Biography

The Chainsmokers are an American DJ and production duo consisting of Alex Pall and Andrew Taggart. The EDM-pop duo achieved a breakthrough with their 2014 song "#Selfie", which was a top twenty single in several countries. Their debut EP, Bouquet was released in October 2015 and featured the single "Roses", which reached the top 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100. "Don't Let Me Down" became their first top 5 single there and won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording at the 59th awards ceremony, while "Closer" became their first number-one single on the chart. They have also won two American Music Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards and eight iHeartRadio Music Awards. The duo's second EP Collage was released in November 2016, succeeded by the release of their debut studio album, Memories...Do Not Open, in April 2017.

History

2012: Formation

The Chainsmokers were initially made up of Pall and former DJ Rhett Bixler. The Chainsmokers were re-formed as an EDM DJ duo in 2012 under the management of Adam Alpert in New York City. Pall, who had grown up DJing, was introduced to Taggart by Alpert, and had been working at an art gallery in Chelsea, Manhattan at the time.Pall attended New York University for art history and music business. Taggart had been attending Syracuse University and was interning at Interscope Records before the two met. He had taken an interest in DJing and released some original songs on the website SoundCloud. Taggart was informed by someone working for Alpert that a duo that was being managed by him had an open spot after Bixler left, which prompted Taggart to leave Maine in order to go to New York City. They started out by making remixes of indie bands. In 2012, they collaborated with Indian actress and recording artist Priyanka Chopra on the single "Erase" which was followed by "The Rookie" in early 2013.

During an October 2016 television interview, ABC News Nightline reporter Nick Watt asked Pall and Taggart "What's with the (duo's) name?" Alex Pall replied "At the time of conception it was, it was totally just like I was in college. You know I enjoyed smoking weed and you know it was just like such a 'yeah the domain's open'. I don't have to have any like underscores." Andrew Taggart added "Uh it's just a name."

2013–2014: First live performance and breakthrough

The duo's first live performance was opening for Timeflies at Terminal 5 in September 2014. Their single "#Selfie", released for free in December 2013, was picked up by Dim Mak Records who re-released it in January 2014 and eventually streamed it to Republic Records. The duo achieved breakthrough success as the single charted internationally and peaked on the Dance/Electronic Songschart. Pall has described the song as "life-changing" for the pair. On August 5, 2014, the Chainsmokers released "Kanye" featuring sirenXX, the follow-up to "#Selfie". Seven months later, they released "Let You Go", featuring the American synthpop group, Great Good Fine Ok. They signed with Disruptor Records, a joint venture label with Sony Music Entertainment by their manager Adam Alpert, in April 2015.

2015–2016: Bouquet and Collage

On May 18, 2015, The Chainsmokers released the single "Good Intentions", with their follow-up single, "Roses", being released a month later on June 16. "Roses" became a commercial success, certifying multiplatinum in several countries including the duo's native United States. Further singles included "Waterbed" and a collaboration with Dutch DJ Tiësto entitled "Split (Only U)", in addition to another commercial successful single, "Until You Were Gone", which was released on September 18, 2015. These songs (except "Split (Only U)") featured on the group's debut EP, Bouquet, which was released on October 23, 2015. A week later the song "New York City" was released as the fifth and final single from the EP.

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