What made you want to mix EDM with modern rock?
Phil: That’s a good question, I think that vision took shape back when we started thinking about our collaboration more seriously. We feel like it’s an artist’s responsibility to take things further as much as possible, so if we would’ve just continued what we’d been doing before, it wouldn’t have felt like progression or an enticing new approach to us. We knew that we wanted our musical upbringings to take on a more important role in what we create, Marv and I have been growing up with Sting, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel & U2, so it was a given that it would feature some nostalgic feelings that are based somewhere in the Rock realm, but we fell in love with electronic music in our mid 20s as well. So it was kind of a no-brainer to try and come up with a balanced & organic mixture of both ingredients, even if they seem contrary at times. We don’t force things if we notice that a song is more EDM focused and the rock edge doesn’t really feel right here and vice versa. But that’s kind of what we are about, you could expect a classic arena rock song from us, as well as songs that are entirely EDM and/or Rave focused. Oftentimes, you’ll get both. It’s what keeps making music interesting.
What is the most representative song of Yume?
Marv: For me it’s definitely „Stay“ because this song best describes the identity of FLOYA to date and the direction we’re heading in. Writing it felt very natural and I really like the combination of the EDM elements and how they glue together with the anthemic rock elements.
What’s the story behind the name Yume? Why did you choose this name?
Marv: Yume is the Japanese term for „dream“. Since both of us have been making music in previous bands, it’s been a tough time for us personally after the individual projects disbanded. Struggling to find our place and feeling a little lost without being able to pursue our dreams in music anymore. This changed once we got to know each other better and fleshed out first sketches for what was going to be FLOYA. Yume is a reminder to us that it’s never too late to achieve and reach for your goals.
How did your career change after the success of ‘The Hymn?’
Marv: It was mind blowing to see how well „The Hymn“, which was only our second single, resonated with so many people out there and especially with it having been featured in the AFL (Australian Football League) on TV. Since we were already working on the rest of the album at that time, it only pushed our musical boundaries farther and proved that our musical concept is totally worth the work and efforts we’ve put into the band so far.
What can we expect from you in 2024?
Marv: The release of our debut album is only a few weeks away and we’re gonna celebrate this with a very special, one of a kind hometown release show in Essen. Right now we’re setting up a little headline run through Germany shortly after that. Also trying to jump on a few festivals this Summer and hopefully tour as much as possible for the rest of the year.
