Interview - Milky Chance

There's a very good chance you've heard Germany-based two-piece Milky Chance's single Stolen Dance - the clip (down the bottom) has clocked up a tidy 41million views on YouTube and rising, over a year later. Last week saw the Australian release of their debut album, Sadnecessary (get it via iTunes HERE), and Gab Strum sent a few questions off to lead singer Clemens Rehbein.

How did you guys meet? Have you played in other bands together before Milky Chance?  

We met during college in Kassel and visited both the same music course. We quickly recognised we got along great and started playing in a band together together with other friends. After school some of them left our hometown and moved to other cities but I kept on writing songs. So one day Philipp and I decided to record those songs, that’s when Milky Chance started.

The combination of different sounds and styles is something that really sets you apart from other bands. How did that come about?

We never really had a concept of how the music should sound like, we just did what we liked. We both listened to a lot different kinds of music, from classical music to indie to reggae, we even went to the schools choir together. So we are basically really open minded when it comes to music so thats why there are so many influences.

How did your songs translate in a live setting?

It’s actually a really similar set-up we had when we recorded the album. I’m singing and playing guitar and Philipp is making the beats with a drum-pad, so it’s the same feeling you have when you listen to the album.

What was recording your debut album Sadnecessary like?

We recorded all the songs in a small room in my parent's house. No studio, no expensive equipment, no proper acoustic. Just the two of us, a microphone, an interface and a computer. It took us some time till we figured out all the right settings but beside this it was really easy and a lot of fun.

Is there any meaning behind the title?

Sadnecessary describes how you can use something sad and melancholy to create something positive. So on the one hand they are dark but on the other hand you can almost dance to every one, too. We tried to find a word to express this feeling when we picked the album name.

What are your biggest influences?

A lot! When we met Philipp listened mostly to Red Hot Chilli Peppers and I mostly to Bob Marley. We also listened to other stuff but mostly this. We played our music to each other and started influencing each other. That was how everything started. We also listen to a lot of classic music and attended the choir together. All in all the music that influences us is very wide spread. At the moment it is James Blake, Tallest Man On Earth and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, for example. 

What do you guys have planned for the rest of the year?

We’ll play festivals in Europe before coming to the US. And around New Year we’ll hopefully visit your country too. 

Lastly, do you have anything to say to your fans in Australia?

We are really excited about everything going on down under and can’t wait to get there!