Youth Lagoon, the celebrated indie project of Idaho-based artist Trevor Powers, confronts death with open arms on “Speed Freak,” the first offering from, Rarely Do I Dream, out Feb. 21 via Fat Possum.
In a statement Powers said the new song was borne out of a thought he had of “giving the angel of death a hug.” “Speed Freak” channels the eerie serenity that statement evokes, propelled by a distorted synth pulse but eventually glowing with more gossamer tones as Powers sings softly, “Tear me down/Like the dream in the face of my daughter/I feel sorry/I’m a speed freak.”
Of the song, Powers added, “We spend our whole lives running from this thing we can’t outrun. This body is temporary, but there is no death. Only transformation. A door opens when you learn to let go of the identity you’ve been building your whole life. Someone told me a couple years ago, ‘I have good news for you and I have bad news. The bad news is Trevor is doomed. There’s no hope for Trevor. The good news is — you’re not Trevor.’ When I heard that, it clicked.”
“Speed Freak” also features one of the hallmarks of Rarely Do I Dream, an evocative sample of an old home movie. Back in 2023, Powers discovered an old shoe box filled with tapes in his parents’ basement and was soon digging through the trove, recording his favorite bits straight off the TV and incorporating the clips into his new music as Youth Lagoon.
Powers explained that he hoped the samples would make listeners “feel like they were inside my living room in 1993, but rearrange the furniture a bit.” He added: “The more I rewind the tapes of my life, the more I can hear the voice of my soul. This isn’t nostalgia. Life’s much more messy than that. It’s a dedication to all the parts of who I was, who I am, and who I’m going to be.”
Along with “Speed Freak,” Rarely Do I Dream will feature three previously released tunes: “Football,” “Lucy Takes a Picture,” and “My Beautiful Girl.” Powers recorded the album with co-producer and mixer-engineer Rodaidh McDonald.
Youth Lagoon will hit the road in support of Rarely Do I Dream this spring, as well. The trek kicks off March 27 in Spokane, Washington and wraps May 16 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Tickets for all shows will go on sale Jan. 10 at 10 a.m. local time.
Rarely Do I Dream follows Youth Lagoon’s acclaimed 2023 album, Heaven Is a Junkyard, which was the first YL album since 2015’s Save Hills Ballroom. In between, Powers released two albums under his own name, 2018’s Mulberry Violence and 2020’s Capricorn.
Youth Lagoon 2025 Tour Dates
March 27 – Spokane, WA @ District Bar @ Knitting Factory
March 28 – Missoula, MT @ ZACC
March 29 – Boise, ID @ Treefort Fest
April 3 Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater
April 4 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
April 5 – Victoria, BC @ Upstairs
April 6 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile
April 8 – San Francisco, CA @ August Hall
April 9 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent
April 10 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah
April 11 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
April 14 – San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger
April 15 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk
April 16 – Dallas, TX @ Deep Ellum Art Co
April 18 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
April 19 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Altar)
April 20 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
April 21 – Washington, D.C. @ The Atlantis
April 22 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry
April 24 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw
April 25 – Jersey City, NJ @ White Eagle Hall
April 26 – New Haven, CT @ Space Ballroom
April 27 – Boston, MA @ Middle East Downstairs
April 29 – Montreal, QC @ La Sala Rossa
May 1 – Toronto, ON @ Axis
May 2 – Detroit, MI @ El Club
May 3 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
May 4 – Louisville, KY @ Whirling Tiger
May 5 – Indianapolis, IN @ Hi-Fi
May 7 – Chicago, IL @ Outset
May 8 – Milwaukee, WI @ Vivarium
May 9 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
May 10 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
May 12 – St. Louis, MO @ Atomic Cowboy
May 13 – Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck
May 15 – Denver, CO @ Marquis
May 16 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Block Party
