Yours Truly: “Everyone goes through sh*t periods. Find some beauty in the pain”

“My life didn’t end when my heart got broken, my life didn’t end when someone decided to leave this band, when someone didn’t want to work with us or we didn’t get that tour, you know?” says Yours Truly vocalist Mikaila Delgado. The Aussie pop-punk trio have just released their second studio record Toxic, an honest body of work that taught them how gratitude for the small things and embracing sensitivity can be the most powerful tool for moving on.

“I wear my heart on my sleeve, but the fact that I can use that, write music about it, and be able to share those stories with people makes it feel worth it,” she continues. Mikaila’s joined by guitarist Teddie Winder-Haron – accompanied by his pet sausage dog who looks absolutely dashing in a vibrant green sweater, may we add – and the band’s latest addition, drummer Henry Beard. The three of them cluster around a laptop as we call, dressed in hats and sweaters amid the Southern Hemisphere winter.

Toxic marks the first release from the band since the departure of guitarist Lachlan Cronin and drummer Brad Cronan, who announced their exit from Yours Truly in 2023. Though it looked as though they both left at the same time, their departures actually occurred over a six-month period. This record is a result of the upheaval that followed, and the pain and subsequent healing faced professionally – and personally, outside of their music careers – over the last year-and-a-half as change ensued. All the while, Yours Truly’s fans have never faltered.

“People really resonate with the music that we’ve released in the past and that still means something to them,” explains Mikaila. “Yours Truly is a project and what Yours Truly stands for means something. It gave us the fire to keep going. And everyone’s been really cool with this one,” she says, looking over to Henry with a smile.

A whopping 50 songs were written amid the making of Toxic. Call My Name came first, followed by Sour, and with a selection of “definites” that were down to make the final cut, others were whittled away as they selected those that best fit its narrative. Overall, they feel this one takes a darker approach than their previous records.

And we know what you’re thinking: with all those songs, will we get to hear any that didn’t make the cut some day? Teddie says it’s likely. “Even if it’s just like one line or a drum fill,” he ponders. “I think it’s good to look back through your older work and not just let it sit there in the ether, and actually use parts that you thought were worthy, but maybe not the whole thing was right.

Teddie in particular is excited for people to sit down with the record and listen to it in full. But with that said, Yours Truly aren’t the sort of band who want to tell anybody how to listen to their music. “It’s important to have that story, but I think that it’s also very important for people to listen to it in the way that they enjoy it the most,” Teddie says. “I know some people will die on a hill about never shuffling an album, that’s always been a big debate, but we definitely take into account both of those types of listeners when we’re making music. We do have a mix of the bunch… Whatever way you’re going to enjoy it is the best way to listen to it.”

The 10 tracks that were hand-selected by the band do indeed have a story at their core, and it’s one of resilience – something which they feel is a key quality to being an artist. The music business is a notoriously tough world to be a part of, and as their future spreads wide open on the brink of this new chapter, Yours Truly feel they’ve learned some vital lessons so far.

“Resilience is a really good quality,” Mikaila asserts. “I don’t think that anything good comes easy. You watch all those movies where at the end, they’re in love or they get that job that they wanted, but in the middle of the movie, something goes wrong. I think this [growth] is just a part of our movie.”

When things get tough, all three members go back to basics. They focus on the little things that make the bigger picture feel less big. They take a moment to be grateful for what they already have and the bare necessities, and how this band will always be a safety net for them to fall on when things feel too much.

“Always work on something,” adds Henry. “Even if it’s just the bare minimum and you’re having a shit day. For me personally, I might just be practising on a pad for five minutes. I think that’s important. And do your best to be a good hang, pleasant to be around, good to work with.”

Although often intended as an insult, you’ll often see the phrase “touch some grass” being flung around the internet when someone is blowing something out of proportion. We ponder this sentiment for a while. You know what? It’s fucking brilliant advice. “The first time I actually saw that touch grass meme, I was like, ‘You know what? Fuck it. I’m going to go do it!’ And you know what? I did feel better!” Teddie laughs.

“Everyone goes through shit periods, and that’s life. Find some beauty in the pain that you can kind of take out of it afterwards and be like, ‘I’m still here, I’m still living, I’m still breathing,’” adds Mikaila. “Like, how amazing is that? I get to wake up and the sun’s out.

“I know those things are so small, but going through periods where you lose people that you thought were going to be in your life forever or you grow up and life changes and everything around you changes – your priorities, your friends’ priorities – you go through hard shit and you realise that you’re not a kid anymore. It’s that really hectic realisation of, ‘Oh my God, I’m an adult and I’m living life by myself.’ But it’s beautiful.”

Henry and Teddie look stunned for a moment. “I don’t really know what to add after what we’ve just heard,” Teddie breaks the silence, and the three of them erupt into chuckles. She’s hit the nail on the head: there’s a beauty in vulnerability, and a strength that underpins it.

And it’s this persistent drive within Yours Truly that’s got them this far. On the cusp of a tour across the UK and Europe, bucket list-ticking slots at Reading & Leeds, and a stint with Enter Shikari across America, Yours Truly are about to embark on a viscerally special era.

“[Toxic] echoes the sentiment of a Winston Churchill quote that I like to reflect on,” Henry states. “It’s something like, ‘If you’re going through hell, keep going.’ I think that encapsulates what the album’s about.”

“The artwork is a girl that’s in toxic waste, and she’s using music as she battles through it. I think that’s trying to show how we get through the things that are tough for us,” shares Mikaila. “This band keeps us going.”

Toxic is out now via UNFD. Yours Truly return to the UK this month – get your tickets here.

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