Milky Chance facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Milky Chance
Rehbein (left) Dausch (right)
Background information
Origin	Kassel, Germany
Genres	Alternative rock electronic reggae folk indie
Years active	2012–present
Labels	Muggelig Lichtdicht Ignition
Members	Clemens Rehbein Philipp Dausch Antonio Greger Sebastian Schmidt

Milky Chance is a popular German band from Kassel. The main members are Clemens Rehbein, who sings and plays guitar, and Philipp Dausch, who plays bass and percussion. Antonio Greger also plays guitar with them.

Their first big song, "Stolen Dance", came out in 2013. It quickly became a huge hit, reaching number one in many countries! This song also won an award for Best Single.

Their first album, Sadnecessary, was released in 2013. It included "Stolen Dance" and another popular song, "Down by the River". The band even performed on a famous TV show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, in 2014. They also won the European Border Breakers Award that year. Milky Chance then started touring across North America, playing at big places like the House of Blues and festivals like Coachella.

How Milky Chance Started

Friends Making Music

Clemens Rehbein and Philipp Dausch met in school in Kassel, Germany. They finished school in 2012. Both were part of a jazz band called Flown Tones. Clemens played bass and Philipp played guitar.

The jazz band broke up, but Clemens and Philipp still wanted to make music together. They felt they had a special connection. They started mixing electronic sounds with acoustic guitar and their own singing. Clemens wrote most of the songs at home. Then, they uploaded their music to YouTube, and more and more people started listening!

Their First Big Hit: "Stolen Dance"

In 2013, after playing only two live shows, the duo recorded their first album. They used a simple studio set up in Clemens' childhood home. Before the album was ready, they put some songs on SoundCloud and YouTube.

They said it took them three years to write "Stolen Dance". They uploaded the song's video to YouTube on April 4, 2013. They didn't expect much, but it quickly became super popular! The video got millions of views. By October 2018, it had over 500 million views on YouTube.

The song "Stolen Dance" was officially released on April 5, 2013. It quickly became number one in Germany, Austria, and France. It also topped charts in many other countries. Their first big concert was at a festival in Hamburg, with about 5,000 people watching.

The band wanted to reach people all over the world. They played at the Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg. A music company liked their performance and helped them get a distribution deal. Milky Chance then started a tour of over 100 shows, traveling across Europe.

Their First Album: Sadnecessary

Dausch (left) and Rehbein (right) with the winning trophy at the 1Live Krone Radio Awards in Germany, 2013.

Sadnecessary was the band's first studio album. It came out in Germany on October 1, 2013. The album included their hit songs "Stolen Dance" and "Down by the River". It reached number 14 on the German music charts.

On December 5, 2013, Milky Chance won the 1Live Krone radio award for Best Single for "Stolen Dance."

"Down by the River" was re-released as a single in 2014. It was even featured in the EA Sports video game FIFA 15. After a successful tour, "Stolen Dance" was released in more countries like the US and Canada.

The album Sadnecessary was also nominated for an award called the IMPALA European Independent Album of the Year.

Touring the World: The Sadnecessary Tour

Milky Chance live at Lollapalooza Paris, 2017

Milky Chance played their first show in the United States in October 2014. It was a sold-out concert in New York City. Sadnecessary was released in the United States a year after its German release. It received good reviews from critics.

The band made their first TV appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on October 22, 2014. They also won the European Border Breakers Award that month. They toured the United States and Canada in late 2014. They also performed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

In April 2015, they played at the famous Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. At this point, their album Sadnecessary had been on the Billboard 200 chart for 23 weeks! "Stolen Dance" became one of the most "shazamed" songs ever.

The band continued their tour throughout 2015 and 2016. They visited over 31 countries and played more than 200 shows! Milky Chance was also nominated for Best Group at the Echo Awards in Germany.

New Music: Blossom and Mind the Moon

Milky Chance live at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, 2018

Milky Chance released their second album, Blossom, on March 17, 2017. This album was inspired by their experiences touring and being at home.

Blossom has 14 songs, including "Bad Things" which features singer Izzy Bizu. The first song released from the album was "Cocoon".

The band went on another world tour for Blossom. They visited over 26 countries and played more than 161 shows by February 2018. During this tour, they also performed at big festivals like Osheaga Festival, Lollapalooza (in Chicago and Paris), and Austin City Limits. They also performed on the TV show Conan.

Philipp Dausch (left) handles electronics, while Clemens Rehbein (right) handles primary vocals and guitar

In May 2019, Milky Chance announced they were working on their third album, Mind the Moon. They recorded it in Norway. Three songs from the album, "Daydreaming", "The Game", and "Fado", were released before the full album came out on November 15, 2019.

Milky Chance's Music Style

Milky Chance mixes different music styles like folk, reggae, and jazz. USA Today described their music as "singer-songwriter with electronic beats." The music magazine Noisey said they combine house and electronic beats with reggae and R&B. Their lyrics, however, sound like they could be from a folk singer.

The band has said that artists like Bob Marley, Ray Charles, and John Frusciante (from Red Hot Chili Peppers) have influenced their music.

They started recording with simple equipment: a MacBook Pro, a guitar, a microphone, and Logic Pro software. Clemens Rehbein uses different guitars, including a Framus Mayfield Custom Electric.

As they became more famous, Milky Chance added Antonio Greger and Sebastian Schmidt to their touring band.

Their second album, Blossom, was recorded closer to their hometown. For this album, they used more real instruments instead of just digital sounds.

Band Members

Philipp Dausch performing in Dresden, 2018

Current members

• Clemens Rehbein (2012–present) – lead vocals, guitar, bass
• Philipp Dausch (2012–present) – drums, percussion, vocals, guitar, bass
• Antonio Greger (2015–present) – guitar, harmonica, bass

Touring members

• Sebastian Schmidt (2016–present) – drums, percussion

Awards and Nominations

Milky Chance recording the Blossom album in 2016.

Albums

• Sadnecessary (2013)
• Blossom (2017)
• Mind the Moon (2019)

See also

In Spanish: Milky Chance para niños