We had the good fortune of connecting with Jason Young and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jason, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
As an artist my work is project based and the question of whether to give up on a project or keep going is a theme that seems to have been never ending in my career. I’m a solo artist now but I’ve been in bands since middle school and they are complicated organisms. Like a gang or a four way marriage. All of the bands I’ve been in eventually dissolved for reasons as unique as how the came together. I did manage to keep my band The Ruse together for 15 years and I consider that to be somewhat miraculous. The key to that one was that we grew up together and there is a certain magic about the bonds you create in a childhood friendship.

In my solo work it is always a constant struggle to keep working on a song or to give it up to the dust bin. My method is persistence and to have many songs going at the same time. If I hit a wall with one I put it aside and continue work on something else or start something new. Eventually the songs that are good enough rise to the top and demand to be finished.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
First and foremost I am a drummer but I’ve also been putting out solo records under the name Heartour since 2003. I’m really excited about my new EP ‘Divert the Asteroid’ which comes out in June 2021. It’s a follow up to my 5th album ‘R U IN’ that was released last year during the first month of lockdown.

I moved to LA from New York with my band The Ruse in 2005. We put out a bunch of indie records, toured all over the US for several years and just ended our career with 2 stadium shows in Mexico City opening for Muse in 2019. My life in music has had it’s ups and downs but I’ve been fortunate to live most of my dreams and had experiences that I never could have imagined. Any time I finish a tour or a record, I try to take a breath and then I’ll start playing again. I just love the magic of shows, the process of creating songs out of thin air and hitting my drums.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Favorite spots for live music: The Fonda Theatre
The Hotel Cafe
The Troubadour
Greek Theatre

Favorite restaurants:
Jitlada Thai on Sunset
La Cabana in Venice
KazuNori
Cafe Gratitude

Art:
The Broad
LACMA

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shout out is Sahir “Sai” Hanif. Sai is one of the most inspiring people I’ve worked with in this business. Not only did he start an amazing drum company called ‘Masters of Maple Drums,’ that I’ve been playing exclusively for the past decade but he is also my first call for live production, tour managing and logistics. I would have been lost without him on the 3 tours arena tours we did with Muse in Asia and Mexico.

Website: www.heartour.com

Instagram: instagram.com/heartour

Twitter: twitter.com/heartour

Facebook: Facebook.com/heartour

Youtube: www.youtube.com/HeartourTube

Other: ‘Divert the Asteroid’ EP out June 25th 2021

Image Credits
Indoor Photos by Dillon G Artzer Outdoor Photos by Elli Lauren Divert the Asteroid EP cover art by Nino Accardi

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