Hearts on their sleeves: Years & Years covered Haim’s Don’t Save Me in the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge after their victory was announced.
Things are looking up for Years & Years. The British indie synth-pop trio has finished on top of the BBC Music Sound of 2015 list, which trains the spotlight on the brightest and most interesting new artists for the year ahead.
The roster, which began in 2003, is compiled using recommendations from UK-based newspaper critics, magazine and website editors, broadcasters and bloggers. Last year’s big winner, Sam Smith, has forged ahead with his award-winning album, “In The Lonely Hour.”
Smith, who came up ahead of other acts on the 2014 longlist such as Banks, Sampha, FKA Twigs and Jungle, advised the young band to “take all that support and bring the right songs and go for it.” Winners from recent years include Haim, Adele and Ellie Goulding.
EFFERVESCENT MUSIC
Since forming in 2010, Years & Years has taken on quite a few incarnations. For a while they had a girl, then a drummer, then a different drummer. In 2012, when they were still a five-piece, they self-released a single which got them a record deal with cool French label Kitsuné. Now signed to Polydor Records, the threesome — Olly Alexander, Emre Turkmen and Mikey Goldsworthy — are busy putting together their debut album.
The three all come from a live-band background and together draw on myriad influences. Lead singer Alexander listened to a lot of Stevie Wonder and Whitney Houston while growing up in the Welsh countryside. Synth player Turkmen, who was born in Holland and lived in Turkey before moving to the UK, used to be an architect; the Radiohead fan came up with the band’s name over tea and banana bread before their very first gig. Bassist and keyboard player Goldsworthy is Australian, and really loves the experimental stylings of Flying Lotus, from Los Angeles. Layered on top of slinky synths and ‘90s-inspired drums, these elements now comprise some of today’s most effervescent dance music.
SOULFUL FALSETTO
Arguably much of the appeal lies in Alexander’s soulful falsetto. The calypso of Take Shelter, the house-inflected Desire, the toe-tapping wobble of Real and the wistful Memo all turn emotive because of it. Even their cover of Blu Cantrell’s Breathe, a forgotten R&B hit from 2003, is a clever, happy-sad gem. As Alexander told Interview, “We’re trying to make dance music, but then keep a kind of heart to it.”
Aside from singing, Alexander has dabbled in a bit of acting as well. He has appeared on Skins, playing a stalking in the final series, and had a part in Gaspar Noé’s Enter The Void, a 2009 film set in the neon-lit environs of Tokyo. Most recently, he was in Stuart Murdoch’s God Help the Girl, which took home several awards at Sundance last year.
But music will be his focus from this point on. According to Noisey.com, “Thematically, a lot of the songs I’ve written — at least six or eight — are breakup songs. It’s going to be a whiny breakup album. I’m most creative when I’m feeling a bit shit and lonely. I use music as therapy. A lot of the songs come from painful rejection.”
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Setting the tone
In its 12-year history, BBC Music’s annual newcomers list has produced acts that have gone on to carve successful careers.
Sound of 2014 - Sam Smith
Sound of 2013 - Haim
Sound of 2012 - Michael
Kiwanuka
Sound of 2011 - Jessie J
Sound of 2010 - Ellie Goulding
Sound of 2009 - Little Boots
Sound of 2008 - Adele
Sound of 2007 - Mika
Sound of 2006 - Corinne Bailey Rae
Sound of 2005 - The Bravery
Sound of 2004 - Keane
Sound of 2003 - 50 Cent