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Haelos’ Lotti Benardout Q&A: On Coachella, NYC, more

If Diplo or Skrillex’s music is the sound of the euphoric, confetti-laden rush of 1 a.m. on the dance floor, then new British electronic act Haelos is the soundtrack to the cab ride home, with empty streets unfolding through the windshield.

“We think it’s great after the bar,” said Lotti Benardout, one-third of the band. “Like when you’ve had those highs, and you’ve been dancing away, and then you get home and you’re with your friends, having those chats.”

amNewYork caught up with Benardout in advance of the trio’s pair of performances in the city to talk about Haelos’ influences and the band’s accelerated timeline.

It’s been less than two years since you, Arthur Delaney and Dom Goldsmith formed Haelos — and you’ve now got an American tour, an appearance at Coachella and an album. Was there a moment in that time that made you think, “Yeah, this is it”?

Initially, we never were going to be a band — it was just going to be cool to collaborate. We did that for a session, but there was just that energy in the room that was so electric. I think we were all just kind of like, “This feels really good.” And we put our vocals together, and it’s not always the case that you stack up three harmonies with three different voices and they just mesh. It created a vocal sound that was pretty interesting.

You hadn’t really known each other that well before recording, either. How did that affect those early recording sessions?

It was a whole process of also getting to know each other in a very confined, intense way. It’s what I think is a part of the beauty of the album in a way. Through that process, we really got to know each other as well. We weren’t like old friends at all before we started. I had been writing with Dom on and off for about a year, and then I met [Delaney] the day we wrote “Rust.”

The trip-hop influence in your music is clear. What is it about that particular sound that appeals to you?

For me, it’s really evocative music. And when I was young and then discovered bands in that vein, I definitely emotionally connected more. It had that electronic edge, and drew from all different genres of music. You can explore things a little further.

IF YOU GO: Haelos performs March 29 at 6:30 p.m. at Mercury Lounge, 217 E. Houston St., 212-260-4700, $15.

Haelos also performs on March 30 at 8 p.m. at Baby’s All Right, 146 Broadway, Williamsburg, 718-599-5800, $15.