College towns always have something to do. Whether it’s a writing workshop, a knitting class or a house show, cities with big universities thrive nearly all year long. Much of that thriving happens in spaces you don’t notice just by driving downtown, though.
DIY — do-it-yourself — is a culture made for everyone. It’s art; it’s music; it’s food; it’s connection. Iowa City pop-punk band Younger has been rocking in that culture since 2013. Guitarist Rachel Sauter and bassist/singer Amanda Crosby met at a friend’s karaoke birthday party, encountering drummer Sarah Mannix later at The Mill, where they all went to watch shows. They joked about starting a band for a while — up to when until they actually played together in Mannix’s basement, when they realized they were too good not to be a band.
And so, the trio planted their feet firmly on the ground and took off running, quickly making a name for themselves in the city.
“When we started, it felt like the scene was very Americana or indie rock,” Crosby says. “And then with the pandemic and then The Mill closing, I feel like that was kind of a destabilizing force. Bands stopped playing, people moved away. A lot of things changed.”
Music and culture are ever evolving, and the Iowa City scene has changed a lot over the last decade. How does Younger think it’s shifted?
“I get afraid to answer questions like this because I feel like I’m not an all-knowing person,” Crosby laughs. “I think there are so many people making incredible things here, but unless you choose to seek it out, it feels a little bit more underground than it used to.” Then she smiles. “Maybe I’m just getting old and spending too much time in my house. But as long as we’ve been making music, other people have too, and there are so many artistic visions happening in town.”
Mannix agrees with the mystery.
“It feels hard to answer, because [Iowa City] is a college town,” Mannix says. “It just feels like every year changes because people leave every year.”
Of course, Younger has changed, too. When they first started out, all three were still on a learning curve with their respective instruments, but it was never a hinderance. They found their sound through experimentation and wacky songwriting. They stayed in the punk umbrella, maneuvering through '90s riot grrrl, dark art rock and surf/progressive rock. Their driving, buzzy basslines stayed consistent throughout.
The name Younger comes from each of the three members being the youngest siblings in their families. I’m the youngest kid as well, and I’ve always felt creative and artsy and rebellious, wanting to do my own thing. Younger feels the same way.
Younger siblings are real sponges.Guitarist Rachel Sauter
“We were all pretty deep music nerds growing up in public school,” Crosby says. “I was in marching band, jazz band and choir. We connected in that way. We’re the younger people who wanted to do whatever we wanted to do. And we wanted to talk about chord progressions.” She flashes another smile.
“As a younger sibling, I desperately looked up to my brother. He was very cool,” Mannix says. “When he was out of the house, I [would be] in his room, going through his CDs, listening to them. If I heard the door, I’d scurry out or just sit in his room and look at all of his cool band posters.”
“Younger siblings are real sponges,” Sauter adds.
Sponges, indeed. I remember doing the same thing with my sister growing up, sneaking into her room to look at her drawings and fiddle with her electric guitar.
Sauter had a different musical development.
“[My family] was more Suzuki method growing up,” Sauter says. “I played viola and [my siblings] were string players. I was a music major in college, so I came into the band scene as an older person.”
Her classical music training came in handy for their newest album, Y3K, which came out back in April. They dove deeper into their music through its structure, harmonies and time signature swaps.
Then, I asked the dreaded question that makes them roll their eyes every time: Have they ever had struggles presenting as an all-woman band?
“No,” Sauter smirks.
"We don't think about it at all," Mannix laughs.
To them it’s not a big deal. Younger is about the music and the passion; their genders are more like side characters.
“We’ve run into some articles and reviews in the past where it kind of made it about our gender in a way that felt perplexing,” Crosby says. “There was one time an article came out that was about parenthood connected to our band. I felt like that would not have happened with a band full of dudes.”
Although music culture has become more accepting and progressive over the years, it’s still hard to avoid the patronizing smiles and cocky “I can give you a lesson sometime” comments.
“It’s just the world we live in and the way that brains think. That’s been frustrating, though I don’t think it’s ever kept us from playing. But it has been part of the story in a way that we didn’t always welcome,” Crosby says.
Younger is slated to play Gabe’s on Aug. 1 and the Studio One stage at Ingersoll Live in Des Moines on Aug. 29. Their new album, Y3K, is available everywhere.
