Rolling Stone Australia September 2017

47

BA ND OF

BROTHERS

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN TSIAVIS

How Dave Le’aupepe found healing

in Gang of Youths’ new album

BY ROD YATES

T

he girl with the pink hair and gang of youths t-

shirt standing by a busy intersection in L.A.’s Echo Park

neighbourhood can barely believe her eyes. Striding toward

her, dressed uniformly in black, his thick thatch of chocolate

brown hair bobbing atop his head, is the Sydney band’s frontman, David

Le’aupepe, who only minutes earlier had, ironically, expressed his de-

light at the anonymity he enjoys in America. As he crosses Sunset Bou-

levard and moves closer toward her, she gasps audibly and says, “Oh