You might recall Milky Chance’s massive hit song, “Stolen Dance” back when it bubbled up in 2013. It became the single for the group’s 2014 debut LP, Sadnecessary. “Stolen Dance” was that crossover jam, the one with acoustic riffs and toe tapping beats that touched folk-pop, reggae, and R&B elements. Also, it has over 357 million plays on YouTube.
That same year Milky Chance burst onto the indie scene looking like music’s newfound rock renegades. Some people, oddly enough, still doubted the German fusion rock purveyors when it came time to follow up the success of Sadnecessary. Their founders, vocalist/guitarist Clemens Rehbein and DJ/producer Philipp Dausch, ignored all that noise and fuss by releasing Blossom in March of last year. The infectiously happy “Cocoon” was the album's first single, but I was sold on “Ego,” the hypnotic, stylishly crafted, electronic/rock jam. Ultimately, Blossom’s fourteen tracks provided a rich, multi-layered body of work, proving that both first and second time was the charm all along.
We caught up with Clemens and Philipp during their previous fall tour. They chatted with us about touring, their latest song “Firebird,” and the recording experience of Blossom. We also talked about A Blossomentary, the interactive online content where fans can find out how the two got together, the way they go about creating music, and how Blossom came to be. With that in mind, Philipp discussed the idea of bridging the gap between being in the studio and the live performance. Here’s what he said:
“It’s always a very isolating thing from our perspective when making it. People don’t get to really know what we're actually doing in the studio. We were thinking with our team that it would be nice for people to actually be included in the process of the band. Normally, it’s only really the concerts where you connect. Our team was brainstorming and came up with the idea (A Blossomentary) and we liked it a lot. Then we added details and ideas on what you can do, this mixing thing, and stuff like that. It was just the idea of, include people more of the process of making the album.” Milky Chance's interactive content is pretty darn cool, but it doesn't compare to what the live experience can do for you when you’re at one of their shows.
"People don’t get to really know what we're actually doing in the studio. We were thinking with our team that it would be nice for people to actually be included in the process of the band."
Blossom is out now, so if you missed out on that but still want to get that fan to band connection live, catch Milky Chance on the road beginning January 7 at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California. Their North American jaunt will wrap up on February 4 in Vancouver at The Commodore before heading on European tour.
