Yungblud tells us about his “limitless” vision for London ‘B.R.A.T’ store: “I want to bring a new generation to this iconic street”

Yungblud has spoken to NME about his new ‘Beautifully Romanticised Accidentally Traumatized’ store, his relationship with the late Ozzy Osbourne, Part Two of his ‘Idols’ double album, and an exciting new project on the way.

• READ MORE: Yungblud is ready to leave his idols behind

The singer, songwriter and entrepreneur caught up with us last night (August 7) while at the launch of his brand new community space and store, based on the historic Denmark Street in central London.

The Soho location was chosen as it has deep roots to the UK’s rock scene. Huge names such as Sex Pistols and The Rolling Stones recorded their first albums there, and while it once played host to the likes of David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Queen and more, recent years have seen the shops come under threat.

With his new ‘B.R.A.T’ store, Yungblud will be fusing music, fashion and community – creating a space where fans can buy clothing, watch live performances, have a coffee together, attend poetry nights and film screenings, and more.

“All this is a place to belong,” Yungblud told NME at the launch. “I don’t want to call it a shop, I want to call it a fan club. I was looking to create a place where you can come in, you can buy clothes if you want, you can come for a coffee, you can have a beer after work.”

He continued: “We’ve got a pool table, and there’s gonna be a venue downstairs for gigs, art classes and therapy too. I just wanted to create a physical space in the middle of London. It’s a flagship to say thank you to the people who listen to my music.”

At the event, Yungblud (real name Dominic Harrison) also shut down the historic ‘Tin Pan Alley’ for a street party launch event. It featured performances from himself and Master Peace.

Check out NME’s full interview with Yungblud below, where he also told us about how Ozzy Osbourne’s legacy helped inspire the project, shared what fans can expect from ‘Idols: Part Two’, revealed his advice for emerging talent, and teased a “wild” imminent announcement.

NME: Hey, Dom. Why was now the right time for you to launch the ‘B.R.A.T’ store?

Yungblud: “I genuinely think I’m ready for it. We didn’t skip any steps either, as I really believe anything like this needs to be done with a lot of care. You only get one shot at something like this, and I’m ready enough and I’m confident enough to attempt to pull it off.”

Denmark Street is a fitting choice of location for this community that you’re looking to build with ‘Beautifully Romanticised Accidentally Traumatized’…

“The community has fought so hard to keep music present here, because we were about to lose this street to gentrification about five years ago! I wrote a song about it, ’Tin Pan Boy’, and that was one of the first songs I ever put out.

“When I first met my manager, we had a shoebox office above Hank’s guitar store. It was a room just like where we are now, and I dreamt up this whole idea. I remember saying, ‘Wouldn’t it be wild if one day we had a building on Denmark Street’… and I’ve had that dream since I was 17!

“So yeah, I wanted to bring a new generation to this iconic street. It’s been so integral to British music since the ‘40s. Elton [John] met Bernie [Taupin] here. The Sex Pistols lived across the street and formed the band. The Rolling Stones have roots here too, and so did The Beatles! Now it’s amazing to see 4,000 kids on the street and a line that reaches Covent Garden.”

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Did you speak to Charli XCX or her team about the ‘B.R.A.T’ abbreviation?

“No, it was so funny because I registered that company four years ago because I just loved the name ‘Beautifully Romanticised Accidentally Traumatized’. I wrote that down years ago, so it’s a happy coincidence. Great minds think alike.”

The community you’ve brought here feels very similar to that we saw at Black Sabbath’s final live show, and the outpouring of tributes following Ozzy Osbourne’s passing. As a friend and a fan of his, did his legacy help inspire this vision?

“Ozzy was always my north star. Ozzy Osborne and David Bowie meant everything to me. Ozzy was a character in my life who was a reflection of everything I went through. I was always a bit over the top. I was always seen to be a bit crazy. I was always seen to be a bit loud, but when some people saw that as a negative, Ozzy would provide me with the hope that there was an avenue for someone like me in the world.

“From such a young age, he really inspired me. Then, to know him as a friend towards the end, to know his heart, and to know Sharon Osbourne… I really started to understand that they did things their way. It’s always been inspirational because, for me, the biggest enemy to any artist or anything is the phrase, ‘This is just how it’s done’. That’s a cop out. ‘This is how it’s done’ was once an innovative idea that got stale.

“All I care about are the people outside, and I want to make this the most magical adventure for them, and something that we’re gonna have together. [Ozzy’s death] is still raw at the minute. It’s been a very weird couple of weeks. But losing someone I admired and got to know really made me think about the idea of legacy and connection with people. All that matters is the connection with them.”

It’s an adventurous plan to have live performances, a clothing store, film screenings, a cafe, tarot readings, poetry nights and more all under one roof. Did you face any naysayers when putting the vision forward?

“I don’t really listen to naysayers anymore. I’ve outgrown that. I’m 28 now. When you first start, it’s easy to get affected by that, but I find it funny now, and I just use it as fuel.

“The only advice I have to anyone else is, if you ever want to get into music, forget the noise and focus on the people. That’s it. That’s when everything becomes limitless. If your relationship with people is based on communication, you can do anything. I wanted to open a store. I wanted to start a festival. I wanted to start a clothing line, and it’s all limitless for me because I have a beautiful community that wants to be a part of it. I can dream these mad ideas up, but they’re the ones that make this come true.”

With all these plates spinning at the moment, does that mean ‘Part Two’ of your ‘Idols’ double album will be a while yet?

“‘Idols: Part Two’ is still coming, but there have been some mad opportunities presented to me in the past month, so there is going to be another project in between parts one and two. America has really opened its doors to me, and there’s a lot coming. What we’re about to announce is wild…”

What can you tell us about the second part of the album?

“‘Idols: Part one’ is extremely emotional, and it’s like a reclamation of yourself. ‘Idols: Part Two’ is a lot darker and a lot heavier. It’s like you fall back down to Earth, patch up your wounds and ask, ‘How am I gonna deal with this?’ It’s gonna be great. It’s just as musically ambitious as ‘Part One’, and there are just as many twists and turns in it.

“It’s ready to come out, to be honest! But there has just been an opportunity that’s come through the door that I cannot say no to. So stay tuned for that!”

When will this mysterious other announcement be revealed?

“Imminently. Probably in the next six weeks. Some of my best mates don’t even know about it yet. It’s gonna be cool.”

How does it feel to take a step back and see all of these new projects come together?

“The past couple of weeks have been mental because I think people are finding this community, when some of them in the past had been dissuaded from it. People are getting an insight into what we represent and realising, ‘Oh, this is actually really beautiful and this is real’.

“There’s a lot of vapid shit out there, and some people felt that I was falling into that category, until they gave me a chance and discovered this community. They came to the [Bludfest] festival, they fell into my music, they discovered this space. So, to people who’ve just come here, I want to say welcome! If you’re thinking about having a nosy into our world, you’ll have a good time. I promise.”

Yungblud’s ‘Beautifully Romanticised Accidentally Traumatized’ store is open now at 20 Denmark Street. His North American tour begins later this month, ahead of dates in the UK and Ireland next year. Find tickets here for the US and Canada, and here for UK/Ireland. 

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