English alt-rocker Yungblud has taken a page from fellow Brits, The Cure.
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The “I Think I’m OKAY” artist’s latest single, “Tissues,” features samplings of the legendary post-punk, new wave band’s 1985 classic “Close To Me.” With The Cure frontman Robert Smith’s personal stamp of approval, the upbeat, punchy synth-pop track was released on August 30.
In an Apple Music 1 interview, Yungblud – whose legal name is Dominic Harrison – explains how he got Smith’s permission to use the song, saying, “I remember when we were making it I was like, ‘I just want to dance!'”
“The session wasn’t going well,” the artist says, “I was thinking about packing it in and going home, but then we opened a crate of Bud Light, started putting songs on that we loved, and [The Cure’s ‘Close to Me’] came on, and I was just like, ‘Yo, we should sample this.’”
Initially, producers scoffed at the possibility, but Yungblud – having met Robert Smith backstage at the 2019 NME Awards – felt confident about getting the “Just Like Heaven” singer’s permission. He personally reached out to Smith via email, recalling writing something along the lines of “‘Hello Robert Smith of the Cure … ‘Close to Me’ — probably the most iconic British beat of all time. May I use it in the song?'”
“And I was like, I don’t know what I’m gonna do if he says no,” the singer continues, “But he got back in a couple [of] days. He types in all caps, Robert. He was like, ‘HELLO DOM, YOU CAN USE IT ALL GOOD HERE, LOVE ROBERT.’ Called my boys up and was like, ‘I’ve sampled ‘Close to Me,’ they’ve let me use it.’ It was like a mosh pit.”
Along with previously released singles “The Funeral,” “Memories” with Willow, and “Don’t Feel Like Feeling Sad Today,” “Tissues” precedes the release of the musician’s self-titled third album. Set for release on September 2, Yungblud said of the album, “I just wanted to make on this record music that me and my mates want to listen to. That was the formula.”
