For electronic music fans, especially those who prefer trance and dubstep, September was a very good month. Avicii [9]’s album, True, dropped Sept. 13, followed by the deluxe edition of Clarity by Zedd [10] on Sept. 24. But despite Zedd’s popularity, his special edition release was eclipsed by the release of Krewella [11]’s first full-length album, Get Wet.
The promos surrounding the album release were just as raunchy as the title implies, with the group’s Twitter account [12] tweeting messages like, “Hope you’re getting wet today ;)” and weekly multimedia releases for “Get Wet Wednesday.”
With all the hype surrounding Krewella’s first full-length tour, the pressure was on to continue producing the addictive rock-infused beats and emotional lyrics fans had become accustomed to since the release of their EP, Play Hard, in 2012.
While Krewella, composed of sisters Yasmine and Jahan Yousaf and producer Kris "Rain Man" Trindl, is firmly classified as EDM, the group’s tracks often incorporate their rock roots from growing up in Chicago. They collaborated with Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy [13] and Travis Barker of Blink-182 [14] on the track “Dancing With the Devil.”
“With Patrick Stump, we actually got to go into the studio, which is cool, because Yasmine and I got to learn a different writing technique,” said Jahan Yousaf. “It was interesting working with an established writer and learning a skill from him.”
The rock vibe continues throughout Get Wet, popping up on tracks like “Human,” which opens with an acoustic guitar and “We Go Down,” Jahan’s favorite song on the album, which utilizes familiar snare and hi-hat combinations to create the drum line.
The crossover influences of Krewella have helped the group gain popularity on the Billboard charts and radio station playlists. Get Wet hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Albums chart in its first week and currently resides at No. 5, behind powerhouses Avicii, Zedd and Daft Punk. Their first single off the album, “Live For the Night,” is even holding its own at a respectable 31 on the Pop Songs chart among the likes of Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus and Justin Timberlake, all of whom have released singles in the past month.
Before launching their album, with only two singles getting radio time, the group began their Get Wet Tour on Sept. 5 in Austin, Texas. They’ll be coming to Syracuse on Oct. 29 for a show at the F Shed [15] before continuing onto the final leg of their U.S. tour, which will end on Nov. 17.
But the party won’t stop there. According to Jahan Yousaf, the group will have only three days off before heading to Europe for the U.K. portion of the Get Wet Tour. It’s the first time the group is headlining and they left nothing to chance when it came to recreating the kind of atmosphere the high-energy trio has developed a reputation for.
“We designed the stage structure with these volcanoes made up of these beautiful mirror crystals,” Jahan Yousaf said. “It’s like our playground. We’re DJing at the top of the volcano with steps that we climb around to the part of the stage where we actually do live vocals.”
With the group playing so many shows in just four months, often hopping on planes multiple times a day, it begs the question of how the trio is able to stay awake and put on shows up to five times in two days.
“Coffee is so bad for the vocals; I stopped drinking it,” said Jahan Yousaf, who sings live during Krewella’s sets. “I used to be really addicted, like I couldn’t start my day unless I had a cup of coffee and I couldn’t continue working past midnight if I didn’t have coffee, either.”
But for Krewella, putting on a high-energy, high-quality performance every time they step behind the booth is more important than sleep.
“Honestly, it’s so crazy," Jahan Yousaf said. "You get half an hour of sleep here and there, in the car, on the plane. And then you wake up, and you’re half asleep walking through the airport, half asleep walking into the venue, but the second you start, it’s all mental. You just tell yourself to not be a f------ pussy. Wake the f-- up, drink water, jump around and get in show mode.”
