Years & Years is to become an Olly Alexander solo project following the departure of its two other members.
Mikey Goldsworthy and Emre Turkmen announced they were stepping back from the synthpop band in a statement posted on Twitter, but said the trio remained “good friends”.
It comes after a breakthrough year for Alexander in which he launched an acting career with a starring role in Channel 4’s hit drama It’s A Sin and became a vocal advocate for LGBT issues.
Dear Y&Y fans 💕 pic.twitter.com/T9DsQTaXAQ
— Years & Years (@yearsandyears) March 18, 2021
Goldsworthy will still play live with Years & Years, while Turkmen will focus on his solo work as a writer and producer.
The statement also confirmed the London-formed band’s third album, due out in spring, will be the first to effectively feature Alexander as a solo artist.
It said: “There’s been some changes that we want to fill you in on. This upcoming new album has been an Olly endeavour and we’ve decided that Years & Years will continue as an Olly solo project.
“The three of us are still good friends. Mikey will be part of the Y&Y family and play with us live and Emre will focus on being a writer/producer.
“These past twelve months have been crazy for us all and we want to thank you for the love and support you’ve given us over the years (& years). New Y&Y music will be coming this spring.”
Thirty-year-old Alexander recently made his mark in the acting world with It’s A Sin, which explores the HIV/Aids crisis in 1980s London and is created and written by Queer As Folk’s Russell T Davies.
The show has been lauded by critics since it first aired in late January and, according to Channel 4, also helped drive viewing figures on the broadcaster’s streaming service, All 4.
Channel 4 labelled the series All 4’s “most binged new series ever”, with the first episode becoming the streaming service’s most popular drama launch on record.