Young Allies drops new single “Watchman”

New York-based outfit Young Allies arrive with a philosophy that’s seldom seen in the modern music world. Led by singer, songwriter and actor Fritz Michel, the band is built around collaboration, bringing together guitarist and co-producer Tosh Sheridan, bassist Gavin Price, drummer Isaac Gardner, keyboardist Phil Kadet and vocalist Shelly Bhushan. Nearly everyone contributes vocals and that collective spirit sits at the heart of everything they create.

That transition from solo project to full band forms an important part of the Young Allies story; after years of writing and recording independently, Fritz found himself increasingly drawn toward a more open and collaborative process, where songs began taking shape through interaction, experimentation and the contributions of those around him.

The band’s collaborative identity extends beyond music itself with several members sharing origins within New York’s experimental theatre community through their connection to Elevator Repair Service. Through workshops, performances and creative development processes, that environment cultivated an openness to discovery, often beginning without a rigid script and allowing ideas to emerge organically from people, sound, architecture and source material.

This approach informs the forthcoming debut EP Fingers Entwined, a release that serves as the band’s first major statement. Across its songs, Young Allies explore the relationship between past and present, drawing inspiration from older stories, imagery and traditions while reshaping them into an engaging musical experience.

Following the release of the EP’s title track, the latest single titled “Watchman” perfectly distils that perspective. Reaching back nearly a thousand years, the song is based on a medieval troubadour composition dating to 1059 from the Provence region of France. Despite its historical origins however, the track feels firmly tethered to the present, with Fritz initially developing the chord progression before discovering the original text, eventually adapting the story of dawn breaking as lovers meet beneath a hawthorne tree.

The figure of the watchman, standing at the threshold between night and morning, becomes both a literal character and a metaphorical presence, reflecting on longing, anticipation and brief moments suspended in time. Set up by the plucks of bright acoustic guitar, airy instrumental textures, the laid back taps of percussion and tender vocal leads form a charming folk pop soundscape brimming with charming harmonies, breezy groove and intricate arrangement.

Throughout the forthcoming EP, inherited ideas are filtered through a modern lens, creating songs that feel at once familiar and new. The title track itself emerged from an unexpected source, double-exposed Polaroid photographs created by artist Natalie White. From those images grew a meditation on chance, connection and entanglement, using the language of backgammon to explore the unpredictable stakes of human relationships. With “Watchman” and the upcoming Fingers Entwined EP, the band unveils a world shaped by conversation, shared experience and artistic openness through music that values process as much as outcome while finding new life in old stories that allow collaboration to guide the journey forward.

Listen to Watchman below

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