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How Young the Giant Dropped Out of Stanford and Made It In Music

Singer Sameer Gadhia spoke with the Lipps Service Podcast about his unorthodox path in rock
Young the Giant
(Credit: Natasha Wilson)

Young the Giant’s Sameer Gadhia stopped by the Lipps Service podcast this week for a wide-ranging conversation about his unlikely path in music. Gadhia, the singer, keyboardist, and creative force behind the alt-rock band Young the Giant, grew up the son of Indian immigrants in Ann Arbor, Mich., and then Irvine, Calif. 

Gadhia spoke about how his multicultural background reflect his musical tastes since he was ensconced in Bollywood before he discovered the British Invasion. Music became Gadhia’s chosen path, he said, when he dropped out of Stanford University to pursue a life of touring and scraping up from the bottom. But eventually — thanks in large part to an opening spot on the Kings of Leon’s tour — Gadhia made it to the main stage.

On the previous episode of Lipps Service, Grammy-winning singer and producer Shooter Jennings spoke about his unusual upbringing in Nashville — growing up around iconic figures like Johnny Cash thanks to having famous parents Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter — and falling in love with rock and roll music. Jennings also spoke about the many musical projects he’s part of these days, including his eclectic 2022 album with rapper Yelawolf, Sometimes Y. Jennings gushed about Yelawolf, calling him a natural performer “from the Axl Rose School of Frontman.” Jennings also discussed working with Americana singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile on her record, as well as on Tanya Tucker’s Grammy Award-winning album While I’m Livin’ in 2019. 

Since it began in 2018, the acclaimed podcast has featured many of the biggest voices and personalities in music, including exclusive interviews with Red Hot Chili Peppers singer Anthony Kiedis, David Lee Roth, Shepard Fairey, Courtney Love, Dove Cameron, Mick Fleetwood, Nikki Sixx, Perry Farrell, and many more. Every couple of weeks, a new episode of SPIN Presents Lipps Service is available wherever you listen to podcasts.

Listen below to the full episode with Young the Giant’s Sameer Gadhia: