Daydreamer - Sound In The Signals Interview
I recently had the opportunity to interview Bryce of Daydreamer. We discussed how they formed the band, musical influences, the writing and recording process for new EP, ‘Out of Earshot’, having the songs remastered and released on cassette, and more. Check it out below.
First, thanks for the interview.
Of course, thank you!
Can you tell me how you formed the band for those who may be unfamiliar? How did you initially become interested in music?
I had been trying to get a project like this off the ground for a while. I was working on a few demos by myself while I attempted to get a full lineup together. Eventually I had reconnected with my friend Kyle after seeing him at a show. I showed him the demos I had been working on and he showed them to my friend Alex and they were in.
As far as initially getting interested in music - I think that’s something that started when I was really young. My parents were always playing music for me and exposed me to a lot of bands that would end up sticking with me for a long time.
Your music incorporates some ’90s alternative and shoegaze influences. What about that time and music inspires you?
Honestly, I think extremely heavy guitars with super loud drums is a formula that just can’t be beaten haha. A lot of 90s alternative uses really simple songwriting. The riffs are pretty basic and the melodies aren’t anything crazy but when used correctly it’s so effective. Shoegaze has that same emphasis on volume but with a focus on tones and textures as well. Both genres have influenced me separately and I just wanted to create my own take on them.
You released your debut EP, ‘Out of Earshot’ earlier this year. Can you tell us more about the writing and recording process?
A few of these songs are the final product of the demos I mentioned. I wrote them in my room and then took them to Kyle and Alex and they really helped bring those songs to life. We didn’t exactly have the budget to get the songs recorded in a professional studio so we had to DIY it for pretty much all of it. Ended up borrowing some mics from my friend Peter and used the few I had to record drums in our practice space. I actually had to combine 3 of those Scarlett interfaces together so we had enough inputs for the drums. After that, we recorded the guitars and bass in my university’s studio over a few day. Then I just recorded the vocals in my apartment. I mixed the EP over a few weeks and that was about it!
The songs were remastered for a new release via Better Days Will Haunt You by Will Killingsworth (Orchid, Ampere) at Dead Air Studios. What can you tell us about this process?
We were initially using AI masters for our streaming release as we had a very small budget. Once we got involved with Better Days, Jordan had offered to get them mastered by an actual engineer. As far as the process itself, none of us in the band were very involved in it. It was super cool though because I’m a big fan of Orchid and was excited to have him work on our music.
You’re releasing it on cassette as well. How important is it to your band to have physical media?
I would say it’s pretty important. Especially in the age of streaming being the primary way of listening to music, I think a lot of people (myself included) still want that physical aspect to it. There’s definitely a difference between being able to hold a tape, flip out the J card, look at the art, and staring at it on your phone.
What else is coming up for the band in 2022? Are you currently working on new music?
We are, slowly but surely. Definitely hoping to get new music out this year.
Thanks for taking the time to answer the questions. Is there anything else that you’d like to add?
Thank you for the interview!
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