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The Coachella Valley and Arts Music Festival is one of the biggest of its kind. Last year, around 200,000 people attended the sold out festival -- where some of the most legendary and popular artists play over two consecutive weekends. This year’s lineup includes big name acts like Guns and Roses, Sia, Ellie Goulding and Ice Cube.
So for lesser known artists, playing the festival is a huge deal, which makes it all the more impressive that indie UK trio HAELOS got on the Coachella line-up without ever releasing an album or ever having toured in the U.S.
The Frame’s James Kim spoke with singer Lotti Benardout and keyboardist and singer Dom Goldsmith of HAELOS about how the band managed to become one of the most talked about acts in the music industry.
What was the beginnings of HAELOS?
Benardout: The band started kind of off the back of both Arthur Delaney and I were working individually with Dom Goldsmith. Those two projects were running in parallel for a period of time. We came to this point where we decided to try and come to together and collaborate on a track. We weren't sure what that collaboration was gonna turn into, but that first song that we wrote together was "Dust."
The song "Dust" became an overnight hit. What was the story behind that?
Benardout: We definitely had the backbones of an idea of the sound, but "Dust," we put it up with no real expectations of it. We just wanted to have our friends have a listen.
Goldsmith: We just put it up on Soundcloud and then, literally within 24 hours, it was near the top of Hype Machine and we watched the plays go up by the thousands every minute. We were like, "This is kind of emotional for all of us," because we've been trying to do this for a long time -- each of us. I remember calling my mom. I was like, "I'm actually quite overwhelmed by this." I feel like it feels so lovely to get a connection with people.
Do you ever worry about becoming a band that everyone is talking about one moment and then forgotten immediately?
Benardout: The culture today with music, you become the not so relevant band, but we're talking in a matter of weeks. There's so much music coming out that you don't wanna just be that buzz band for two days and then move on. So for us, that was very important for us to really getting an album out that people can get to know us as a whole project rather than one buzz track like, "Dust."
Goldsmith: It was really important to us to really consider an album and try use the new, but also keep an eye on the art form of the past, and that's kind of back to how we make the music.
Benardout: And also just make something for us and not try and keep up with the hype and just put out this album now that is this snapshot of the last year of the music that we've created, and not try and hold on to anything for too long and wait for another two years before we drip out another track or EP.
You both have been in bands before. How have you taken those experiences and put them into your current band HAELOS?
Goldsmith: Each of us have been doing this for about 12 or maybe even 15 years each. We found a lot of failing and we don't view that as a negative thing. We've all learned along the way and every project that you do, you pick up the things and keep the things that make you stronger.
So when we came into this, we had a very clear vision -- each of us -- on the kind of music that we wanted to make, and that was actually the key thing. We, for the first time, made music that was for us. We weren't really trying to imitate anyone. We realized we all had a shared love of the early Bristol scene in the '90s in the UK, and we wanted to update it with modern electronic music sensibilities and productions.We weren't life long friends.
Benardout: We came together over the music.
HAELOS' debut album “Full Circle” is out now. The band will also be playing the 2016 Coachella Valley and Arts Music Festival.