A little about Years & Years: Formed in London, the band consists of bassist Mikey Goldsworthy, keyboard player Emre Turkmen, and vocalist Olly Alexander. The group has released several EPs, including 2014’s Real, via French electronic label Kitsuné before signing with Polydor Records and releasing their Take Shelter EP last August. The title track climbed to No. 1 on iTunes’ UK Singles Electronic chart. In addition to being long-listed for the BBC Sound of 2015 Poll, the band was also short-listed for the BRITs Critics’ Choice Award.
Huffington Post, Buzzfeed and USA Today recently tapped Years & Years for their 2015 Artists to Watch lists, with USA Today noting that their hook-heavy sound “taps into ’90s pop, house music, and R&B sensibilities that could quench the same thirst for U.K. dance that Disclosure and Clean Bandit filled stateside this summer.” The New York Times praises the band’s “handful of glossy singles, featuring the stirring vocals of its frontman, Olly Alexander, set against bright synth hooks and a hefty base.”
I got the chance to chat with Olly over the phone- and what a nice human he was. If you haven’t had the chance to hear him, get on it now. His voice is unique and wonderful, and the band’s sound perfectly compliments him.
The Soul Dynamic | Hi Olly, thanks so much for jumping on the phone with me! I really appreciate it.
Years & Years :] It’s splendid! No worries at all.
The Soul Dynamic | So, you are from Yorkshire correct?.
Y & Y :] Yeah, I am. My family actually moved around a lot. I’ve lived all over the UK. Mainly Battle and Wales, but now I live in London.
The Soul Dynamic | Oh cool- did moving around have any influence on your music? .
Y & Y :] Umm, that’s a good question. I guess it must have been in a way, because much of your entire life influences your music and your creative output. Though when I lived in Battle it was kind of ground for Oasis- they were still really big… and then the Spice Girls were really big haha. But when you’re a kid and you talk about the big music of the time, that definitely has an influence on the kind of stuff that I am writing now. Even if it is very small influences and isn’t a constant thing. You know what I mean?
The Soul Dynamic | Yeah I hear you. Spice Girls – that was my jam, haha. So growing up who was your favorite artist?
Y & Y :] Oh my gosh…hmmm who was my favorite… I have so many! I would say at first it was a lot of the stuff that my mum was listening to. She liked Alanis Morissette, David Cassidy, Joni Mitchell- and I still love all of those artists. Then I kind of branched out more for myself and started listening to more R&B and soul- Stevie Wonder and haha TLC you know. Just different styles.
The Soul Dynamic | What is the one thing you want people to take away from your music?
Y & Y :] That’s a good question too, hmmm I guess the one thing is that I would like people to feel like maybe if they’ve had any sort of experiences they are not alone. What I take from music is someone sharing their experiences in life or love, and it resonates with me and I feel happy that I’m not alone. Life can be a beautiful shared thing. If they can take that- that would just be great.
The Soul Dynamic | Yeah, that’s amazing. Definitely agree! So next question: What’s most memorable performance you’ve had or seen?
Y & Y :] Memorable performance… hmm there have been a few. I guess what one resonates with me is last summer we played a festival in Poland, and we are an upcoming band, never played in Poland before. It was our first time there. And we were billed on the main stage of the festival. Up until then we hadn’t played on any main stage really. So we got to the festival and there is this massive massive tent that could fit thousands of people. But it was totally empty. And we are like “Oh no this is a disaster, no one is going to show up”. Then about 10 minutes before we went on the whole tent filled up! Thousands of people and we went on stage and had one of the best gigs we’ve ever played. And the audience… they sing along to all of the songs and it’s just incredible! And to see how your music can travel so quickly and touch so many people… I thought I would never go to Poland in my life and suddenly I was there singing to people who knew our music. I was like an out of body experience. It was wild! Afterwards I was like shaking… it was just incredible. Yeah I will remember that forever.
The Soul Dynamic | That’s amazing- that sounds so cool! And everyone knowing the lyrics- makes you realize that you have indeed made an impact.
Y & Y :] Yeah it was crazy! Hahaha. It was great and we are going back soon. It’s amazing to me that I get to write songs, literally I’ve written so many songs in my bedroom on my crappy keyboard, words that are just ideas in my head and then they become a part of someone else’s life. It’s just nuts.
