artists » Tim Youngson of Steriogram

Guitarist Tim Youngson and the rest of Steriogram have quickly gained a reputation as an upbeat pop/punk band with nothing standing in their way. Tim has been playing guitar since the young age of 12, and knows a thing or two about guitar amps. He chooses VOX over any other. “VOX amplifiers have such a distinct, classic sound to them. I love them,” he tells us.

Steriogram has been playing together for five years. Their rock and rap style has people comparing them to the Foo Fighters and the Beastie Boys. They have attracted many loyal fans with their comical songs and funny lyrics. Tim explains, “People would always hassle us about being too skinny, so we figured we’d go in the opposite direction and wrote a song about being fat. We call it ‘Fat and Proud.’ Another song we call ‘White Trash,’ and that’s all about mullets.” These guys love playing live and all the attention they’re getting from fans. “We’re a live band. It’s great seeing fans get into our music and singing our songs at the shows. Especially since we’re from New Zealand, so when we go to other countries and see people are getting into our music, it’s like a dream come true,” says Tim.

Steriogram originally broke through in their native land of New Zealand. Then two years ago they made their way to the U.S. and signed a deal with Capitol Records. Their debut album, Schmack!, was released in April of 2004. Since then they’ve made countless TV appearances, including MTV’s “Hard Rock Live” and “Last Call with Carson Daly,” and just finished up a U.S. tour. Also, their hit single, “Walkie Talkie Man,” is featured in an Apple iPod commercial. Tim relies heavily on his VOX AC30 to get that classic and distinct sound that no other than VOX can provide. “I love being able to cross the brilliant and normal channels to get a good blend of the two,” he describes. “It creates a very clean and warm sound. They also give a lot of power and are pretty easy to use. It’s just an all around great amp.” He first learned of the VOX AC30 from a musician friend of his. “I was in Australia at one of my mate’s shows, and he had a VOX AC30. He was getting these real awesome sounds out of it. I thought it was so cool and had to get one,” explains Tim. “I record with it and use it on stage all the time.”

Steriogram is currently rehearsing for their new album. “We already started working on it, and we’ll get in the studio soon and pump out another.” Tim continues, “It comes down to just working hard. No one believes in your dream as much as you do.”

For upcoming tour dates and album info, catch up with Tim and the rest of Steriogram at their website, www.steriogram.com

By Kelly Fried