FEATURE: Spotlight: Daisy the Great

FEATURE:

Spotlight

Daisy the Great

__________

I really do hope…

that the brilliant Daisy the Great come to the U.K. and perform next year! The Brooklyn duo of Kelley Nicole Dugan and Mina Walker are among my favourite emerging acts. I have been listening to them for a while, and their remarkable new album is out. All You Need Is Time follows 2019’s excellent I'm Not Getting Any Taller. I hope that anyone reading this will follow Daisy the Great and support their music. “Fifteen” Questions sat down with Daisy the Great and went deep. I have selected a few that caught my attention:

“Name: Daisy The Great
Members: Kelley Nicole Dugan, Mina Walker
Occupation: Singers, songwriters
Nationality: American
Recent release: Daisy The Great's new single "Cry In The Mirror" is out via Hollywood Records.

Recommendations: Mina: I’ve been reading Alice Munro short stories. Literally anything by her is so good and sad. I’ve been having a pretty difficult brain time recently, and her stories are really hitting it.
Kelley: I’ll recommend Leith Ross’ album Motherwell.

When did you start writing/producing/playing music and what or who were your early passions and influences? What was it about music and/or sound that drew you to it?

Kelley: My mom is an opera singer so she was - of course - my first influence, along with all of the music that she introduced me to! I loved to sing and was always trying to copy her as a kid, so she taught me a lot really early on, like harmonizing or finding the time signature of a piece of music and we would always sing together in the car.

My earliest faves as a kid were the Beatles, Rodgers & Hammerstein and Tony Bennett. I loved it initially because it was so joyful.

Mina: My mom is a jazz singer who is obsessed with musicals. Growing up we would watch the Wizard of Oz and Singing in the Rain on repeat on VHS. My dad was a painter and he and my mom were always painting together, so I think from a young age I was kind of raised to be a creator of some sort.
When I was five I would make up songs on my porch and sing to whoever was walking by.

Tell me a bit about your sense of identity and how it influences both your preferences as a listener and your creativity as an artist, please.

Kelley: One of the earlier songs that I wrote when I started writing music more seriously was “The Record Player Song”, which is ironically about feeling like you have no idea who you are yet, and I think sharing that feeling of being unsure and being in the process of finding yourself, while vulnerable, was really important for me to share as an artist.

It’s easy to imagine that you’re supposed to write music from a place of fully cooked wisdom, but I think the reality is that your identity and understanding of yourself and the world is always moving and growing and changing, and that potentially the most beautiful and powerful part of the process is to share your questions with the world rather than the answers.

Mina: It has been interesting tracking the music I’ve listened to over time and how it has informed my identity. Something that I’ve learned is that there’s always more, that I’m always in some kind of a transition and will never “arrive” at my truest self, but that my truest self is something that is always evolving.
Recently I’ve been listening to pretty intense hyper pop music and punk music that I never really thought I was interested in but it has really been hitting the spot and feels like what I need at the moment. A few months ago, the only music I could listen to was country music from the 60s, before that it was jazz standards, before that it was top 40 pop and sad indie ballads. I think it’s cool to find new pieces of self unlocked in so many different types of music and know there is so much more to explore”.

Listening can be both a solitary and a communal activity. Likewise, creating music can be private or collaborative. Can you talk about your preferences in this regard and how these constellations influence creative results?

Mina: This is something very important to us as we are a very collaborative project. A big question is always, how can we make a song personal and vulnerable and truthful when two or more people are writing it?

I think this is always a fun puzzle to figure out because it is possible. Kelley and I really trust each other and sometimes one of us will write a whole song and be like, sorry I just need this song to be this, and then the other will be like, cool, how can I contribute to your vision of this song, and then we make it.
Other times, one of us will have a seed of an idea that we came up with in a solitary moment or want to write about and we will brainstorm together.

Kelley: I agree and I also feel like songs will often let you know if they’re meant to be written privately or with someone else as you start writing them.
Some songs will literally never be heard by anyone else because they’re just for me. And in the other direction there’s something so beautiful about letting a vulnerable piece of writing go and grow and change in the hands of others.

How do your work and your creativity relate to the world and what is the role of music in society?

