ALBORN Tells A Personal Story With “YMI”

There are various factors that lead me to a decision of wanting to write about a particular band or song or album, or whatever the case may be.  Sometimes a band asks me to write a review or a feature.  Other times there is something about the band or their music that intrigues me or makes me feel a certain way, and I decide they would be a perfect subject.

In the case of the band ALBORN, it was a Facebook post that struck a chord with me.  Lead vocalist and guitarist Justin Taylor shared his story behind the band’s new song, “YMI”, and as soon as I read it I knew I wanted to share it with as many people as I could reach.  I contacted the band to ask about it, and they agreed, which made me really happy.

ALBORN, which calls itself a "Blue Collar Metal Band", is based in the Quad Cities, Iowa/Illinois border area.  Band members include Justin; Alex Raser (drums/vocals); Zame Lewis (bass); and Nate Guske (guitar/vocals).  Justin shared with me that the band’s name came from a teacher he had in high school. He said it's a similar story to Lynyrd Skynyrd's band name -- they had a teacher named Leonard Skinner.

Justin started "Alborn Theory" in high school, but was only writing and recording music. He then started playing with Alex, whom he had known since birth, and was formerly in a band with his dad, as well as Justin’s dad and brother. Justin and Alex played as a cover band for several years, mixing in originals when they could. In 2017, they dropped the word "Theory" from the name and stopped doing covers. Zame has been with them since before the name change, and Nate joined very shortly after. 

Typically, Justin writes the foundation of ALBORN’s songs, starting with the music first. He then sends it to the other band members to review, and they work as a group to piece it together from there. Vocals are usually the same process. Justin said he never ships anything out until all of the guys approve it.

“YMI” was produced by CMC21 Productions' Chris Collier & James "Fluff" Harley. Justin told me the band has done eight songs with Chrissy and Fluff as of now, and they are the “dream team”. The band is looking forward to working with them again soon.

Justin shared that the band also has two behind-the-scenes guys who are every bit as important as the band members. Nick Frausto of Darkroom Photography has been capturing every show for the last few years, behind-the-scenes stuff, as well as filming the video for the previous ALBORN single, "Where Were You."

Michael Imel is the band’s tour manager. Justin told me he's been with them since they were still a cover band. Michael handles almost everything, minus songwriting and performing.  The list is HUGE -- merch, transportation, contacts, equipment tech, and so on. “Having Imel and Frausto is an absolute Godsend, and there isn't a chance in Hell we would be even close to where we are without them,” Justin said.

Musically, I think "YMI" is awesome.  One of my favorite parts is after the first chorus, when the song slows down a little bit and there’s this kind of groove element with the guitars and bass.  I really vibe with that part. There are some sick guitar riffs in the track, as well as rapid-fire drum parts, especially in the chorus, that are really cool. The vocals are expressive and emotional and really transport me into the depths of what the song is about. If you asked me based on ‘YMI” what band ALBORN reminds me of, I would honestly say Three Days Grace.

This is a little outside-the-box, but I wanted to share, word-for-word, what Justin Taylor wrote on Facebook about “YMI”.  It moved me so much and honestly, I could not describe the song any better than he did. It’s raw and honest and it’s proof that we are not alone in our struggles, and there is always hope and a light at the end of the dark tunnel. Please take the time to read what Justin wrote.  It’s so meaningful and important and will help you get a better understanding of “YMI”.

“I've been struggling with how to talk about this upcoming song. I want to build excitement for it. I want the video to be seen. I want it to have an impact. But, every time I try to post about it, I'm put back into the same headspace that I was in when we wrote it, and I sort of freeze up. It was a dark time when this song was written, and it forced me to dig waaay deeper than I was comfortable with, and now I kind of have to re-live it.

It's ironic to me that writing lyrics never caused me any distress until I really started opening up. It almost feels like I've created these issues in my head, because prior to writing about them, and allowing thoughts to turn into words, I didn't feel like I had any issues.

The issues came on after the fact, when I would read back what I was writing and singing. I really had to investigate what it was that I was actually trying to say and why these words were coming out, because some of it was just too specific to be accidental or coincidental.

I used to write songs about the struggles of making a career in music, and the confidence of knowing that this is what I was put here to do but for some reason, the universe wouldn't align to make it happen. It always felt like there was a wall in front of me, and every time I knocked it down, another one would appear directly in front of it. I felt defeated for years, and I was pissed about it.

Those thoughts of defeat eventually expanded beyond the bands success (or lack thereof), and led me to start questioning other things. Why can't I pursue what I want? Why can't my passion support me financially? Why is every day exactly the same? Am I going to live in constant monotony for the rest of my life? How is that any different than prison?

These thoughts continued to spiral, leading me to write YMI.

What I failed to do was truly acknowledge all of the AMAZING things that this band has accomplished. Are we full time touring musicians? No. Do we have unlimited money? Do we travel in a luxurious tour bus? Do we sell out arenas all over the country? No.

But is that really what I ever expected this band to become? I have no idea. I suppose I just plagued myself with the negatives to outweigh the positives, despite having no idea what my version of the positives were.

All of this to say, I could not be in a better place right now. The band is having a tremendous year, the calendar is packed, the shows have been wild, and we're having an absolute blast. Had I not been as vulnerable and open as I was when writing this song, who's to say I wouldn't still be pissed and feeling defeated?

At the beginning of this post, I said how I was struggling to talk about this song. I started typing, and I figured it out.

I chose to talk about it, and I overcame it. You can too.”

I did tell Justin that I wanted to use his post in this review, and he was good with it. The more I thought about it, the more I realized there was no way I was only going to share parts of it. It was too well-written to leave anything out, so I chose to use it all. I want to thank Justin for his honesty and transparency. You never truly know whose life you will impact simply by sharing your own story.

ALBORN worked with John Fleischmann, of John F Media, on the “YMI” music video. He helped the band work through the concept they were envisioning, and he brought it to fruition. The band actually filmed three videos with him and Nick Corbin, who they weren't expecting to work with, but ended up bringing an unbelievable amount of unique concepts and talent to the table. Justin told me Nick is to John what Michael Imel is to the band.  They filmed “YMI”, “A Little Less Than Expected” and “Same Roads” over the course of two days.

The video for “YMI” is haunting and poignant. There are some scenes with the band performing the song. The chorus lyrics are reflected in the ropes the band members are tied to in the video:

“Go and get the rope I’ve had enough Let me die alone This world is one Giant fuckin rut If I can’t find some Silver line Then why am I alive?"

In the other scenes, the man in the video is clearly not in a good place in his head.  There is also the symbolism of the flowers burning and dying.  Later in the video, when the band members cut the ropes, the flowers come back to life.  It gives you the idea that the man will, hopefully, be okay in the end.

Justin shared that ALBORN will soon be heading into the studio to record a few songs that they are excited about. The calendar is filling up fast for this year and the band could not be any more excited for it.

As far as shows go, the band is going to focus on hitting the Midwest hard for the remainder of the year, so they encourage anyone in the area to “come hang and throw down with us!”

ALBORN has multiple shows scheduled this spring and summer, starting with a four-show run with Left On Red May 29th through June 1st. They have two shows with Etched In Embers in July, and a show with Alice In Chains cover band Rooster in August.  I’ve included the show fliers at the end of this story.

Stay tuned to the band’s socials for all of the latest information on new music and shows.  You can follow ALBORN on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Written by: Annie Schlottman