The Soul Dynamic | Ah man that’s awesome and a great perspective. You guys played at Rough Trade in New York recently right? How was that?
Y & Y :] Oh my god it was amazing, it was so good. We were really nervous because it was our first show in the US. And we had to cancel one show the night before in Manhattan because of the snowstorm. And I felt so bad! Like oh my god these people have tickets, they can’t come… so I’m trying to get them to come the next night. Make sure they could get in- I was so stressed. I felt like I had let America down! ya know? haha. And we were all kinda anxious and such. But the next night was one of our best shows. I could hear people in the audience singing- the audience was just really good! They were so loving and supportive and enthusiastic. And we were in Brooklyn- the vibe was so cool and the culture. It was just great. And I met loads of people afterwards and they were such cool people- I was like “I want to be your friend!” They were really nice haha.
The Soul Dynamic | Haha that’s really funny because people normally don’t say that about New Yorkers.
Y & Y :] Right I know! They were nice though. They were nice New Yorkers! I wanted to hang out with them all night.
The Soul Dynamic | That’s awesome. I’m based in New York actually so that’s great to hear. I go to Rough Trade a lot though- great little venue.
The Soul Dynamic | Ok what’s next for Years & Years? The tour- South by Southwest- which is an awesome place to play by the way!
Y & Y :] Yes! Oh my gosh I can’t wait. I can’t wait! So yes SXSW and then some dates around the states. Like California area. Then we are back to the UK. And then we are touring in Europe. We are doing some festivals like literally around the world, and then we are back in the States in May. And then our Album! We have one more thing to do for one song, otherwise that’s done. That’s coming out in the UK in the summer… yeah just touring everywhere!
The Soul Dynamic | That’s awesome! Sounds like you guys are busy but things are really taking off.
Y & Y :] Yeah it’s a little crazy, haha.
The Soul Dynamic | Has it hit you? Does it feel like you guys are getting there?
Y & Y :] Yeah. It’s funny because it starts out with this close circle of people you know going to your shows, and then that circle starts to get bigger. Starts to become like- where a lot of people come to your shows. Then it gets even bigger and you go around the world! Haha. It’s very hard to see it from any subjective point of view though. For example I’m in Paris right now and we came to Paris at the end of last year- like maybe November. And it was cool we had some people come to the show. Good time. But then we come back to the hotel today, and there are people waiting for us outside our hotel!
Its crazy! We were like “You’re not here for us are you?” and they are like “Yeah! We are all here for you.” And we are sitting there like “What?!” That was crazy- that is not normal. We are not that big.
The Soul Dynamic | That’s so cool. Gave you a little taste of what the Justin Biebers of the world go through huh?
Yeah- but that is a whole different type of level. How do you even have a normal life?!
The Soul Dynamic | Oh they don’t, and that is the crazy part. Ok last question: What inspires you?
Y & Y :] I get asked this question sometimes and I always feel… like my answer is never quite good enough haha. But ok so… if you are a crazy person you have this thing inside you, its kinda of like making you a crazy person. But it’s also something you can catch inspiration from in these weird and varied places. It like works itself into your soul. You have to get it out again and that’s how you create the art. I’m sorry I’m just kind of rambling but I’m just going to keep going.
The Soul Dynamic | Haha, it’s great.
Y & Y :] I guess its like, when I was a kid and I read books I was really into the stories. I could read Tolkien and Lord of the Rings forever. My brain just went there and I wanted to live in that world. So whenever things happened to me in my life I would reconstruct them in a way that was a bit more romantic and exciting. I mean this has become the craziest answer to the question haha. But what I am trying to say is I would try to be inspired by stuff in literature and art, music, and films. And then also in relationships and the experience of life and how I see things. Then I would try to translate that into a song because its my way of making an entity. I dunno.. does that make sense?!
The Soul Dynamic | Yes, yes it does. Inspiration comes from all walks of life.
Y & Y :] Yes, that’s what I am trying to say.
Years and Years will be in Austin this week for SXSW, catch Olly and the crew on Friday, March 20th at Hype Hotel (1100 E 5th St)
