Who Did Your Ink?: Youngblood's Alexis Young sees beauty in danger and vice versa

Who Did Your Ink? is the Straight’s weekly feature, where we ask badass Vancouverites about the talented artists, indelible stories, and, at times, questionable antics behind their most treasured tattoos.

What's your name?  Alexis Young.

What do you do?  I'm the leader of the dream-pop getup Youngblood and a lover of feeling strange. 

Who did your ink?  The late two pieces (my three-eyed cat, and my left forearm of the dagger) I had were done by my friend Katie So, who works in Chinatown out of Black Medicine Tattoo (441 Gore Avenue). 

I've also got one of Snow White on my right forearm—done at Crossroads Tattoo before it closed (R.I.P.)—a few stick-and-pokes, one bamboo tattoo from my days as a drifter in Thailand, and a feather I got when I was 18 and trying to be a surfer in Australia. (I quickly realized I had zero athletic ability.)

Why did you choose this artist to do your tattoo?  I've wanted to have Katie tattoo me as soon as she started tattooing. We both went to art school together and I had always admired her style and the dark, cynical autobiographical comics she used to make. 

Is there any meaning behind it?  The one on my forearm I got as a representation of being both beautiful and dangerous: it's a witch's hand holding a dagger surrounded by poisonous flowers.

I've always loved the idea of the unassuming danger of beauty. It's easy to let your guard down around beautiful things and people, but it's the things that you least expect that often have the most potential.

Who's your favourite local tattoo artist?  Katie So (duh!) and the whole crew at Black Medicine! 

Youngblood plays the Commodore Ballroom alongside Mother Mother and Little Destroyer on March 30.