Harrison Young

American singer and multi-instrumentalist HARRISON YOUNG made a name for himself touring and recording with some of the biggest names in European metal. He worked for over a decade with Doro Pesch, playing rhythm guitar, keyboards, and eventually bass in her band, alongside a long stint with U.D.O. as their keyboardist.

Behind the scenes, however, he’s been just as busy recording and releasing an expansive and diverse collection of original music – 10 albums worth, to be exact. He celebrated that career milestone earlier this year in The Netherlands with his own concert of epic proportions, which was recorded and documented for his upcoming live album and concert film, “Live At Paard.”

The material covered is indeed vast, drawing from each era of his musical life from his native New York City bands, EBE and Earth Minor, to his latest European outfits like Little Neon and, most notably, The Cards, his “classic rock” collaboration with legendary Saxon guitarist Paul Quinn. Along with drummer Koen Herfst, of Vandenberg, the trio reunited live on stage for the first time post-Covid for this show and subsequent live album.

Quinn and Herfst weren’t the only fellow metal troubadours joining Harrison at this one-of-a-kind concert. American singer and keyboardist Laura Scarborough, of Ghost, made a special guest appearance singing the duet “Is This Really Love,” and Doro guitarist Bas Maas brought a decidedly heavier edge to Harrison’s earlier material. Dutch musicians Justin Pursey, Boris Oud, and Rubz Pichel rounded out the lineup.

“It was a dream come true to be able to assemble this cast of characters together on one stage, to play all the songs that mean most to me in my life,” continues Young. “I’m so thankful that it was captured so well. I’m thrilled to have the memory of this concert preserved for myself on CD and DVD, but I really can’t wait to share it with everyone who couldn’t be in the room with us that night.”

“Live At Paard” will be released by Dutch independent label Spaceage Productions on 14 October. It will appear on CD and all digital platforms in its 20 track standard edition format. A 30 track deluxe version is now available for pre-order, with 5 tracks available instantly, exclusively at http://harrisonyoungmusic.bandcamp.com.

Additionally, the full 2 hour concert film will be available on DVD, with a free worldwide streaming event taking place on Facebook and YouTube on Saturday, 15 October, 2022.

Visit www.harrisonyoungmusic.com for more info and times.

Meanwhile, you can view the official trailer here:

International blues/rock power trio, THE CARDS have officially released their debut album on CD and all digital platforms worldwide. Featuring British guitarist Paul Quinn (original, founding member of Saxon), ex-Doro and U.D.O. keyboardist Harrison Young on vocals, bass, & keyboards, and Dutch drummer Koen Herfst (of Armin van Buuren), the album includes 11 original songs ranging from hard rock to classic rock to old school dirty blues. It can be streamed, downloaded, or ordered on CD in standard and limited editions at http://www.thecardsofficial.com.

The album was mixed and mastered by legendary guitarist and producer Dan Swanö who had this to say regarding the album’s varying styles: “It was a blast to mix this kind of music and to use my sonic tools for the style of music that was around when some of them were invented.” On getting the chance to work with Paul Quinn, Swanö said, “Also cool to realize, ‘Wow, that riff has a bit of that vintage, epic Saxon feel…’ only to realize – hey – it’s Paul Quinn from Saxon playing that riff, [which] he most likely also wrote!”

Cover Artwork By: Sophia Den Breems

When asked about the formation of the band itself, Quinn had this to say: “My lady put her cards on the table and asked my friend Harrison if he could help me get my bluesy tunes from my head to completion. I admired his multi-instrumental abilities and added my own to the mix. It was completely organic, unforced joy to write together. Harrison had done a lot of playing with Koen so we were already fans of his ‘fire’ and explosive talent as a drummer, coupled with serious laid back grooves. Then we found we were all three comedians and decided we are ‘cards,’ so therefore, we’re The Cards.”

On the other members of the group, Swanö agrees, “Harrison and Koen also do an amazing job on this record. The vocals are incredibly soulful and I am sure Harrison will receive some ‘hey, you wanna be our new singer’ phone calls. And Koen proves he is a full on mega drummer, not just a metal master monster!”

On a recent radio broadcast, Young went on the record saying “Sometimes I have to pinch myself and think – wow – to be in a band with Paul is such a special opportunity, to not only be able to reach out and touch rock and roll history but to interact with it as well. To receive riffs from such a legendary riff maker with the chance to build songs around them is a total thrill.”

The eponymous debut album from The Cards is now available on Spotify, iTunes, all other online retailers, and at the band’s official website, http://www.thecardsofficial.com, where CDs can be purchased in standard, limited, and special limited edition formats. Upcoming European tour and festival dates will be announced soon.

You can find a video teaser for the album here: