Psychotic Youth
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1985 in Kramfors, Sweden |
| Founder | Jörgen "Red" Westman |
| Headquarters | Gothenburg , Sweden |
| Products | Punk rock music, albums, singles, EPs |
Psychotic Youth is a punk rock group originating from Sweden, established in 1985 in Kramfors by vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Jörgen "Red" Westman. The initial lineup featured Kent Sjöholm on drums, Anders Nordstrand handling bass duties, and Danish-Swede Nils Lund-Larsen on guitar, with Gunnar Frick joining subsequently to play keyboards.
Starting out as a garage rock outfit inspired by The Nomads and Wilmer X, Psychotic Youth gradually broadened their sound to include elements of rockabilly, surf punk, metal, psychedelia, as well as new wave and power-pop influences.
Their first releases comprised a flexi disc distributed with Westman’s fanzine Straight from the Grooveyard and two albums, Faster! Faster! and Anything For A Thrill, which achieved modest recognition within their local scene.
In 1988, the band moved to Gothenburg and streamlined into a four-member formation with Magnus "Rosehip" Nyberg joining on guitar. After a brief period featuring bassist Erik Danielsson, Gunnar Frick transitioned from keyboards to bass. Their significant breakthrough arrived with the 1989 album Some Fun, produced by Chips Kiesbye of Sator, who also facilitated their contract with Radium 226.05 label. The single "Julie" raised their profile considerably, followed by the 1991 release "It Won't Be Long Before We See The Sun Shine". Extensive touring throughout Scandinavia and parts of Europe helped grow their fanbase.
The 1992 album ..Be in the Sun.., produced by Pär Edwardsson, came before Nyberg’s exit in 1993 to establish Mary Beats Jane. Ulf Abrahamsson then took over guitar duties. Their fifth studio effort Juice!, again produced by Kiesbye, featured singles such as "Elevator Girl" and "MTV". In 1994, Westman founded Blast Records to issue Bamboozle!, which compiled songs from Juice! alongside the Pop EP—highlighted by a notable rendition of Aneka’s "Japanese Boy". Distribution across Europe was handled by German label Wolverine Records.
Following their 1995 tour in Germany, longtime members Kent Sjöholm and Gunnar Frick departed; Dennis Staaf stepped in on drums while Johannes Kagelind assumed bass responsibilities. Under MNW Records, they released the anthology Small Wonders 1985-1996 and reissued earlier albums collectively. After Kagelind relocated to the United States, Crippa Elvis Odin replaced him on bass. Their last album before the hiatus, Stereoids (1998), was produced by Rune Johansson. Collaborative releases included split records with Surf Trio (Splitsville, 1996) and the Richies (Bubblepunk, 1997).
Following their disbandment in 1999, Westman went on to create the rockabilly band The Buckshots. The group reunited for milestone celebrations in 2005 and again in 2010 featuring original members.
Psychotic Youth reassembled in 2015 with fresh personnel at the invitation of US artist Kurt Baker and Norwegian Morten Henriksen for a Scandinavian tour. Simultaneously, Japan’s Waterslide Records issued a compilation marking their 30th anniversary, which led to a tour in Japan during 2016. Riding this wave of renewed enthusiasm, they recorded The Voice of Summer, released in January 2017 through Waterslide/Target Earth Records. Subsequent European tours saw the return of original members Anders Nordstrand and Kent Sjöholm to the lineup.
Their thirteenth studio album, titled 21, was released on 25 January 2019 via Target Earth and Waterslide Records, representing Westman’s twenty-first self-penned record. On 30 October 2020, they unveiled Forever and Never. An upcoming vinyl-exclusive EP containing the previously unreleased track "Silly Song" is planned for release in autumn.
Cassettes
- 1985: The Return of the Screaming Zombies (issued under Ratfink-A-Boo Boo's)
- 1998: Bamboozle (Rock'n'Roller - RNR 017)
Albums
- 1986: Faster! Faster! (Rainbow Music)
- 1988: Anything For A Thrill (Garageland Records)
- 1989: Some Fun (Radium 226.05 Records)
- 1992: ...Be In The Sun... (Radium 226.05 Records)
- 1993: Juice! (Nonstop Records)
- 1994: Pop (mini album on 8-track, Nonstop Records)
- 1994: Bamboozle! (Nonstop Records)
- 1998: Stereoids (Blast/Wolverine Records)
- 2005: Alive on the Midnight Sun (live album, Target Earth Records, Japan)
- 2017: The Voice of Summer (Waterslide/Target Earth Records)
- 2019: 21 (Waterslide/Target Earth Records)
- 2020: Forever and Never (Waterslide/Target Earth Records)
- 2023: Happy Songs (Waterslide/Target Earth Records)
- Collaborative Releases
- 1996: Splitsville (with Psychotic Youth / Surf Trio)
- 1997: Goldie Hawn/Girls Out of Reach (Psychotic Youth / Richies) (Wolverine Records)
- 2000: You Got That Uh Uh (Banana Erectors featuring Psychotic Youth) (Sympathy For The Record Industry)
- 2017: Silly Song (shared release among three bands, Sigourney Records)
- Compilations and Reissues
- 1996: Small Wonders 1985-1995 (MNW Zone)
- 1996: Reissue of Faster! Faster! / Anything for a Thrill (MNW Zone)
- 1996: Reissue of Juice! / Pop (MNW Zone)
- 1999: Juicy Juice (collection of A/B-sides from Pop/Juice, Blast Beat Records, Japan)
- 1999: Juicy Pop (additional A/B-sides from Pop/Juice, Blast Beat Records, Japan)
- 2000 & 2005: Reissues of Stereoids including bonus live tracks and rare material (BOMP/Target Earth Records for Japan)
- 2005: 10th anniversary edition of Bamboozle! featuring a live concert recording (Wolverine Records, Germany)
- 2015: Power Pop To Die For (30-track compilation marking the 30th anniversary, Waterslide/Target Earth Records, Japan)
EPs
- 1986: Devils Train (4-track EP, Garageland Records)
- 2000: Leaving The 20th Century Alive (4-track EP, Gonna Puke label)
Singles
- 1985: "Johnny Too Bad" (flexi-single included with fanzine "Straight From The Grooveyard")
- 1988: "Just Like Me" (released exclusively in France and Spain)
- 1989: "Some Fun" / "Good Times Are Gone" (Radium 226.05)
- 1989: "Julie" / "I Want It Now" (Radium 226.05)
- 1991: "It Won't Be Long Before We See The Sun Shine" (Radium 226.05)
- 1993: "Elevator Girl" (Nonstop Records)
- 1993: "MTV" (Nonstop Records)
- 1994: "Japanese Boy"