Years & Years | |
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Years & Years at in Murcia, 2015.
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Background information | |
Origin | London, United Kingdom |
Genres | |
Years active | 2010–present |
Labels | |
Associated acts | |
Website | yearsandyearsofficial |
Members |
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Years & Years are a British electronica trio, founded in London, United Kingdom. The band consists of frontman and piano/keyboard player Olly Alexander, bass guitarist Mikey Goldsworthy, and keyboardist Emre Türkmen. Years & Years' music has been described as electropop, mixing R&B and 1990s house elements. The band's debut studio album, Communion, debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart in July 2015 and was the fastest-selling debut album of the year from a UK signed band.
Their biggest hit single "King" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in March 2015, and peaked within the top ten of the charts in Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the Republic of Ireland and Switzerland.
The band was formed in 2010, after Goldsworthy moved to London from Australia and met Noel Leeman and then later, Türkmen online. Alexander later joined the band as its lead vocalist, after Goldsworthy heard him singing in the shower. The band was originally a five-piece group, with Noel Leeman and Olivier Subria. Leeman left the band in 2013. Years & Years' first single, called "I Wish I Knew" was released in July 2012 on the Good Bait label, with the band performing as a five-piece group. In 2013, the group signed a deal to the French label Kitsuné as a three-piece and released their second single, called "Traps" in September 2013. Their third single, called "Real" was released by Kitsuné in February 2014 and its music video featured an appearance by Alexander's Peter and Alice co-star, Ben Whishaw, and the former Misfits actor Nathan Stewart-Jarrett. In 2014, the group signed a deal to Polydor Records and then released their fourth single, called "Take Shelter". The song reached number one on the iTunes UK Singles Electronic Chart. In December 2014, the group released their fifth single, called "Desire", which peaked at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart.