It’s been a busy month for indie pop band Young Galaxy.

With their sophomore album Invisible Republic fresh off the press, and an enthusiastic stint at Pop Montreal ‘09, many bands would be content to take ‘er easy – but as frontman Stephen Ramsay explained during a recent phone interview, the group has no intention of slowing down.

“It’s an interesting time for us as a band. We’re trying to juggle as many plates as we can, musically and creatively,” said Ramsay (who co-founded Young Galaxy alongside vocalist/keyboardist Catherine McCandless) while in the process of mixing new tracks from his home in Montreal last week.

He maintains that constant momentum is crucial to the lifespan of an artist, so long as that momentum is driven by change.

The drive to do something different is what took the band away from the dreamy haze of their 2007 debut, as well as from their former Toronto-based label, Arts & Crafts.

Invisible Republic is a far more rhythmic affair; cues from disco, funk and arena rock carve its sonic landscape.

Ramsay credits visual performance as a strong influence in their sophomore album, “coming from a place of fantasy” akin to the sensation of being immersed in a snow globe.

“In moving forward, Catherine and I wanted to incorporate other musical expressions, for better or for worse. It could mean failing miserably, but ridicule is nothing to be ashamed of. You can’t grow in this climate, in the terms of this industry, if you’re not willing to put your creative process on the line and take some risks.”

The vocalist promises that future material will be another sharp turn from what listeners may be used to, borrowing from low-key Swedish bands to further explore psychedelic dance music in the unforgiving, Pitchfork-driven world of indie rock.

Invisible Republic also marks the expansion of the group to include bassist Stephen Kamp and multi-instrumentalist Max Henry, who bring their respective musical influences into a collective assumption that longevity is the goal in their careers.

For now, Young Galaxy will tour Canada where they have forged relationships with critically-acclaimed bands like Stars and The Dears.

Ramsay intends to continue driving the group forward in complete creative independence, but when asked if he would consider signing again, he simply stated, “Show me the money.”

“We really want to get that giant snow globe,” he laughed.

Published in Volume 64, Number 7 of The Uniter (October 15, 2009)