Years & Years were formed in 2010 in London when Michael Goldsworthy and Emre Turkman met online while looking to start a band; they’d eventually be joined on vocals by actor Olly Alexander after hearing him singing at a friend’s house while taking a shower. The trio’s synth pop sound first gained exposure when the single Traps was released on Kitsuné Music in 2013. The group’s second release, Real, came in February 2014 and with some impressive live dates under their belts, the trio announced they had signed a deal with Polydor. Their first major-label single Take Shelter appeared in the August — as well a collaboration with the Magician on Sunlight a month later — followed by the release of Desire.
Years & Years’ debut single “I Wish I Knew” was released in July 2012 on the label Good Bait, with the band performing as a five-piece group. In 2013 the group signed to French label Kitsuné Records as a three-piece and released their second single “Traps” in September 2013. Their third single “Real” was released via Kitsuné in February 2014 and its music video featured an appearance from Alexander’s Peter and Alice costar, Ben Whishaw, and former Misfits actor Nathan Stewart-Jarrett. In 2014 the group signed to Polydor Records and released their fourth single “Take Shelter”. The EP reached the number 1 spot on the iTunes UK Singles Electronic Chart. In December 2014, the group’s fifth single “Desire” was released, peaking at No. 22 on the UK singles chart. In January 2015, Years & Years’ sixth single “King” was previewed on BBC Radio 1, selected as Zane Lowe’s Hottest Record of the day. In March 2015, the single reached number 1 on the Official UK Chart. In January 2015, Years & Years won the prestigious BBC Sound of 2015. Years & Years were also nominated for the Critics Choice Award at the Brit Awards 2015 Their single “King”, released on 1 March, reached number one on the UK Singles Chart on 8 March 2015. On March 18, 2015 Years & Years announced their debut album Communion. The album is to be released on 10 July 2015 by Polydor.
