Even if you don’t know the names Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall, you have definitely hummed Closer or heard it play in every club and non-stop on the radio stations. The New York-based pop duo became famous with the parody song, Selfie, and now have collaborated with Coldplay on Something Just like This. We catch up with the duo as they head to India for the Road To Ultra music festival this weekend.
From topping all charts and breaking records, to teaming up with Chris Martin and dropping your debut album. How have you been
taking to all this success?
We don’t really think about it so
much. We are having the best time
and just enjoying every second of the ride but there is still so much more
we want to accomplish and we push ourselves to try and do new things so our head is always thinking about what’s next.
How did you develop the Chainsmokers sound which isn’t pop, nor EDM, nor hip-hop, yet all of that and more?
Good question, and we don’t really have a great answer. Creativity is
fleeting and we listen to tons of music and we pull a lot of inspiration from the things happening around us. We just try to make music that feels fresh to us and different from what we
were doing before, but ultimately, the song and the lyrics are what dictate
the direction of it.
Take us through your experience with
Chris Martin.
Chris is a remarkable human being, you might say he is a gift to the human race. We have never worked with someone so talented and just
all around special. Most of that song we did together happened in one
session, it was unreal.
Is the album Memories...Do Not Open a personal one?
Yes, very. The album deals with a lot of nostalgia and things from our past.
How much has going from DJing to singing your songs changed you as artistes and what is going to be your next big leap?
It changed everything dramatically. Our shows became more dynamic
and there was a real performance
element and since Drew started singing, we now play as a band when we have the opportunity. We never want
to lose the energy of a DJ set, but
playing as a band also has an angle
you can’t get with a DJ set. So for us, it’s about continuing to push our live show and maintain the connection with our fans.
Which artistes are you hooked to right now?
Sza, Twenty One Pilots, Travis Scott and Linkin Park.
Is there anything that you’re particularly looking forward to doing or seeing on your trip to India?
Yes we can’t wait to have some Butter Chicken and naan, but we also just love India. The people are so welcoming and warm and boy, do they know how to party!
What are your impressions of Indian music and Bollywood?
We think it’s fascinating. There are a few countries in this world that have this self contained music business. Brazil is another... it says a lot about the country’s pride in their heritage and music and we respect that a lot.
You all have visited India before. What are you most excited about during your upcoming visit?
We sort of touched on it earlier, we love the food. But we don’t get a lot of chances to come to India and it’s a very special place to visit so we are so excited to see our fans out there again!
We’ve heard that you are also contemplating a Bollywood collaboration. Could you share details about that, please?
Haha! We can’t say anything about that but wouldn’t it be cool.
What will the itinerary be like while you are in India?
It’s unfortunately not a very long trip but we are going to make the most of it. We are coming with our team who are our best friends and we are going to soak it in and enjoy every second.
Road to Ultra: India. Organised by Percept Live. Today, 1 pm. At India Exposition Mart Limited, New Delhi. Tickets (`3,000 upwards) on
bookmyshow.com