One of the biggest EDM groups out right now is Krewella, as evidenced by their hit single earlier this year, “Alive.” They are not only named after my favorite Disney villain of all time (spelling aside) – they make music that is deep, danceable and can make you feel so many emotions, you’d think you were going through menopause!
Krewella is made up of sisters Jahan and Yasmine Yousaf (both half Pakistani, quarter German and a quarter Lithuanian) and Chris Trindl, better known as “Rain Man.” I’ve been a fan of Krewella since they dropped their Play Hard EP in 2012, so when I got the opportunity to speak to Jahan one on one to talk to her about the future of Krewella, as well as the past and how it feels to be the new face of EDM pop music, I jumped at the chance! Here’s what happened:
Hi Jahan! How are you?
Fine, thanks! I’m exhausted! We’re going through Phoenix, Arizona right now – no, wait. Scottsdale, Arizona. Sorry, I can’t even keep up with where we are now! Ah, the joys of touring! (Laughs)
Well, that’s awesome that you guys are that busy! So, jumping right into this! For those of us who don’t already know you, introduce yourselves!
Well, my name is Jahan, and I make up one-third of the band Krewella with my older sister Yasmine and our producer Chris, or “Rain Man.” My sister and I write the songs, lyrics and melodies, and Chris produces the tracks for us.
Fabulous! I know you said that you two ladies are sisters, but how did you connect with Chris?
I actually met Chris back in 2007 when I was in high school and partying in the metal scene. At the time we were all in school, so the idea of a band just kinda started out as a hobby. In the beginning, we were producing 80s dance pop type music. I would write to it and it was just a good time. None of us took it seriously because, we though, at 16, the idea of doing music as a career just wasn’t feasible. Now I’m amazed by how often I meet people who are younger than I am and producing/DJing. It’s crazy! A couple of years after we started, we began focusing on making real music.
How did y’all decide on the name “Krewella”?
I actually thought of the name when I was coming up with lyrics. I like names that stick out that you remember forever. There are so many bands that “The (Blanks)” or “The (Blank Blanks)” and they tend to get lost in the fray. The name isn’t unique. But what I like about Krewella is that it sticks like glue. Everyone knows the characters, so the name already has this dark feminine vibe combined with the beautiful melodies we create!
How long have you been in the music scene, and what was your “big break”?
As a group, we’ve only been together since 2007, but I was in choir my whole life. Yasmine was in an indie band when she was only 14, and Chris has always played guitar since he was 10. As far as our “big break” goes, I don’t think that there was one moment. There wasn’t one moment where it wasn’t clear what we had to do to make this work. We had to continue writing, and working, and creating. If we got lazy, we would fall off the grid, you know? But I will say that there are key moments in our career that have been placed on a timeline.
We played our first big festival of 1,000 people a year ago: Meltdown Dallas. And it was the first time that we played for a group of people that were chanting FOR us and knew our music. And we’ve gotten to a point now that, luckily, it happens every time we play. You know, with 30 other major DJs at the same festival, with that happening, I feel like we’re doing something right.
Also, the shift from dance radio to top 40 radio was amazing. It’s that crazy moment when my friends and family hear us on the radio. Or people find out about us by hearing our song in Jamba Juice. It’s just crazy.
Since Billboard declared “Krewella will be huge this year” after this year’s Ultra Music Festival, do you feel any pressure to live up to hype?
You know what? Our team, managers, everybody we work with are so challenging anyway, so no. (Laughs) We, as a group, don’t take breaks and we always try to do better. We’re used to the “hype” by now. But I don’t pay attention to what people say; I’m only competing with myself. Every night that I perform, I’m trying to perform better than the last time. It’s the same with writing – I’m never satisfied, always growing.
Who are your influences? Do you have any off the wall influences?
(Laughs) Now this is a tough question! It’s funny, because we don’t actually agree on anything! The only influences that we can all agree on are: System Of A Down, Fallout Boy and Linkin Park. But that’s musically. As far as writing goes, we’ve been influenced by Incubus, and top 40 songwriters like Ester Dean. Chris is still inspired by metal, the same metal he listened to years ago!
How did it feel to win “Best Breakthrough Artist” at the International Dance Music Awards?
That was SO amazing because we were up against artists that we’re huge fans of. Artists that have been around much longer than us, and it was such an honor. The good thing about the dance music scene is that there is a very tightknit community, so we know all the radio guys, and it’s just amazing to get recognition for our work.
What can we expect on your new album Get Wet?
It has a song for every emotion: there’s a party song, there’s a song that if you’re sad, it can feel like your best friend. There’s a song to rage to if you feel full of anger and hate. It’s full of energy, and melodically, we went through so many production phases. So, this album is by far better than anything else we’ve ever written.
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Make sure to scoop up Krewella’s album Get Wet when it hits stores Sept. 24, and look for them when they come through town on Nov. 7! For more information on Krewella, hit up krewella.net.