Aussie pop-punks and long-time, long-distance friends of Disturbia, Yours Truly have been making waves Down Under for the best part of a decade. The Sydney-based four-piece have released a ton of grungy pop-punk tunes exploring topics of self-reflection, self-care… and self-sabotage. Now, they’re finally bringing their introspective music to the international stage as they embark on their global tour.

We caught up with Mikaila and Teddie at Camden’s Underworld for their London show, to get to know all about Yours Truly.

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Photos by Hayley Fearnly - @hayleyrfoto

Hi guys! So nice to finally chat! So.. there’s a mix of support slots and headline shows on this run – have you had many “firsts” on this tour yet?

Teddie: Most of Europe was a first for us. Pretty much every city we did in Europe was the first time.

Mikaila: Yeah, we played a show in Paris. It was the first date on the You Me at Six and The Hunna tour, which was really cool because we’d never played Paris before - we’d never been. We got to see the Eiffel Tower and do all the touristy things.

Photo by Sethen Sheehan-Lee - @sethen.ssl

How has the fan reception been in these new cities?

Teddie: Really good. We went into it with no real expectations, but it's been crazy, just even in Europe going there for the first time, a lot of people were really, really excited to see us. It's mental to see people on the other side of the world singing your songs back when you're there for the first time.

Mikaila: Yeah, even when English isn't their first language as well, and they're singing your songs and you're like, “This is so cool.”

Photo by Hayley Fearnly - @hayleyrfoto

This tour is in support of your latest EP – is this what I look like? What does this release mean to Yours Truly as a band?

Mikaila:  This release was a really important one because it became so much bigger than we intended. It initially was supposed to be a B-side to our album Self Care as something to tide us over during the pandemic and put out whilst we couldn't tour.

Mikaila: So, we started writing these songs, but we were so inspired by what we were going through and really getting in touch with ourselves and our isolation. The more that we spoke about it as a band, this whole concept of is this what i look like? came about and it was no longer a side project.

Teddie: Yeah, and it fully just like snowballed from the first idea and got bigger and bigger and bigger. I was so happy that it turned out like that.

Photo by Hayley Fearnly - @hayleyrfoto

We’re all about identity & self-expression at Disturbia, and we couldn’t help but notice you repping a little Disturbia on stage... How important is fashion to your identity?

Mikaila: I think fashion and style and everything is so important as a part of self-expression. But there's something about putting on an outfit before you go on stage, that kind of makes you feel like you have superpowers, and then you're going on stage to put on a show. So it's really important to me.

Teddie: Absolutely. It's the same for me. Like when I’m getting dressed, it makes me feel good about myself, I'm automatically gonna have a better day, I'm gonna be more myself. It's the best form of expression for yourself, absolutely.

Photo by Hayley Fearnley - @hayleyrfoto

What do you look for in an alternative stage outfit to really help you stand out from the crowd? Do you feel pressures of being a woman on stage, with external expectations to look a certain way?

Mikaila: I felt like I had to dress a certain way when we started. I felt like I had to wear a baggy T-shirt and jeans to be one of the guys, to feel like I fit in with the scene, especially coming from such a local scene. But, finding my own style made me feel so much better and so much more powerful on stage.

Teddie: I think if you dress the way that makes you feel good, that's the most important part of it all.

Mikaila: Being yourself is so punk rock and it's the whole thing behind, you know, being in a band and listening to alternative music, it’s unique.

Photo by Hayley Fearnley - @hayleyrfoto

What are the songs you always listen to in prep for your performances?

Teddie: I'm really weird. I like to go into my own little world completely, just rest, relax and get all the energy. Then like, 10 minutes or so before the gig, I come hang out with everyone and start building up the energy there. 

Mikaila: I've been listening to Bad Omens and Evanescence when I'm getting ready to go on, so they've been soundtracking this tour for me.

What’s next for Yours Truly? Should we keep an ear out for any new tunes soon?

Mikaila: We have a collaboration with the band called Red Hook that has just come out! It's called Imposter.

Mikaila: Then in a couple of weeks we go to America and we start the tour with Against the Current and Trophy Eyes.

Teddie: Yeah that should be fun, I'm excited to go back to America.

Check out Yours Truly on Spotify