Milky Chance: Meet music’s new party boys

It’s been one year since best buds Clemens Rehbein and Philipp Dausch uploaded their song “Stolen Dance” to YouTube and the video now has over 131 million views. With it being looped on Top 40 stations across the country, it’s safe to say the song is everywhere. We talk with Rehbein about their crazy rise to fame and always being the life of the party.

Skipping school and jamming out
Rehbein and Dausch met in high school, when they bonded over liking the same type of music. “We didn’t like school much,” Rehbein says. “We started jamming instead of going to math class. I think our other classmates would [describe us as] the most crazy guys who would just enjoy their easy way of living instead of being a student.”

It’s been a crazy three years for Rehbein and Dausch as they’ve grown in popularity and started touring all over the world, and it’s only strengthened their friendship. “We shared a hotel room a lot of the time, so we started knowing each other really well,” Rehbein says. Not to mention all the crazy festivals and shows around the world. “We share a lot of memories,” Rehbein says.

Influenced by the club scene
Blending pop with electronica is part of what sets Milky Chance apart and Rehbein says they’re greatly influenced by the electronica scene in Germany. “The electronica scene in Germany is really good and it did and does influence our music,” he says. “If you grow up having parties in your [apartment] with your friends and listening to this type of music, it will influence you,” Rehbein says, adding that going clubbing in France and Germany played a part in developing their sound, too.

Giving fans the power
But despite being tuned in to the European music scene, the guys have always written their songs in English. “We just always listened to English music, so it was more natural for us,” Rehbein says.

The guys experimented by loading three songs to YouTube: “Flashed Junk Mind,” “Down By The River” and “Stolen Dance.” Three weeks later, “Stolen Dance” had racked up a crazy amount of hits. “I feel like the people made the choice for this song to be the single, not us,” Rehbein says. The duo is currently touring North America and will be hitting the festival circuit here and abroad in late summer. One thing’s for sure: the party’s not stopping anytime soon.

Follow Emily on Twitter: @EmLaurence