YOU ME AT SIX
You Me At Six are a five piece rock band from Surrey. They have released three albums since forming as the line up that they are now, in 2007 at the tender ages of 17/18.
Each album has a distinctive sound that expresses both the musical and emotional maturity they have experienced.
“Take Off Your Colours” released in 2007 and then re-released in 2008 is a generic pop-punk album. The album art work is very simplistic yet artistic and relevant to the album.
The songs have the typical boy/girl relationship storyline, which is echoed in their music videos.
Their first independent video “Gossip” was shot on a handheld camera at a house party they hosted. It uses very simplistic techniques and primarily demonstrates the fun lifestyle they lead as teens with short performance clips. The main identification is with the lead singer Josh Franceschi who is mobbed by girls as he walks through the party.
“Save it For The Bedroom” sees the band experiment with intertextual references such as the video concept of a chat show and voyeuristic techniques. At the time director Shane Davey would have used these techniques to help establish the band as professional yet still carefree and therefore a typical pop-punk band. This is highlighted when band member Max Helyer runs on stage naked, covering himself with a pineapple before using it to help destroy the stage. 
Later music videos from them such as “Jealous Minds Think Alike” see the band experiment with a performance based video with close identification with each band member rather than just the lead singer. This establishes the band as a whole and focuses on their desire to play music. The whole video has a slightly darker atmosphere, aided by the fact it is shot at night, which makes the video appear more mature.
Their second album ‘Hold Me Down’ demonstrates them experimenting with a slightly heavier sound. This is mimicked through the album artwork. The cover vaguely shows a boy walking through an explosion of colour, this represents the burst of emotion lead singer Josh Franceschi was experiencing whilst writing this album. He was going through a break up with his long term girlfriend and the songs reflect those difficult times. Each single that was released acted as a chapter in his story which was shown through the signature consistent artwork. His lyrics can relate to many teens and so they form the basis of the target audience. ‘The Consequence’ was the first track released from this album and featured vocals from Sean Smith from ‘The Blackout’. This was a much heavier song due to the ‘screamo’ vocals. The video is black and white and is a performance based video. It features shots from their headline tours and backstage antics. This felt like a more mature approach from the band.
The next video released is one of their biggest hits to date. ‘Underdog’ soared its way into the UK charts and is regularly featured on reality TV shows and as diegetic background music in soaps. The video is primarily performance based but has the side storyline of a relationship that falls apart due to cheating. It features characters of the late teen age so once again is relatable to the audience. It uses low key lighting to once again indicate the bands darker side.
Another video released from ‘Hold Me Down’ was ‘Liquid Confidence’. This was also a performance based and narrative video featuring the band. This video shows the lead singer heartbreak as he tries to put on brave face for filming the music video. Included are shots of the band feeling frustrated and resulting in them giving up trying and dealing with all their hard feelings. This allows the audience to identify with the band as everyone experiences rough times and it shows that they are human.
Their last video released on this album was ‘Stay With Me’. This is also one of their biggest hits, with its anthemic chorus it really connects with the audience. It is also a performance based and narrative video showing the concept of growing and nurturing a relationship to make it work. This shows the band in a softer light but still with the slightly somber tone in the verses. The location uses very high key natural lighting as it is in a field in California. This gives the impression of it being a big song due to the amount of space that is being used to convey the meaning to the audience. It feels as though the band have been stripped down to show off their talent with the narrative being there to support and give meaning to the emotion sung in the lyrics.
Before the release of their third album, You Me At Six released a single with rap artist Chiddy. The track was titled ‘Rescue Me’ and caused a lot of controversy. Many fans felt as though the band were loosing their identity and turning mainstream due to its air play on well known radio stations and the different sound they had experimented with. The video is a narrative video that shows a boxers struggle with life, with the boxing symbolizing this. The artwork for this single was a red cross on a white background, building references with a casualty/hospital. After the release of this single, there was a lot of uncertainty concerning the route the band were taking for their next album.