Mina: I think we can only really write from where we’re at so I think our work reflects the world as we know and understand it over time.
Music has many roles in society. I think it is something that brings people together. It is a language that can be understood when words aren’t the best form of communication”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Eva Smittle

This year has been a great and busy one for Daisy the Great. Currently on a tour of the U.S., I know there will be international demand. There is a lot of love for them in the U.K. Atwood Magazine spoke with Daisy the Great about All You Need Is Time. It is an album that shows they are a duo that everyone needs to watch:

“HOW DO YOU FEEL COVID HAS AFFECTED FESTIVALS AND FESTIVAL CROWDS?

Mina Walker: With festivals in terms of safety, I feel like I was more nervous about inside shows than outside shows, so I think there’s something about having fresh air that is nice. There’s also something about dedicating your whole day to music. It’s different from going to a show.

Kelley Dugan: Coming out of a time where there was so much isolation and anxiety everyone missed going to shows. A lot of people will be excited to gather with a community, celebrate and feel that freedom and joy that comes from a festival.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THE UPCOMING ALBUM AND TOUR…

Mina Walker: We’re releasing an album on October 28 called All You Need Is Time, and I’m excited because we’ve been playing a lot of the songs on the album before they are out, so I’m excited to release the album and then go on tour and play songs that people have actually heard before.

Kelley Dugan: We’re going on tour November 8th with The Happy Fits, for about a month and a half playing really cool rooms like Webster Hall in New York, The Fonda in L.A., so those shows I’m really excited about. We’ve been playing a lot of the singles, so I’m excited to play some of the deep cuts of the record that are kind of a sneaky hit.

PHOTO CREDIT: Eva Smittle

WHAT ARTISTS INSPIRE YOU?

Mina Walker: I really admire Big Thief, Moses Sumney. It seems like they create very sacred spaces and respectful spaces and I hope as our shows grow that we have a respectful, engaged and dedicated audience and that comes from the artist and audience sharing energy. It feels like a very respected and artistic space that I would love to get to.

People like Mitski and Fiona Apple feel like they really take their time and their work is very thoughtful. I like the idea of making art and putting it out when it feels like the right time for YOU.

Kelley Dugan: I went to the same school as Lady Gaga and growing up have always looked up to her drive and endless creativity. I saw some of her shows growing up and it seemed like she had such a strong vision of what she wanted her show to be. Every record goes to a different place. She seems to be really in control.

WHO ARE YOUR ARTIST PEERS AND WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP LIKE?

Kelley Dugan: Our band mates have their own projects and we have a really lovely relationship with them and so respect their individual projects and honestly we learn from each other.

Mina Walker: Our friend Joey in the band Sipper is one. I’ve sat with him in a park for hours as he’s picked my brain.

ON THE ALBUM… IS IT A SEPARATION… DID IT FEEL CREATIVELY DIFFERENT?

Mina Walker: It’s an evolution I think. We started with a rock band base and added stuff to accentuate the vocals. We recorded everything in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Kelley Dugan: It definitely represents our live sound better than our other stuff that is out. In performing we found a different energy and freedom in our sound and the size of it. We were coming from a place of asking ourselves what we wanted to play live. We wrote the songs wanting the moment to feel big. A lot of the stuff we had out was super delicate.

DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATION FROM THE SURROUNDING PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT?

Kelley Dugan: Our song “Cry in the Mirror” was recorded on this great 1940s broadcast mic, just because there was one there! [laughs]

WHAT WOULD BE YOUR DREAM ARTIST COLLABORATION?

Mina Walker: I really want to do a collab with Sleigh Bells, Mitski, Lucy Dacus. I would love to do a collab with every ‘90s punk band.

Kelley Dugan: I would love to collab with Remi Wolf, someone with super high energy. I feel like it would be fun”.

I am going to finish off with things with The Indy Review. They chatted with Daisy the Great about an album that shows they have grown and expanded in terms of their music and lyricvs. Everything that the duo put out is wonderful. You can get their new album on vinyl, but you may need to go via a U.S. site. Investigate and listen to the magnificent Daisy the Great:

“The Indy Review: First, I want to say how much I enjoyed hearing the new album. The songs on it show such a great amount of growth both musically and lyrically. What were the most memorable highlights and challenges of recording it?

