Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to YOUTHYEAR. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

YOUTHYEAR, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

One thing I’ve learned about taking risks is sometimes the risks don’t feel like risks…and sometimes they do haha. For example not going to college didn’t feel like a risk cuz I was 100% sure I was gonna do music. It was my life, my passion, my obsession and still is. I didn’t have a plan B and still don’t, because I knew from watching and learning from people who came before me how hard it is to make it in the music industry. I knew that if I had a plan B, it might look appealing to take that turn if things got rough. I STILL have people telling me I need a plan B even though I’m successfully making a living off music. For me the risks today I face are more so financial. I’m self releasing everything and pouring my heart and soul (and finances) into this project. On one hand, I’m like damn, should I be doing something more “responsible” with that money? But that’s just fear. It comes and goes, and that’s not the voice I choose to listen to. I believe in this music and these songs, and even if it weren’t to “work out” then it doesn’t really matter because I love the music and art I’ve made. If I don’t give a shot and bet on myself, who the f**k will?!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

A little about me: YOUTHYEAR is the moniker of Eric Paquette. I’m a Nashville based artist, songwriter, and producer originally from Western Massachusetts. I’ve been lucky enough to have collaborated with alt giants Lit, Dashboard Confessional, Letdown, and Michigander as well as Butch Walker, Desmond Child, Colin Brittain, members of No Doubt and more. My first single “Basement” kicked off the start of 2024’s releases and are the first step outside of the writer/producer chair and into the artist spotlight. While I’ve been in bands all my life since I was 12 years old, I started over countless times to get to where I am today. My upcoming releases and sound are an alt-rock collection of post-party/post-relationship songs with elements of 90s nostalgia, hip-hop, nü-school pop-punk and also draws influence from the more melodic side of grunge. Themes of self-sabotage and struggling with sobriety are juxtapositioned with bright colorful melodies and are a reflection of my own experience with addiction and the darker corners of my recovery journey. Alongside rock legend Carlo Colasacco (Shinedown, Sueco) the two of us co-wrote and co-produced all of the upcoming songs scheduled to release all throughout 2024. Over the last year I played the first shows with my live band in Nashville, TN including dates at the Basement East, Exit/In, Marathon Music Works (Nashville), The Music Box in San Diego, CA and The Middle East in Boston, MA, sharing the stage with Mayday Parade, Say Anything, Relient K, Cassadee Pope, The Starting Line, Knox, Lil Lotus & more. A tour is in the works for Spring/Summer 2024.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

First off. I don’t believe in the term “non-creative”. I believe we were all born to create. Sometimes it looks like making music or writing a book, or maybe its planting a garden or making creative moves in business. Creativity doesn’t always have to result in a tangible thing either. I believe that we all have a creative voice inside and it’s just a matter of learning how to listen to it and nurture that voice. I’ve done a lot of work to setup a creative life for myself over the years. Recently the book “The Artist Way” helped me so much and if you think you’re a “non-creative” but have a small desire to create, I suggest you check out that book. Or if you’re someone like me who considers themself an artist in one form or another it can help you to nurture and heal that voice that can sometimes become damaged by what society tells us we need to be or have, or even by our own fears and insecurities.

I think something that was hard (and still can be hard) for my family and some people close to me to understand, is the ability to trust in the process and take certain risks and jumps, even with no clear “destination” or guaranteed outcome. Their fears and worries and love for me and conception of “security” has sometimes been a struggle in the past. I think now it’s getting easier for them and for me to see that while there is never a guarantee, my work is paying off and at the very least I am happy. What more could someone want for someone else than for them to have a happy and fulfilling life? Of course we all wanna be successful. But what’s the point of any of the “things” on the outside if you’re not ok on the inside?

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A big lesson, or misconception I had to unlearn was that I wouldn’t make it in the music industry if I was sober. While I am sober now and have been for some time. this misconception kept me out drinking and using drugs for a lot longer than I should have. I truthfully believed this and was even told this by a producer I was working with when I confided in them about how I was struggling with a drinking problem. This could not have been farther than the truth. I thought I needed to be at all the parties and networking events that I was starting to get invited to in NYC and LA and that was how it was gonna happen for me. The truth is, it’s about the work. It’s about the art. The partying can be cool and fun and was fun for me for awhile till it wasnt and I couldn’t handle it or that lifestyle anymore. It nearly killed me. The things that have worked for me have always been tied to the work. Making songs with people and to being a present clear headed version of myself. All the other stuff was just a distraction.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://youthyearofficial.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamyouthyear/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamyouthyear
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamyouthyear
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyOI3pX3v8uu6D1Hudc2E5w
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iamyouthyear

Image Credits
The photos where I am where the pink cardigan were taken by: Gabbi Rae @gabbiraephotos The crowd surfing photo by: dillphotos @dillphotos The live shot with the YOUTHYEAR logo by: Raine @rainemedia