Have you ever listened to the intro of a song and knew instantly it was something to sit up and pay attention to? That’s exactly what I thought when I heard Down By The River, the debut single from Milky Chance. They’re a hidden gem from Germany looking more and more likely to burst onto the alternative scene any moment now.
Upbeat, energetic, enthusiastic and youthfully optimistic, Milky Chance is a fusion between singer-songwriter Clemens Rehbein and DJ and producer Philipp Dausch. The two have been writing together since high school whilst studying music, and admit that they never dreamt of the online reaction they would receive. Having previously been dubbed as “hippy music on steroids”, their electronic and reggae infused spin on indie-folk is an infectious sound bound to be a success. The duo, hailing from Kassel, dropped their debut album, ‘Sadnecessary’, in Germany last summer where it unexpectedly boomed and went platinum but progress away from home has been surprisingly slow. It’s a pretty common scenario, especially from a country that isn’t renowned for exporting music on mass, but Milky Chance are something a little bit special. Nevertheless, they look set to go big now so better late than never I guess.
The singles taken from the LP, Stolen Dance and Down By The River, have been nothing short of easy-to-listen-to excellence and I’m confident that anyone that gives them a quick listen will agree and find themselves hooked by the beautifully raspy vocals, pacey rhythms and general sun-soaked vibe. Perhaps it’s good timing then that the debut LP will hit British shores in July when, fingers crossed, you can blast it out over your car stereo on that one gorgeous day in summer with the windows down and not a cloud in the sky. The duo are currently out on an extensive tour of Europe which has already seen them sell out venues in Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, France and Italy. They will play some of the continent’s biggest festivals in the next few months such as Frequency in Austria, EuropaVox in France, Melt in Germany as well as a rare cameo appearance in the UK at Latitude. So eyes peeled and ears to the ground, you definitely need to know Milky Chance.
