Young restless

Now towering with success after toiling for years, Young the Giant isn’t about to take a break.

BY JOSHUA BOYDSTON

YOUNG THE GIANT WITH CIVIL TWILIGHT

7 P.M. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6 DIAMOND BALLROOM 8001 S. EASTERN DIAMONDBALLROOM.NET 677-9169 $14-$17

With just about everything going right for indie rockers Young the Giant, it was only a matter of time before something went wrong. Die-hard Lakers fans comprise the California quintet, including drummer Francois Comtois. “You guys are on fucking fire,” he said. “If it’s not the Lakers, I’m glad it’s OKC. I promise we aren’t haters.”

Thunder fans might recognize Young the Giant’s “Cough Syrup,” which closed each Fox Sports game broadcast, but that’s just one of many big things the band enjoyed this year: a song covered on Glee, performing at the MTV Video Music Awards, opening for Incubus and even gaining an endorsement from Morrissey.

“We grew up playing for, like, 10 or 15 people, and that was the highlight of our week. We never expected anything like this to happen. It’s a surprise every single day,” Comtois said. “To be able to turn that into something we can do as a career is something we feel incredibly fortunate for.”

But only a recent appearance on NBC’s Today finally got the members’ parents abuzz.

“We’ll tell them about opening for some amazing band or playing this huge festival, and they are like, ‘Oh, that’s nice,’” Comtois said. “We said we’re playing the Today show, and they lost their shit.”

Formed as The Jakes in 2004, the band changed its name in 2009, and soon recorded its eponymous debut album with Grammy-winning producer Joe Chicarelli (The White Stripes, My Morning Jacket).

“It whipped us into shape,” Comtois said. “I had to get a prescription for Xanax for [those] two months because I was having panic attacks. It was intense, but I think we came out with something we were proud of. We are so happy with it, but at the time, we were terrified.”

Gaining traction with singles “My Body” and “Apartment,” Young the Giant has set its sights on recording its sophomore effort by the New Year.

“[The debut] was scatterbrained at times,” Comtois said. “We are trying to capture this moment we are in now, embracing those pop sensibilities and making them a little more subtle. Just trying to mature.”