colorful, synth-splashed exuberance, Youngblood Hawke return this week with another tall drink of euphoria for parched throats.

The L.A. quintet’s new single “Waking Up the World,” out Friday, is a footloose rallying cry fueled by “the power of positive change,” singer Sam Martin says. “Oftentimes, personal pain, regret and suffering become a catalyst for constructive change.”

It’s the first single from Youngblood Hawke’s sophomore full-length “Edge of the World,” out Oct. 9. The album was first teased just a year after their debut “Wake Up” was released in 2013. But, speaking of change, the myriad activities of the band’s members relegated Youngblood Hawke to the back burner. Martin (Tangie Town), Alice Katz (Alice MK) and Tasso Smith (Thom Sawyr) worked on other musical ventures. Simon Katz began an A&R career at Universal, working as both a staff producer and executive. And drummer Nik Hughes toured with Bishop Briggs and is currently performing and recording with Bush.

Since that debut, Youngblood Hawke have reminded fans of their ability to deliver big pop hooks with a sprinkling of almost-annual singles. “Pressure” arrived in 2014, followed by “Knock Me Down,” “Landslide,” “Robbers” and “Trust” in each ensuing year.

The new album, the band says, is a more collaborative affair. Though originators Martin and Simon Katz did plenty of heavy lifting, Alice Katz, Smith and Hughes contributed to the songwriting. The band recorded as a collective.

“Waking Up the World” is the first of three singles Youngblood Hawke will release leading up to the album’s arrival in October.

||| Stream: “Waking Up the World”

||| Previously: “Trust,” “Robbers,” live at the Hammer Museum, “We Come Running”