“I’m​​an​​old​​man​​in​​a​​young​​man’s​​body,”​​says​​George​​van​​den​​Broek,​​better​​known​​as​​YellowDays.​​Anyone​​who​​has​​spent​​some​​time​​soaking​​in​​the​​18-year-old​​singer/songwriter/producer’svoice​​might​​agree.​​Though​​his​​psychedelic,​​lo-fi​​music​​paints​​a​​vivid​​picture​​of​​teenage​​life,​​itdoes​​so​​using​​the​​brushstrokes​​of​​a​​deep​​and​​heartbreaking​​voice​​that​​could​​belong​​to​​a​​manmuch​​older.​​With​​mournful​​cadences​​and​​ragged,​​passionate​​extremes,​​it’s​​a​​voice​​that​​colourseverything​​he​​sings​​about​​with​​a​​kind​​of​​weary​​nostalgia,​​imagining​​the​​present,​​even​​as​​ithappens,​​as​​the​​past.George​​grew​​up​​in​​the​​leafy​​suburb​​of​​Haslemere,​​in​​Surrey,​​U.K.,​​where​​he​​says​​he​​lives​​a“quiet​​life​​for​​an​​18-year-old,”​​taking​​in​​the​​incredible​​views.​​He​​wanted​​to​​pursue​​music​​eversince,​​as​​a​​child,​​he​​learned​​about​​his​​grandpa’s​​stint​​as​​a​​saxophonist​​in​​a​​jazz​​band​​with​​abrief​​spell​​of​​success​​in​​the​​1960s.​​The​​rest​​of​​his​​family​​is​​musical,​​too:​​his​​parents​​would​​oftenplay​​piano​​and​​blast​​psych​​rock​​from​​Pink​​Floyd​​and​​Led​​Zeppelin,​​and​​his​​two​​brothersexposed​​him​​to​​everything​​from​​Rage​​Against​​the​​Machine​​to​​Chris​​Brown.As​​he​​hit​​his​​teens,​​George’s​​world​​was​​shifted​​by​​experimental,​​jazz-influenced​​pop​​artists​​likeThundercat​​and​​Tame​​Impala,​​and​​the​​grunge-y​​playfulness​​of​​Mac​​Demarco.​​His​​own​​music,he​​explains,​​aspires​​to​​be​​“the​​next​​generation​​of​​that​​music,​​pushing​​what​​they​​started.”​​But​​hisall-time​​musical​​hero​​is​​Ray​​Charles.​​“He,​​for​​me,​​is​​the​​epitome​​of​​music.​​That’s​​what​​it’s​​allabout​​—​​all​​of​​the​​honesty​​and​​rawness​​that​​I​​want​​to​​hear.”​​Learning​​guitar​​from​​his​​brothersand​​teaching​​himself,​​along​​with​​friends,​​to​​produce​​beats,​​George​​built​​himself​​a​​studio​​in​​hisgarden​​shed​​so​​he​​could​​fully​​immerse​​himself​​in​​creating​​his​​own​​sonic​​world.It​​was​​between​​the​​ages​​of​​14​​and​​16​​that​​George​​created​​Yellow​​Days,​​and​​began​​writing​​thesongs​​that​​would​​form​​his​​bluesy​​debut​​EP​​​Harmless​​Melodies​.​​“T​he​​aim​​was​​to​​encapsulateyouth,”​​he​​reflects.​​“I​​wanted​​the​​whole​​thing​​to​​be​​about​​me​​growing​​up,​​and​​how​​it​​​feels​​​togrow​​up,​​the​​things​​you​​go​​through.​​Yellow​​Days​​itself​​means​​a​​yellow​​mist​​over​​your​​life,​​whichyou​​see​​through​​—​​it’s​​a​​metaphor​​for​​youth,​​and​​the​​extreme​​feelings​​you​​get.​​I​​write​​aboutthose​​extreme​​feelings.”​​The​​release​​was​​the​​first​​taste​​of​​what​​to​​expect​​from​​a​​world-buildingartist​​who​​writes,​​produces,​​and​​designs​​everything​​himself.​​Interspersed​​with​​philosophicalquotes​​on​​creativity​​from​​John​​Cleese,​​the​​EP’s​​kicked-back​​songs​​weave​​their​​way​​from​​a​​lazySunday​​afternoon​​jam,​​to​​missives​​that​​stare​​teenage​​loneliness​​and​​unrequited​​love​​in​​theface.On​​his​​upcoming​​project​​​Is​​Everything​​Okay​​in​​Your​​World?​,​​out​​​​October​​27​​on​​Good​​Years,George​​is​​even​​more​​forthright​​and​​fearless​​when​​it​​comes​​to​​looking​​tough​​subjects​​in​​the​​eye.The​​title,​​he​​explains,​​is​​a​​phrase​​so​​frequently​​heard​​by​​“people​​who​​struggle​​with​​things​​—people​​who​​get​​anxiety,​​depression,​​people​​who​​just​​can’t​​quite​​get​​along.​​Basically​​on​​theproject,​​each​​song​​is​​an​​answer​​to​​the​​question.”Philosophical​​in​​nature,​​George​​is​​always​​thinking​​on​​a​​large​​scale.​​“I’ve​​always​​just​​had​​agenuine​​interest​​in​​the​​big​​questions​​in​​life,”​​he​​says.​​“A​​lot​​of​​people​​have​​always​​found​​it​​hardto​​handle,​​they​​don’t​​like​​to​​talk​​about​​things​​like​​that,​​they​​find​​it​​uncomfortable,​​but​​I’ve​​always
searched​​for​​that​​kind​​of​​conversation.”​​After​​the​​next​​project,​​he​​hopes​​to​​release​​many​​more,with​​each​​taking​​a​​question​​(like​​​Is​​Everything​​Okay...?​)​​as​​its​​starting​​point.​​“The​​next​​[release]will​​respond​​to​​a​​different​​question,​​and​​then​​a​​conversation​​will​​go​​on,​​basically.​​My​​wholecareer​​will​​be​​a​​conversation.​​That’s​​what​​I’m​​working​​on.”