The Haunted Youth is the band of Hasselt-based Joachim Liebens (28), playing mesmerizing psych pop reminiscent of MGMT, DIIV, Slowdive or The Cure. The songs – about despair, hope, and the feeling of being a misunderstood misfit – are coated in a rich and dreamy international sound. Debut single ‘Teen Rebel’ certainly hit the mark: the band won Studio Brussel’s talent contest De Nieuwe Lichting, and consequently getting a lot of international airplay. Follow-up singles got picked by the likes of KEXP, Consequence of Sound, KCRW and NME, all leading up to their highly anticipated debut album in November.

This artist is nominated for the Music Moves Europe Awards 2023