The smokin' duo comes to town

“So baby pull me closer in the backseat of your Rover, that I know you can’t afford, bite that tattoo on your shoulder…” We’ve all heard these lyrics floating from a speaker at a party, ladies night at the pub or even as part of a spoof video on social media. Even though Closer is what The Chainsmokers are most famous for, this American DJ/production duo has a lot more to offer. 

An EDM-pop sensation, The Chainsmokers — consisting of Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall — shot into the limelight when Roses, the featured single from their debut album Bouquet made it to the US Billboard Hot 100 list. Since then there’s been no looking back. 

Delhiites don’t just have to dance to their tune at the club anymore. The duo will appear live today as a part of Road to Ultra, which will see a number of other DJs as well. As they prep for the grand event, the duo talks to us about how they describe their sound, their favourite musicians and more. 

Topping all charts and breaking records, teaming up with Chris Martin, dropping your debut album to getting new mansions in LA… How have you been taking to all this success?  
Alex Pall: 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 do you describe your sound? Your music isn’t pop, or EDM or hip–hop…
Andrew Taggart: We don’t really have a great answer. Creativity is fleeting and we listen to tons of music. We are inspired by 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 on your ride to Chris Martin’s Malibu pad to chit-chatting, jamming and recording a hit song with him. 
Alex: Chris is a remarkable human being, I might say he is a gift to the human race. We have never worked with someone so talented. Most of that song we did together happened in one session, it was unreal! 

How much has going from DJing to singing your songs changed you as artists? Alex: It changed everything dramatically. Our shows became more dynamic and there was a real performance element and since Andrew 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 maintaining the connection with our fans.

Which artists are you hooked to right now? 
Andrew: Sza, Twenty-One Pilots, Travis Scott and Linkin Park.

What are your impressions of Indian music and Bollywood? 
Alex: There are a few countries in this world that have this self-contained music business, Brazil is another... it says a lot about the countries’ pride in their heritage and music and we respect that a lot. As for working with some, we are super open-minded and would love to.

Your India visit is for how many days? What’s your itinerary like? Do you plan to go sightseeing or have any other interesting plans? 
Andrew: Unfortunately, it’s 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 of it!

What do you like the most about Indian fans? 
Alex: They are engaging and supportive. Many fans elsewhere can be critical and nasty but Indian fans are all about the love and that is amazing for us.

The event is being organised by Percept Live