Formed in London, Years & Years consists of bassist Mikey Goldsworthy, keyboard player Emre Turkmen, and vocalist Olly Alexander. Olly joined the band after Mikey heard him singing in the shower during a party at his house. The group have 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 were 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.”
In 2014, Years & Years enjoyed a run of successful performances at UK festivals, including Bestival, Latitude, and The Great Escape before playing coveted support slots with Clean Bandit and Sam Smith.