You’ve heard the songs. "Closer." "Don't Let Me Down." "Roses." They were basically the soundtrack to every college party and Uber ride for half a decade. But if you actually had to point out the members of the Chainsmokers in a lineup, could you do it?
Honestly, most people just see two guys behind a DJ booth and assume they’re just "the DJ guys." It's a bit more nuanced than that. The group isn't just a stagnant duo that popped out of nowhere with a song about taking a selfie. There’s a history of a "missing" third founder, a specific division of labor that keeps the machine running, and a touring drummer who has become so vital he’s basically a member in all but name.
The Face and the Voice: Drew Taggart
Most of the singing you hear on their tracks? That’s Drew Taggart.
He wasn't always the singer, though. In the early days, they relied almost exclusively on guest vocalists. Drew is the primary producer and the "musical" brain of the operation. He grew up in Maine, far away from the New York club scene, and got obsessed with EDM while studying abroad in Argentina. Imagine being a teenager and hearing Daft Punk for the first time in a South American club—that was his "aha" moment.
Drew ended up at Syracuse University and was interning for Interscope Records when the stars aligned. He was the "studio rat" who knew how to make the beats. Today, he’s the one usually front-and-center during live shows, jumping off LED walls and handling the topline melodies that get stuck in your head for weeks.
The Visionary: Alex Pall
If Drew is the engine, Alex Pall is the steering wheel.
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Alex is a New York City native. He went to NYU for art history and music business, which explains a lot about how the band handles their branding and "vibe." Before the fame, he was working at an art gallery in Chelsea by day and DJing for peanuts by night.
In the studio, Alex’s role is often misunderstood. He’s the one who handles the "vibe check." He’s the A&R guy within his own band, picking the collaborators, deciding which remixes are actually cool, and managing the business side of their label, Disruptor Records.
"Alex is the dude that tells me... 'this is not cool' or 'you're overthinking this,'" Drew once mentioned in an interview.
It’s a classic partnership: one guy builds the house, and the other guy makes sure people actually want to live in it.
The "Forgotten" Third Member: Rhett Bixler
Here’s a bit of trivia that usually wins bar bets: Alex Pall didn't start the group with Drew Taggart.
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The original members of the Chainsmokers were Alex Pall and a DJ named Rhett Bixler. This was back in 2012. They were a local NYC duo playing five-hour sets for $200 a night. Rhett eventually left the group, and that’s when their manager, Adam Alpert, introduced Alex to Drew.
They basically had a "blind date" to see if they could make music together. It worked. Drew moved from Maine to NYC, and the rest is history. Rhett Bixler is still out there doing his thing, but he missed the "Selfie" wave by a matter of months.
The Unofficial Third Member: Matt McGuire
If you’ve seen the Chainsmokers live lately, you’ve seen Matt McGuire.
He’s their drummer. But he’s not just a "hired gun" who sits in the back. Matt is a YouTube sensation from Australia who the guys recruited because they wanted to transition from a "press play" DJ set to a real live band experience.
Matt is now the group's Music Director. He’s in almost all the behind-the-scenes footage, he performs every show, and he’s heavily involved in how the songs are rearranged for the stage. While he isn't legally "The Chainsmokers" (which remains a duo), the fans treat him like a full-time member.
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Why the Dynamic Actually Works
The reason these guys didn't flame out after 2014 is because they aren't trying to do the same thing.
- Drew handles the software, the synthesis, and the vocals.
- Alex handles the curation, the DJ sets, and the business strategy.
- Matt handles the live energy and percussion.
It’s a balanced ecosystem. They’ve admitted that in the early days, they were forced into "scenarios" because they were so broke they had to share single hotel rooms in Europe. That kind of proximity either breaks a band or makes them inseparable.
How to keep up with them in 2026
If you're looking to follow the members of the Chainsmokers today, don't just look at the Billboard charts. They've shifted. They are now massive "angel investors" in the tech world, putting money into everything from finance apps to spirit brands.
To really see what they’re up to:
- Check their "Nice Hair" Radio show: This is where they showcase the actual DJ skills Alex is known for.
- Watch Matt McGuire’s drum covers: It gives you a better look at the technical complexity of their live shows.
- Follow their venture capital moves: They are becoming just as famous in Silicon Valley as they are in Vegas.
They aren't just the "Selfie" guys anymore. They are a multi-headed media and investment entity that just happens to produce some of the biggest pop songs of the last decade.