YOUTHYEAR is the moniker of Eric Paquette, a Nashville-based artist, songwriter, and producer hailing from Western Massachusetts. Having written and played his first songs and shows by the time he was 12, the DIY punk rock attitude has been with Eric since the start. Skate parks, VFW’s, and basement shows turned into club shows, tours, SXSW, and sharing the stage with acts such as The 1975, The Misfits, Jimmy Eat World, My Chemical Romance, Imagine Dragons, and Panic! At The Disco among others. Just like he taught himself how to write songs at an early age, Eric learned how to record and produce music on his own and uses that skill to collaborate with other artists. Alongside close writing and production partner Carlo Colasacco (Shinedown), the two co-wrote and co-produced the new album from iconic 90s band Lit, whose multi-platinum single “My Own Worst Enemy” is still in iHeart radio's top 10 rock songs. Tastes Like Gold, released in June, features American Authors, Butch Walker, and Adrian Young of No Doubt. Loudwire calls the sound as “finding a good marriage between the classic sound of 1999 with a modern production vibe”. Having been heavily inspired by ‘90s rock, YOUTHYEAR’s upcoming debut EP is exactly that: a collection of post-party/post-relationship songs with elements of nü-school pop-punk, 90s nostalgia, hip-hop, and alt rock. It all started with a song called “Wake Up”, written about self-sabotage and struggling with sobriety. With the juxtaposition of a happy melody blended with grungey guitars and a Dr. Dre style beat, it feels so much like a party anthem, you might miss the darker undertones. Carlo and Eric wrote and produced the EP and brought on Grammy-nominated producer Pete Nappi (GAYLE, Jonas Brothers, 30 Seconds To Mars, Kesha, 5SOS) for an upcoming single.