Youthful Exuberance by The Pandemics
Being in a band is a big commitment. It takes a LOT of work, time, dedication, money, and coordination to get the ball rolling and bring everything together. This is especially so with ska bands, who tend to have so many more people, doing what they do, generally, as a labor of love. The experience, that is by turns exhilarating, cathartic, energetic, rambunctious, loud, is, above all of that, FUN.
It can be all consuming, like riding a train that never really slows down, until things inevitably go off the rails… but when things are good… you’re always looking forward to what's next. To the next rehearsal, to the next gig, to the next tour, to the next record…
Which brings us to Youthful Exuberance.
Many of these songs were written over a series transitional periods in which the band experienced a number of lineup changes (which is why you’ll notice a lengthy trail of credits below), and (mostly) recorded in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. While some things have been steady from the outset, much of it has evolved over time as the band’s goals have changed/shifted and the songs passed from one generation of musicians to the next.
The end result is a record that we feel like we’ve lived with for a long time. It is, in our view, the definitive and absolute best versions of these songs that we’ve listened to/played literal hundreds of times. Some of it almost feels like it was written by someone else, and in a way it was, given how much we’ve all grown as musicians and as people over time.
Simply put, it is our best work to date. We hope you agree.
In a way, it is an ode and testament to the journey and to the determination it took to get here. A look back at our own Youthful Exuberance
Tracklist
Credits
The Pandemics are:
Chris Malone - Vocals / Trombone
Paul Chestnut - Tenor Sax
James Fulfaro - Bari Sax
Jamie Aurelia - Guitar / Vocals
Alan Aurelia - Bass
Jay Reid - Drums
All music written, performed and arranged by The Pandemics
Additional performance on Youthful Exuberance by:
Bass performed by Will Harris
Trumpet and Backing Vocals performed by Chris Quintero
Guitar performed by Vic Rosario except on track 4
Drums performed by Kat Stock, except on track 4
Additional trumpet performed by Chris Mandatto on track 4
Drums on track 4 performed by: CJ Dunaieff
Guitar/Organ/Backing Vocals on track 4 performed by Brian Kennedy
Additional Production on track 10 by Matt Wixson
Lyrics by Chris Malone, except for Holiday In Cambodia (Dead Kennedys/Jello Biafra)
Additional writing/arrangement by Brian Kennedy on tracks: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
Additional writing by Will Harris on tracks: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7
Additional writing by Ryan Llanos - O’Shea (Guitar) on tracks: 3, 7
Additional writing by Vinny Carriero (Bass): 3, 7
Recorded and mixed by Will Harris at Sabella Studios
Produced by: Chris Malone and Will Harris
Mastered by Paul Ayriss
Dub The Bullshit mixed by Agent Jay
Why Can’t You Get Excited (Rainbow Ark Dub Mix) and Why Can’t You Get Excited (Babylon Party Machine Remix) mixed by Matt Wixson
Cover photo provided by Shin Yokota
Artwork/Layout by Jon Soto
For More information, please visit us at:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ThePandemics
Twitter/X: www.x.com/ThePandemics
BlueSky: www.bsky.app/profile/thepandemics.bsky.social
Instagram: www.instagram.com/ThePandemics
Bandcamp: thepandemics.bandcamp.com
All Right Reserved - Lonely Atom Records - 2025
We would like to thank: Our friends, families and partners, our former bandmates (Will, Q, Mandato, CJ, Kat, Vic, Ryan, Vinny and Brian), our new bandmates (Jaime, Alan & Jay), Christine Wagenheim, Keith Scarola, Leigha and Luna Malone, Alice & Alan Aurelia (Sr.), J.T. Turret, Jon Soto, Amanda Hornick Marcazo, Bobby Bobson, Agent Jay, Matt Wixson, Aaron Cote, Nick Martielli, Christian Lesperance, Jess DeBellis, Jeremy Myers, Keith Goward, TJ Olsen, Adam Smith, Roddy ‘Radiation’ Byers, Charles Benoit, 2Tone Trish & Darrin Costantini, Shin & Yu Yokota, DJ Ryan Midnight, Pete Cooper, Yusuke Shimizu, Brendog Tween, Irena Jaroszewski, Jerica Rosenblum, Chad & Nancy Roeger, Matt Caranci, Mac & Liz Prior, Steve Douglas, Stacy Kilpatrick, Francis Harrison, Jeremy Meaden, Hiroki Hori, and Jim Sabella, our friends in Not From Concentrate, The Slackers, Pilfers, Across the Aisle, Rude Girl Revue, El Grande, Llama Tsunami, The Copacetics, Skappository, Tail Light Rebellion, The Rudie Crew, The Ladrones, Stop The Presses, Be Decent, Hub City Stompers, Cold Wrecks, The Scrub Ups, The Porkers, The Skapones, The Prizefighters, Spider Nick and the Maddogs, The New Limits, J. Navarro and the Traitors, The Resignators, Some Ska Band, The Scofflaws, Sgt. Scagnetti, Nathan Leigh & The Crisis Actors, Backyard Superheroes, KMOY the band, Flying Raccoon Suit, Joystick, The Skluttz, 13 Towers, Seven Step, Coquettish, Oreskaband, Toyko Ska Paradise Orchestra, Chuck Wren and Jump Up Records, the 737, Horn Pod Podcast, A Perfect Mess Blog/Podcast, The Ska Dads Podcast, Button Down Radio, Catch A Wave Radio, On The Upbeat podcast, That Same Old Show, This Is Ska Radio, This is Ska Jazz Radio, The Specialized Project and all the others who have supported us over the years.
Dedicated in loving memory to our fallen friends:
Kevin Denmark,
Pauline Chestnut,
Mikal Reich,
and our band uncle of sorts, Mr. Jack Tericloth.
