The Haunted Youth - the band behind Joachim Liebens - might be the biggest Belgian indie rock sensation of the last few years. After the release of the critically acclaimed and popular debut album Dawn of the Freak and touring almost non-stop, his sophomore album BOYS CRY TOO is set to release before summer ‘26.
With their debut single Teen Rebel, The Haunted Youth quickly became a dream pop phenomenon in Belgium and beyond. Their hazy indie sound and melancholic charm won hearts across the globe. Debut album Dawn of the Freak was named album of the week shout in Rolling Stone France and song of the day at KEXP in the US. International airplay followed on some big European radio stations like Radio Eins (Germany), RTS (Switzerland) and Tsugi (France). Single Gone was even named single of the year by Studio Brussel in 2022.
Frontman Joachim Liebens blends dreamy guitars, nostalgic synths, and deeply personal lyrics into songs that, while dark in theme, offer comfort and connection. Since the release of debut album Dawn of the Freak in November 2022, the band has toured relentlessly, playing to packed crowds from London to Madrid. Festivals like Rock Werchter, Pukkelpop, Lowlands, Sziget, and Iceland Airwaves eagerly welcomed them—The Haunted Youth came, played, and conquered. In 2023, they sold over 20K tickets including 6.4k tickets in The Netherlands and 10.2k tickets in Belgium. International highlights include +200 tickets sold in Paris, Madrid, Porto and Berlin and 445 tickets in Vienna.
2025 marks the beginning of the next chapter in The Haunted Youth’s compelling journey, with the release of their highly anticipated sophomore album BOYS CRY TOO, set for May 2026. They released album singles ‘In My Head’ and ‘Emo Song’ and announced a European tour in April ‘26 ending in a 4 day long victory lap in Cirque Royale Brussels.
