SUCCESS: In January, Years & Years were named ahead of James Bay as winners of the prestigious BBC Sound of 2015 poll.


By Geoffrey Rowlands


Electro-pop trio Years & Years first appeared in this column last December. They were among the top three nominated artists for the BRIT Awards Critics’ Choice prize but lost out to singer/songwriter James Bay.
Since then, Olly Alexander, Mikey Goldsworthy and Emre Turkmen have seen their star rise ever upward. In January, they were named ahead of James Bay as winners of the prestigious BBC Sound of 2015 poll. Now, their new single, King, has stormed straight to number one on the UK chart.
“I’d like to think we might have achieved this success [even] if we hadn’t won the poll,” Olly remarked. “We were the featured artists on The Magician’s top ten track, Sunlight, and we reached number 22 with our last single, Desire.
“But while I think King would still have sold well, I’m sure the truth is that many music fans who hadn’t previously known us have listened to our songs after seeing the Sound of 2015 poll. The great thing for us is that King is a good enough track to have the extra publicity transform it from a solid hit single to a UK chart-topper.”
The boys have been together since 2010. Mikey and Emre founded the band after meeting in an online forum.
“I had moved to England from Australia,” Mikey explained. “I wanted to form a band so I was looking for a guitarist. I hooked up with Emre online and that was how Years & Years began.”
“We bonded over our love for Radiohead,” Emre smiled. “But I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to hang out with him. Every time we met up, he seemed to have had too much to drink.”
Olly came on board after meeting Mikey through a mutual friend.
“I’d already said I wanted to be in his band,” Olly stated. “I don’t think he was all that keen at first but he heard me singing in the shower so realised I genuinely could sing.”
Joining the band seemed like a strange move for Olly. He had forged a highly promising acting career appearing in several TV shows, films and stage plays.
“I enjoyed acting but I’m in love with music. I’d been acting since childhood and wasn’t so foolish as to give it up when I became part of the band. I divided my time between acting and music until the back end of 2013. We felt like we were established by then so I decided to concentrate exclusively on the band.”
Emre also juggled music and a regular job.
“I’d studied architecture and was working for the company which designed Brighton’s new football stadium. In fact, that was the last project I worked on before devoting all my time to our music.”
Born in the Netherlands, raised in Turkey but living in Britain since he was 11, it was The Beatles who sparked Emre’s musical passion.
“I was about seven when my mother gave me a tape of various songs. One of them was She Loves You by The Beatles. I was freaked out by the song, I just loved it. I had a friend who lived in the next building and played it to him over the balcony. I wanted everyone to hear this great song.”
Years & Years was chosen as their name because it was the only idea that no-one hated. But their first recordings were as a quintet rather than a trio. Noel Leeman had been a founding member with Mikey and Emre while Olivier Subria was also part of the band. “It’s just been the three of us since 2013,” Mikey explained. “Our first single, I Wish I Knew, featured the original fivepiece but we’re a different band with a different sound now.”
They have so far released five EPs but no albums. That situation will change later this year.
“We’re always working on new material,” Emre revealed. “In many ways, it’s more convenient to release EPs and singles. Brand new product issued every few months has also helped to build our fan following. But an album is on the horizon. No release date has been fixed so everyone should keep checking the latest news on our social media websites.”



IN BRIEF

 

Kansas

It was March, 1974, when Topeka-based rockers Kansas released their self-titled debut album. The record received reasonable reviews but made little impression on the charts only reaching number 174.
This lack of success was not an indication of things to come. Based around a touring schedule which hardly seemed to stop, the band has sold millions of records over a career which still continues today.
Despite touring every year, Kansas released the last of their 14 studio albums as long ago as 2000. The sell-out concert audiences revel in their much-loved familiar songs which the band still thoroughly enjoy playing.
It is this love for their history which prompted Kansas to create the newly released documentary film, Miracles Out of Nowhere. In addition to chronicling the band’s career, the film features interviews with each original member as they reunited last year to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their debut album. Famous fans such as Garth Brooks and Queen guitarist Brian May also make their contributions.
A retrospective CD accompanies the documentary. It features a selection of the band’s most popular songs, album cuts and audio extracts from the film.
In addition to the standard release, a deluxe limited edition DVD / CD set also includes an additional DVD of bonus features and out-takes. This is currently only available online. Interested parties should visit (no www.) kansasband.com and click on ‘Documentary.’
Anyone unfamiliar with their songs should check out the numerous postings on YouTube. Type Kansas in the website search box and enjoy a voyage of musical discovery.

Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg has reverted to type. The man born Calvin Broadus changed his stage name to Snoopzilla for his collaboration with Damon ‘Dam-Funk’ Riddick on their self-titled debut album, “7 Days of Funk.” Prior to this, his moniker was Snoop Lion for the Grammy-nominated reggae album, “Reincarnated.”
But he is back in the more familiar guise of Snoop Dogg for his latest album, “Bush,” which is set for release early next month. Produced entirely by Pharrell Williams, it effectively marks Snoop’s return to hip hop. Apart from his collaboration with Wiz Khalifa on the Mac & Devin Go to High School film soundtrack, “Bush” is Snoop’s first rap material since his 2011 album, “Doggumentary.”
Some tracks from “Bush” have been leaked online. They are posted at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il-uNyKQJWI. Sadly, it may not be long before this is taken down. All online postings of lead single, Peaches N Cream, have now been legally removed.

Flo Rida

Fans awaiting a new album from rapper Flo Rida will at least be partially appeased by the release on April 7 of a seven-song EP, “My House.”
Last year’s single, G.D.F.R., was tagged as the first release from Flo’s forthcoming fifth studio album, “The Perfect 10.” But the title was apparently a misnomer with the album now being shelved and replaced by the EP.
Word is that “The Perfect 10” will follow in due course and include the songs on “My House.” If so, one wonders why anyone would bother to buy the EP.
As things are though, G.D.F.R. has effectively become the lead single from “My House.” A second track, Once In A Lifetime, has now been issued as Flo Rida’s new single. The video is posted at www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7MVpgvtSSk. The G.D.F.R. video can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8Cg572dafQ.