Watch: Yes You Are’s gospel-inspired “Come Back Home”

by W. Andrew Powell
Yes You Are

“We traveled 1,618 miles to write a song about coming back home,” Kansas City alt-rockers Yes You Are said. “This song was inspired, in a dark LA studio, by the idea of someone that’s worth waiting for, and became a plea for the wait to be over soon.”

Yes You Are’s “Come Back Home” is a gorgeous pop song, and it hardly seems fair to even call it a pop song because it’s so rich, and moving. The track is triumphant and bright, but just a little brooding, and the band draws on southern gospel, with a punchy guitar solo, and lead singer Kianna Alarid’s angelic vocals.

“Alt Americana took a turn toward the divine when we created a gospel choir out of only two voices,” Alarid said, “and what we wound up with is a genre fluid reunion of sounds, which might just bring you to tears like it did for me. I think we all eventually come back home.”

Describing their style, Alarid said “We play black pop. It implies that there might be shadows lurking, even in the shiny places.”

Yes You Are features Alarid on vocals, Jared White on rhythm guitar, Jacob Temeyer on guitars & keyboards, Willie Jordan on bass, and Joseph Wilner on drums. The band’s style blends pop with gospel, synth and dance rhythms, and guitar-driven rock chords with heavy hooks.

The band had a big hit last year when their song “HGX” debuted on Pepsi’s commercial during Superbowl 51, and it’s been played thousands of times around the world since then, on top of being featured in the film Bad Moms, FX’s Tyrant and MTV’s Scream.

Alarid started out in the band Tilly and the Wall, where she had the chance to tour with acts like She and Him, Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley, Of Montreal, and CSS. The band played numerous festivals and toured extensively, on top of making appearances on Late Night with David Letterman and Sesame Street. To date, Yes You Are have shared the stage with the likes of K. Flay, Moon Taxi, Marion Hill, Lucius and Neon Trees.

Follow Yes You Are on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

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