Scottish trio Young Fathers is steadily making an imprint in North America after turning heads in Europe. After releasing their 2014 Mercury Prize winning debut Dead, the threesome of vocalists Kayus Bankole, Alloysious Massaquoi and Graham “G” Hastings crossed the Atlantic behind their delectable, thought-provoking sophomore release, White Men Are Black Men Too.

Myspace caught up with Kayus Bankole on their North American tour in March to talk about the recent album, their success, working with Massive Attack and Coachella. Here are 10 things you should take away from the dynamic trio.

Last Year Has Been a Wave of Momentum for Young Fathers

“It’s been so heady putting out the album,” Bankole says. “It has so much substance. So for us it was just exciting to go out and play these new songs. It created a momentum that just kept building and building.”

The Band is Pleased with How White Men Are Black Men Too was Received by North American Crowds

“When you come to a place like America and see what the songs mean to people and have them singing and just getting into it. Even seeing some wearing t-shirts that have White Men Are Black Men Too on it, to see how brave the people of America will be just to put on that t-shirt. And allow themselves to start engaging in conversations with other people and seeing how that will affect the circle of things. It’s been an interesting journey so far.”

Young Fathers are Probably Best Known for Their Hit Single, “Shame,” From the Latest Album

It’s a song the group created about 9,400 miles from their home in Edinburgh and done rather quickly. “It came about when we were in Australia actually,” Bankole says. “The type of band we are we have a couple of days off and relax. But then there are other times when we hire out rehearsal space and try and do some recordings to keep busy on the road. So we set up at a rehearsal studio in Australia. Graham had an idea for the song and then there were some ‘woos.’ That was the basis of the track and we went from there.”

The Band isn’t Afraid to Pull Punches When it Comes to Describing the Quality of Some Music

Without naming names, Bankole admits artists are often praising music that doesn’t merit it. “You’re always in that dilemma when you listen to music. A lot of artists would say, ‘Oh yeah, that’s different.’ But I think different is sometimes just an excuse for being shit. It’s like, 'we’re different.' But it’s like, ‘No, this is shit.’ It’s being kind of honest and at the same time allowing songs to carry some form of substance behind it, it has heart or some sort of soul.”

In 2014, Young Fathers Earned Britain’s Mercury Prize for ‘Dead’

What’s more impressive is that they edged out efforts by Royal Blood and FKA twigs, among others. “It did help our profile, it exposed us to a lot of people who had no fucking clue who we are,” Bankole admits. “It opened up the doors for us and allowed us to do what we do. I’ve never been able to measure how much it did for us or what effect or impact it had.”

When Making ‘White Men Are Black Men Too,’ There Were Very Few Hurdles to Overcome

“It was easy,” Bankoles says matter-of-factly. “We were in the States and driving on the open road, listening to the radio and playing a lot of songs. We were thinking about what we were going to do for the next album, how it would sound. The conversation literally took about 10 minutes. We all tuned into each other subconsciously. It was almost like a subconscious agreement that we needed to simplify stuff. It needed to be a lot more direct experience.”

Earlier This Year Young Fathers Collaborated with Massive Attack

The two collaborated on the song “Voodoo In My Blood.,” an there was an instant synergy between the two groups. “We’re a very tight knit band, but we allowed ourselves to open up and work with other people,” Bankole explains, “and Massive Attack seemed like the best fit in terms of ideas about creating songs. And just as a band in terms of what they stand for. It just made sense to us. They set a lot of things up and left us to our own devices. I noticed right in their eyes how we get involved into making the songs. That was something they gravitated to.”

Young Fathers Saw Their Recent North American Tour Highlighted By a Performance at Coachella

Yet the show wasn’t approached any different from headlining a show in Toronto, New York or Los Angeles. “I think people put a lot of emphasis on Coachella because it’s cool,” Bankole says. “A lot of people get excited about it, but it’s just like any other festival. There’s nothing extraordinary or special about it in my eyes.”

The Group Has Plenty of Shows Coming Up Behind ‘White Men Are Black Men Too’ but is Thinking About Creating New Material

“We’re thinking about having time, what we’re going to do. That’s where we’re at now and I think that’s where the others are at now. When the time comes we’ll either create a new album or a couple of songs.”

Young Fathers Have Been in the Spotlight Often the Last Three Years but Knew the Work that was Involved

Bankole says they knew what they were getting into with touring and the various demands. “It was never a case of, ‘Oh, it’s getting to be too much or blah blah blah.’ It’s just finding a balance between touring and recording and that’s what we’re working on. Like they say, everything in moderation.”