The two halves of Illinois-based Americana duo The Bashful Youngens had never met before but immediately recognized a sort of magic that happened when they made music together. It was happenstance, but they chanced upon what appeared to be a perfect fit.
“We’ve grown more fond of this story over the years because the more we think about it after telling it, the more it seems it was destined to happen,” explained “Youngen,” Carrie Chandler. “We both grew up about only 20 minutes from each other in neighboring small central Illinois towns. It wasn’t until a college party at a mutual friend’s house that we actually met, and just so happened to be in the same room when a guitar was presented. I started playing a song on it that Aaron knew really well, and somehow, we both ended up playing and singing it at this party.”
“We could tell right away that our voices just kind of seemed to click,” she said. “So, we figured we’d see what we might be capable of. We started learning covers and hit up open mic nights around Champaign after that, eventually writing our own tunes, getting a full band to strengthen our sound, and recording and releasing material.”
More new music – which is self-described on the band’s website as falling “somewhere between modern folk and alt-country” – is forthcoming.
“We are currently in the studio working on a new album to be released later this year,” Chandler said. “We’ve been releasing singles and video sessions more recently. It’s taken us a few years to get back into the studio for another full-length project, so we are excited to see it come to life and eventually share it with everyone upon completion.” She explained how they have “been laying low on shows as we focus on finishing this album, but are looking forward to getting back at it this summer, so stay tuned for some more dates.”
Chandler and her performance partner, Aaron Short, have background stories that might seem familiar to others who have devoted their lives to music. For Chandler, becoming a performer was an evolution; for Short, it was more of a spark of inspiration. It was a moment in time.
“I grew up with a piano and organ in the house,” Short explained. He said his mom played the organ at church on Sundays. When bored, he’d sometimes “goof off” on the ivories, but he remembers thinking he was “too cool” for the piano lessons his mother suggested. It’s something he wishes he could “go back and slap myself for.”
Then…something changed. He had an unforgettable moment because of Nirvana.
“I never really caught the bug to learn any instrument until I was about 13, and a friend at a sleepover started playing ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ on his acoustic guitar,” Short reminisced. “I thought it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen anyone do.”
“I used all of my savings to get a guitar from a local shop that had closed down shortly after that, and then used a well-timed, month-long disciplinary grounding from my folks to teach myself as much as I could and practice all the time,” he continued. “I never really thought about playing in front of anyone, let alone singing on a stage of any kind, until I met Carrie. I guess I needed someone else to lean on to get me out of my shell and start performing in that capacity.”
Chandler also recounts her lifelong love affair with music.
“I’ve been heavily involved in music in one form or another since I can remember,” she said. “My parents were very encouraging of pursuing the arts, and I was naturally drawn to that more than sports or other extracurriculars. I remember as a young kid writing my own little songs in a journal with a melody in my head far before I knew how to play an instrument.”
Her grandmother used to play piano as well, and Chandler still carries that influence with her: “That same piano now resides at my house and is the main tool for writing and teaching lessons.”
She took some music lessons on both piano and guitar, but the lessons she really stuck with were for vocals and drums.
“I dedicated a lot of my time in middle and high school to drumline and chorus and was convinced I would move on to play on a drumline in college until a back injury my senior year of high school forced me to part ways with that dream,” she said. “I picked up a guitar a year later at 19 and started trying to write my own songs.”
“The rest is history, so they’d say,” she added.
Chandler said The Bashful Youngens have enjoyed the warm embrace of the Americana music world.
“Most of the people we’ve been lucky to be around in that community have just been very supportive, engaged and willing to help without hesitation,” she explained. “And it usually goes beyond music. Most of these folks are small business owners in the area or have other sets of skills that get shared when needed.”
“It’s unlike anything I’ve experienced,” she said. “Specifically, the Champaign-Urbana scene. I’ve heard a few people who have left this area talk about how much they miss the community aspect they experienced here.”
While she compliments her home area, Chandler recognized it might not be special in that regard; she’s seen the same support networks in places across the country where The Bashful Youngens travel for gigs.
“That’s the type of folks this kind of music attracts, I think, that’s why maybe it’s a feeling so universally experienced,” she said.
Feature Photo by Anna Longworth