You Me At Six’s highly anticipated third album ‘Sinners Never Sleep’ was finally released only recently. This album has seen the band dub their carefree pop punk attitude and condone a more mature and serious rock approach to music. This is echoed in their album artwork, with the use of a monochrome colour scheme and the theme of prison. The music has adopted a heavier tone and their image has certainly adapted to match this. The once clean cut fresh looking boys now look like the mature rock stars they sound like.Their first single ‘Loverboy’ is much like the anthemic sound we’re used to from them. However it is slightly heavier than the pop punk sound that’s so familiar. The music video definitely aids in adopting the darker mood. It shows them undergoing police interviews and lashing out in anger in most cases. There are also some performance based shots incorporated into the video whilst in the interview room. This however sees the introduction of a group of people crammed into the room whilst each individual band member plays their part. The low key lighting, red tint and raw emotion portrayed into this video show You Me At Six as a real rock band. It puts a whole new outlook on their music for all its audience.
You Me At Six burst onto the music scene in 2007 as fresh faced, fun loving boys who just wanted to make music, now they are selling out arena tours and taking the rock scene by storm. The media have been there through every step of their journey of growing up and establishing themselves as a band.
In early interviews they were dubbed as hot shots in skinny jeans and vans but a recent interview in Kerrang! was titled ‘death to pop-punk come over to the dark side’. To suit this new image they were creating, they have adopted a rougher look. The once clean cut boys are now experimenting with tattoos and facial hair, making them more so appealing than they ever were. Their new found sound has come after a long emotional journey with more ups and downs than you could ever believe. Some heartbreaking events have happened which have not only matured the band but brought them closer than ever. This strong bond they now have is easily read and digested by their fans, helping with the success of their music.
In video interviews it is still clear to see the band like to have fun. Although they have grown up a considerable amount, they are still young and fun. With the videos it is clear for the audience to see who they really are and learn to like them as people not just musicians. Their tour diaries are examples of this. You get a clear insight into the touring lifestyle and how they cope living with each other and away from home. You can’t lie to the camera so whatever they are feeling, you feel it too. As well as having their own YouTube channel, the band are on all other social networking sights; Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and MySpace to name a few. Twitter allows their audience to hear from the individual members of the band and not the just the band as a whole. This helps to build identification and a connection between artist and fans.
The bands official website also supports all of their social networking sites with a wall for posting comments and the ability to read news, bio and view a gallery of the band along with links to tour dates and merchandise.
All of the above internet sites aid in the promotion of the band however due to their recent success, they have frequently appeared on radio stations such as Radio1 to plug their new album. There have also been advertisements in music magazines and on music channels such as Scuzz, NME and Kerrang! to advertise their tour. This cross media production is essential for the bands success.
Three members of the band have their own clothing ranges that they often model which acts as promotions for their products to their fans. Matt Barnes owns clothing company ‘Cheer Up Clothing’ Josh Franceschi heads ‘Down But Not Out’ and guitarist Max Helyer runs recently established ‘Become Antique’. These clothing ranges are worn by all of the band and often other bands of their genre. This generates a style that appeals to their audience.You Me At Six are renowned for their sell out tours and atmospheric vibes. Their crowds absorb the emotion and are more than happy to sing back the lyrics creating an indescribable overwhelming feeling. The bands energy is echoed throughout the crowd with them complying with anything lead singer Josh asks of them. Their talent and skill is unquestionable and has seen them secure sets year after year at well known festivals such as T in The Park, V Festival and Reading and Leeds just to name a few in the UK. However their success is worldwide! They have also played the Warped Tour in America and Soundwave in Australia along with many others.
The band are quite open during interviews with sharing information so any gossip surrounding them is soon cleared up. Most of the talk surrounded Josh Franceschi and his break up with long term girlfriend which triggered album number two ‘Hold Me Down’. Their recent album came in a deluxe edition which included their documentary ‘Bite My Tongue’. This told the story of the band from day one, through the ups and the downs, the bad times and the good, all is exposed. Rumors of their break up are cleared up and personal life crisis and heartbreak are also dealt with. This documentary is truly moving and builds a strong connection between the audience and band. You experience and understand their journey as a band and their process of growing up.Kristie Henry
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