I would say my familiarity with the concept of a “baby tee” is above average. That may be the strangest brag I’ve put to paper, but after nearly two years working as a copywriter for a clothing brand bearing 2000’s roots, I feel I have earned the right — if you can even consider it a “right”. However, as frequently as “baby tee” has infiltrated my day to day endeavors, monopolized conversations and more or less paid my rent, it was not until my conversation with Em Margey that I considered the concept in a matter that went deeper than the seams. I left our park chat pondering the implications of an adult shirt that intentionally fits like a child size, of the influx of Depop sellers scouring Goodwill’s youth section for a cheeky graphic tee, of the nostalgic appeal behind the brand I work for.

Sentimentality motivates into behavior far beyond wardrobe choices. Though not inherently a bad thing, the line between nostalgia and comfortability is thin. When is holding on a sign of fortitude, and at what point does it begin to hold us back? These questions are a few of the ruminations that fuel Em Margey’s project, Youth Large. Toeing between tender yearnings and angsty insolence, Youth Large is an ever changing capsule of growth, change and acceptance. As deeply personal as Em often gets, their songs ultimately lean familiar – offering an experience that feels lived in, beautifully calloused and refreshingly human. 

Em began creating music when they were twenty years old, the DIY spirited seeds of their project tracing back to a guitar purchase and open mic nights in New Jersey. “I just kind of got a guitar one day and then started writing songs, pretty much immediately,” they tell me. “Before it was Youth Large my project was called Emma Blue Jeans. And as angsty as my stuff is now – which I would say is really angsty – it was times a hundred back then. I was subjecting random groups of people in suburban New Jersey to some intense stuff.” 

A huge part of the learning curve is tied to valuing community and leaning on friends for help, despite the vulnerable nature of their music. Their bandcamp claims most of their songs begin as introspective lullabies that come to life with the help of friends, an experience that Em deems “really heartwarming.” 

“If I bring a song to a friend who plays in my band, it feels like you’re explaining an idea for a movie and then someone else starts to make the movie in front of you – that’s what it feels when they start playing parts on their instruments,” they explain. “At the same time it can be a scary thing because it’s so personal. I think I can have a really specific vision and it’s very sensitive to tell your friends what to do and how to play while also giving them creative free will, it’s a fine line.” 

Friendship also plays a role in Youth Large’s live form, which has evolved in its own ways over the years. “I love performing. It’s my favorite part of the project,” they tell me. “Usually when I write a song, I’ll kind of sing it around my room, and pretend I’m on a stage. Playing it life does feel like I’m just moody and in my room and expressing myself. I think it has taken a while to find what my stage presence is, not that I’m thinking about that all the time. Not having to play guitar and being fully in my body on stage has been really freeing, and I think it makes me feel a lot more connected to my songs on stage.” 

As much growth can be detected through Youth Large in the project’s five years of existence, Em is far from done pushing themselves. “I’m definitely working on an album right now. It’s in its early aughts. I have been writing a lot more, but I also still really like the songs from the EP. That’s a new feeling for me – to still resonate with stuff I have put out,” they explain. “I kind of want to make a mini EP completely by myself as a challenge, because I think I lean on a lot of people for support and to understand how music works, because I truly have no background in it. I have been just figuring out as I go in a DIY way, which is cool, but I did want to challenge myself and make a project completely on my own.” 

When I asked Em about their decision to rename the project, they explained Youth Large had been the name of an early EP they released, though they felt the notion fit the core ethos of their music perfectly. “Thematically, most of my music aligns with overgrowth childhood experiences pouring into what we all feel, so I felt it was a good umbrella term for the project.” 

Although my little tangent on baby tees ties into Youth Large in a very literal sense, it is less about the physical article of clothing than a series of curious threads that hold them together. As angsty as Youth Large can be, the project is ultimately grounded by two ethos; patience and acceptance. For Em, Youth Large is a means to dissect, warp and rework. Sometimes, this means testing how far things can stretch, molding fragments from and giving them a chance to thrive in a sensical new form. Other times, it is a means of mourning, internal conciliations, and letting go for the sake of growth. 

You can listen to Youth Large’s latest EP, Honeysuckle, below. 

Written by Manon Bushong | Photo by Angelo Capacyachi