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Artist Spotlight
youbet

Brooklyn’s youbet is the kind of band that doesn’t just write songs, they build worlds. What began as a lo-fi solo project from songwriter and producer Nick Llobet has grown into a genre-blurring collective known for its blend of psych-pop swirls, punk energy, Latin rhythms, and unfiltered emotional honesty. Their latest record, Way To Be, was crafted in the intimate chaos of Llobet’s Brooklyn apartment, complete with cat samples, basement sessions, and a year-long songwriting club that pushed creativity to its edge. The result is a collection of tracks that feel both obsessively sculpted and beautifully unguarded. In this interview, we talk about learning to let go, embracing deadlines, self-producing to the point of madness, and how Metallica, skate videos, and song-a-week clubs all left fingerprints on youbet’s sound. Pop on their album Way To Be and read on.

Tell us about the origins of youbet – how did you meet, where did the band start and where are you now?

youbet began as my solo project in around 2018. I originally started recording demos on a tascam 488, and with those songs I made the first album Compare and Despair with my friends. Those friends became the first live band members. Over the years I have played with a lot of different people in this band. Now the band mates are more fixed, and even though I’m the main creative force of youbet I want to take the focus off of me and move toward a more collaborative band vibe. 

Your music incorporates elements from a mix of genres, including psych-pop and Latin rhythms. How have your musical influences evolved over time?

When I was younger teenager I mainly listened to punk and classic rock. I was also influenced by music I had heard in skateboarding videos and video games. When I got more into the craft of songwriting/composing, I just started listening to everything with way less judgement and trying to learn to appreciate different genres more. Seeing shows in Brooklyn and playing/touring in other peoples bands also has had a great influence on my music. 

Your album Way To Be showcases a more confident and experimental sound compared to your first album Compare and Despair. What drove this evolution in your music?

It’s funny that you say Way To Be is more confident because I was actually quite unsure of myself during the making of this album as I was trying to take on the main producer role. On Compare and Despair I had more help recording which was more reassuring for my brain. Making a million executive decisions can be so exhausting, and I think it wore me down into not wanting to self-produce the next album. 

I think what comes across as confident on Way To Be is that the songs had time to be edited over the span of a year. When lockdown happened in 2020 I stopped writing new songs and just focused on refining the ones I had in an effort to make a record with them. On Compare and Despair I wrote a good chunk of the songs pretty shortly before recording them therefore the structures and flow were maybe less refined if that makes sense. I really like both records for their own reasons. 

Way To Be was recorded over a year and a half in your apartment in Brooklyn. Do you feel like writing and recording in such an intimate setting influenced the sound and themes of the album? Would you record an album in the same way again?

I think my surroundings definitely influenced the record. Between takes I would literally just get up and cuddle with my cat on the couch. I used a sample of him purring for one of the songs. I was in a long term relationship at the time, and I made all that music in our shared living space which totally contributed to the lyrical subject matter. My roommate also played a ton of drums and percussion on the album.

I think writing and recording so intensely in my mouldy basement made me go a little crazy. I spent so much time trial and erroring every single aspect of the record. Recording every single day for a year and a half definitely burnt me out a bit, but I learned so much about recording and producing. I think in general I would prefer to go out of town to make a record with friends than do it all in my living space. 

You've mentioned participating in a song-a-week songwriting club. How did this structured approach impact your creativity and the development of your music?

Both of the youbet albums were written using song clubs. The goal was to write a song within a week, and every Sunday by midnight you would submit the song so everyone participating could hear. I think having a little audience put a fire under my ass to do my best. Also, other people’s songs were so damn good that it kept me on my toes. 

A strong deadline really makes it possible for me to finish things sometimes. Of course you may turn in something that’s not up to your standards, but that’s the beauty. I think working with what you have within your limitations is a good ritual. 

Your lyrics are quite personal. Are there particular songs that you find difficult performing live? Or do you find that you can distance yourself from the subject matter when performing?

Usually when I perform I’m in my own world and not even thinking about the words I’m singing. So I would say I’m able to distance myself. I’m more focused on singing in tune and not messing up my damn guitar part.

Is there a song that began as something deeply personal but transformed into something more universal – or the opposite?

That happens with a lot of my songs. I get really inspired by a life event and sit down with the burning intention of conveying a specific experience. Usually it never comes out right lyrically. Most of those type songs end up being about something else entirely in terms of the words. I like to think the music itself contains the essence of the thing that initially inspired me. 

You’ve been playing guitar since you were very young. Do you remember the first time a piece of art, music, a film or a painting made you want to create something yourself?

I always had the urge to be creative when I was young. I would try to draw, but I could never make things I was proud of. I didn’t have a true creative outlet til I started skateboarding when I was 10. I saw the goofy movie and it made me wanna learn to skate and do tricks. Then my dad took me to see Metallica when I was 14, and that concert made me want to learn how to play the guitar and start a band. I wouldn’t say I started very young. When I first began playing music I was about 15, where as I feel a lot of musicians start earlier in childhood. 

You’ve just finished a tour with Friko. Can you share a highlight and a lowlight of the tour?

The highlight was playing the west coast because the drives were incredible, and we did well on merch which helps morale when not trying end up completely in the red. The lowlight was when we first flew to Seattle we got to Enterprise to rent our touring vehicle, and my credit card limit was too low to rent it. We were panicking and making all these phone calls, and it was so stressful. We eventually got it sorted, but there was a moment of pure dread which is not how you want to start a cross country tour. 

What’s next for youbet?

We have some down time this summer which means I will be writing a lot and we will be rehearsing. We are finishing up mixing a new record which should be done soon. In August we are driving out to the Midwest to play Avrom Farm Party and we will also be playing Chicago. Hopefully we will get some more opportunities to tour this fall / winter.

You can find youbet on Instagram, Bandcamp and TikTok.

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