EXCLUSIVE: Olly Alexander on covering 80s classics and It's A Sin

He played his Pet Shop Boys cover to Neil Tennant before its release

Author: Natalie ReesPublished 12th Feb 2021
Last updated 12th Feb 2021

Jordan Lee caught up with Olly Alexander to chat about series It’s A Sin and the latest offering from Years & Years inspired by the Channel 4 series.

Olly Alexander has revealed he shared his cover of ‘It’s A Sin’ with the Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant prior to its release.

Olly plays Ritchie in five-part drama It’s A Sin written by Doctor Who’s Russell T Davies exploring the lives of three young people affected by the AIDS crisis in 1980s London.

The group of 18-year-olds Ritchie (Olly Alexander), Roscoe (Omari Douglas) and Colin (Callum Scott Howells) move into a flat (nicknamed ‘The Pink Palace’) in London in 1981. As the crisis looms, each character reacts differently to the developing situation and rumours.

Olly shared that he was inspired by the music in the show and the reminder that in the 80s music wasn’t as easily accessible.

He said, “The 80s was an amazing time for music. Imagine hearing those songs at the disco on the dance floor and that might be the first time that you hear that song. You might not hear it again for months because you just have to go back to the club to hear it, you can’t just stream it. The music was so special back then.

In time with the show’s launch, Olly’s band Years & Years released an acoustic cover of the show’s namesake ‘It’s A Sin’ by the Pet Shop Boys with a portion of all the proceeds from the single being donated to The George House Trust, who provide care and support for those with HIV.

Olly added, “I obviously love the Pet Shop Boys. They’re so iconic and I love that song. It’s such an up-tempo dance banger so I did the opposite and just made it an acoustic moment.”

Watch: Jordan Lee caught up with Olly Alexander

He explained that although the song was a mainstream hit for the synth-pop duo, it has a deeper meaning and the message behind it still as important now as it was on its release in 1987.

Olly said, “It’s A Sin is a real expression of the gay experience and it is so beautifully done. A lot of people wouldn’t realise it, but it’s a lot of coded language. It has been so influential to me.”

Olly collaborated with the Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe in 2019 on the duo’s single ‘Dreamland’, the first track to be taken off the Pet Shop Boys’ fourteenth studio album, ‘Hotspot’ released in 2020.

Olly said he had shared his cover of their track prior to its release. He said, "I thought, this would be a cool thing that they won’t get annoyed about. So I did it. I sent it to Neil Tennant and was a little bit nervous but he was so sweet. He was excited and supported it.”

Check out some of Years & Years and Olly's best moments:

Olly Alexander on the red carpet

Olly Alexander played Jason Banks in 2009 film Tormented. He had previously starred in TV movie Summerhill in 2009 and smaller roles in other TV series.

Olly Alexander at the premiere of Great Expectations

Olly played Herbert Pocket in Great Expectations, released in 2012. The film was Olly's first big hit. A year later, he went on to star in popular TV series Skins for two series as Jakob.

Years & Years formed

Years & Years formed in 2010, they are Olly Alexander, Mikey Goldsworthy & Emre Turkmen. The band formed when Emre and Mikey met on a website made for finding band members. Olly only joined after they heard him singing in the shower and liked his voice!

Years & Years release debut album

The band's debut album 'Communion' was released in July 2015. The album debut at number 1 in the UK Official Chart and outsold the rest of the top five combined in it's first week.

The band release 'King'

'King' was the band's first number one single and it went platinum in the UK.

Coachella

The band performed at Coachella Festival in 2016.

Years & Years at Glastonbury

Years & Years performed on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival in 2019. During their set, Olly gave a powerful speech about LGBTQ+ history.

Years & Years at The Brit Awards

Years & Years have been nominated for a number of Brit Awards including: British Single Of The Year and British Group.

It's A Sin

Olly Alexander plays Ritchie in the 2021 Channel 4 drama It's A Sin created by Russell T Davies.

Years & Years is now a solo Olly Alexander project

In March 2021 Years & Years announced they would continue as an Olly Alexander solo project. Emre will work as a writer-producer alongside the band whilst Mikey will only join Olly for live performances. The trio have been together since 2010.


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