Isolated Youth offer a haunting glimpse of their dark debut album with the release of its introspective title track, guided by The Horrors’ Faris Badwan who handles the production.
Sonically, the track channels the spirit of Nina Simone’s Sinnerman and Arvo Pärt’s Miserere, reshaping their essence into a fresh post punk number full of character.
The song was inspired by a defining moment for guitarist William Mårdbarg, who, after temporarily moving back in with his parents, had to make his way to Stockholm. The journey required him to trudge through a snow-covered field, battling relentless winds that lashed across the desolate landscape. Flanked by a dense forest, he struggled against the icy gusts that nearly forced his eyes shut, his footsteps muffled by the deep snow, testing both his resolve and endurance.
"I sat down in the small wooden shelter at the bus stop. I had a strange feeling when I started writing lyrics inspired by ‘Sinnerman’, so much so that despite being very cold that winter day, I forgot to step out to show myself when the bus arrived, and it blew past," William recalls. “I based it similarly on the bass line I couldn't get out of my head, and wrote each part in my head in the cold. However, for the life of me, I couldn't come up with the final bit of lyrics, so Axel wrote something different much later, I don’t think I ever would, so it was probably for the better.”
Inspired by a conversation with filmmaker Gernot Wieland, William comments on the song's concept: "We are secularized in Sweden, but also Protestants. When Gernot spoke about his Catholic upbringing in lower Austria, I could really relate to the themes of guilt, spiritualism, family dynamics – it felt like the answers were there, waiting to be processed through the various works I write."
ZR