by kendall nicole yakshe
photo by romarni brytz
New UK-based band daydreamers has a lot to say, and they’re just getting started — so listen up! A four-piece indie-rock power group, the band has already become wildly successful, gaining over 7 million Spotify streams on their single “Call Me Up,” which was only their second ever release. They have a multitude of big performances and festivals in the near future — Latitude, Reeding & Leeds, and a spot opening for Sea Girls on their European tour this fall. With more music rolling out very soon, daydreamers’ momentum is high, and they have every intent to keep it that way.
With the release of your new single “All I Ever Dream About,” you guys have done incredible in the music game with just three singles so far! Congratulations! Where did the four of you first meet, and what made you decide to start a band?
Riley: “Thanks! So we actually got together last year. I had written and produced a bunch of songs, such as ‘Call Me Up’ and ‘Beach House,’ and knew the guys through a mutual friend. Then as soon as we got into a room together and starting playing it just felt very right. Then we officially started the band in October!”
Can you tell us about “All I Ever Dream About” and how your musical process typically goes?
Riley: “I think the process is usually quite different each time when starting something — I’m always just on the look out for little ideas from everyday life, then I’ll tend to voice note a bunch of stuff. Then when I get to sit down with my laptop I build up tracks. Production and writing go hand in hand for me and you’re just searching for a little spark of inspiration, whether it’s a sound or a lyric or a chord progression. After I’ve arranged the song we then go track drums and record with the guys playing live, so it creates that authentic feeling of us all playing in a room together; which is what it’s all about.”
You guys are booked for music festivals such as Latitude and Reading & Leeds, as well as a spot opening for Sea Girls on a European tour this fall! Your career kickstarted with a massively successful live show in the UK. What was that like, and how are you feeling about your upcoming live performances?
Riley: “Absolutely mad! Playing live for us is everything for us, and the music lives on stage. I think when you go a bit of time without having an audience, when you get people connecting with what you do you just appreciate it so much. We just played Latitude festival, that one was so good. Me and Aurora ended up buying a couple tents and staying the weekend.”
Biggest musical influence for each one of you?
Riley: “For me the first one that comes to mind is Radiohead, all of their work is pretty inspiring for me.”
Marco: “So many, but the biggest were and are Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson, Toto, Journey guitarists as Michael Landau and Neal Schon.”
Aurora: “It kinda varies depending on the day and has changed along the years, but the most consistent ones would be ABBA, Michael Jackson, The Doors, Harry Styles, 5 Seconds of Summer.”
Jay: “Hard to narrow down to just one, but I’d say Dave Grohl. In particular Nirvana — Never mind, Foo Fighters — The Colour and the Shape and Queens of the Stone Age — Songs for the Deaf.”
What’s your guys’ dream venue to play in the future? It can be anywhere!
Riley: “Wembley Arena. It’s gotta be one of the big ones. Or headlining Glastonbury. Maybe I’ll throw Coachella in there also.”
What does your writing process look like as friends and as band members? How do you navigate friendship and business?
Riley: “Writing songs for me is a pretty personal thing usually. I’ve always struggled to write with other people for my own stuff — maybe it’s being a bit of a control freak. Not to say I won’t do it more in the future, but right now I tend to just get stuck into a Logic session and lose myself during the writing stage. Then get in with everybody later down the line to hone it. As far as friendship and business goes, we all work on a ‘best idea in the room’ basis, so I think when you separate your ego from your ideas everything works a lot better in general!”
Can you share anything about upcoming music releases?
Riley: “We’ve got a whole bunch of songs ready to release, our whole idea is to get as much music out as possible and never lose momentum. All of them we’re so excited about! Then hopefully we’ll be working towards the debut album…”
Each of you share your favorite thing about being in this band.
Riley: “Going through these experiences together is the thing I appreciate most. I think working in this industry has the potential to be pretty overwhelming, so having the guys to fall back on always reminds you not to take anything too seriously. Also festivals!”
Marco: “Spending time in general with the guys and playing beautiful music.”
Aurora: “I get to do what I love most in the world while going on adventures and creating memories with the best people.”
Jay: “My favorite thing is having the opportunity to play in front of bigger and bigger audiences and being able to share that experience as a band.”