Daisy the Great: Thank you so much! We had a few main recording days at Studio G in Brooklyn that we look back on very sweetly! One of our favorite memories from the recording days is when we were trying to record a scratch vocal for “Smile Pretty Girl” while Nardo was recording guitar, and for some reason Mina and I were absolutely losing it and couldn’t stop laughing. The song is not funny…but we just couldn’t get through it. Poor sweet Nardo was fighting the laughter so hard but he eventually broke. We’re pretty sure the guitar take that we ended up using is one where Nardo just barely made it through without laughing too. Another true highlight is recording the “claps” on “Time Machine”. We all stood in a circle and started clapping but eventually we realized the sound was better if we all smacked our own butts instead….so that’s what’s in the song. On a very heartfelt note, that time was just really special to us in general because we were recording this album with our best friends and feeling really lucky and grateful to be able to make music. One of the challenges of making the record was definitely recording it during the pandemic. We had obviously not been performing and really didn’t know what was going to happen next. In the middle of recording Min was also dealing with a lot of personal stuff that was making it hard to focus, but we were able to take time when we needed to and allow that space for grief and rest when it was needed. We are a band of best friends, ok?!! :’)

IR: It sounds like you really took advantage of having a full band for this album – the songs certainly rock a bit harder and ones like “Time Machine” have a Beatles-esque orchestral pop sound. How has it been learning to play and record with a full band as opposed to just the two of you?

DtG: We’ve recorded most of our music with a full band actually, but we set out to record this album with a bigger sound that really matched the feeling and size of our most rocky live shows. We have the best band members too, they are so kind and so talented and it is always a huge honor to collaborate with them on the recordings. This was definitely the most monstrous undertaking to date, though, and we learned a lot about building up and stripping back the instrumentation during the process.

IR: As I mentioned above, the lyrics showed a strong maturity, especially in songs like “Easy”, where you describe coming to grips with dealing with a heartbreak. How much did you draw from your own lives the last couple years when writing the narratives of the songs?

DtG: “Easy” was such an interesting song to write because we then sat with it for a few years before recording it for the album. We wrote the song based on a relationship that really did feel easy to let go of at the time. By the time we came back to the song to record it, we had gone through a couple of intense heartbreaks that really did not feel easy at all – and singing the song from a new vantage point led the meaning of the song to morph a bit. We started to interpret it as being about the moments of relief you feel after a breakup within the more heart wrenching, complicated waves of emotions. In our worst moments, it feels like it’s completely ironic. So, this song really feels like it can show up for you how you need it to, and be a hug in a tough moment. In general, all of the songs are inspired by our own lives, and it’s really interesting to write songs with each other because there’s a little bit of both of us in all of the music. We usually will start writing about a feeling, and then draw from both of our own experiences around that idea.

IR: Since having “Record Player” go viral and hitting the pop charts, what new experiences and lessons have you taken from this entrance in the music mainstream?

DtG: We were so lucky during this time to be able to have our music reach a much wider audience. We were able to perform on some really incredible stages, and tour with really amazing bands. We got to hear our songs on the radio, we performed on ABC’s New Year’s Eve show and Kelly Clarkson’s show. We would never have been able to predict all of this happening. All of the touring definitely taught us a lot about performing on a big stage and really being brave enough to take up that space and have fun. On the other hand, we also learned a lot about creating that intimacy with the audience, even when the room feels giant.

IR: How involved have you been with the roll-out of the coming album? Do you enjoy the marketing and promotion side of the business, figuring out singles, album artwork, and planning ways to get fans excited, or do you prefer to just write and play the music and have your team handle those aspects of the release?

DtG: We like to be very very involved in all aspects of the creative and planning of the project. There’s also a lot of stuff that we can’t handle on this scale, and we are really grateful to our team for being there for us too. For instance, we planned our own DIY tour in 2019 that was amazing and honestly very epic, but it is so so nice to have our lovely agent and management and label helping us organize and schedule everything now. That said, we definitely try to have a big hand in whatever we possibly can. We are deeply invested in the roll out of the album; Mina does all of the single art, we try to direct or co-direct and edit as many of the music videos as we can, and generally really enjoy driving the metaphorical car of the band – though, Mina does not have a driver’s license.

IR: You found great success working with AJR on the single “Record Player”. Are there any other dream collaborations you would like to make happen?

DtG: Ohhh yes there are so many artists we would love to work with. A handful are: Fiona Apple, Paramore, Mitski, Remi Wolf, Moses Sumney, Sleigh Bells, Blondie, Beach Bunny, Avril Lavigne, Japanese Breakfast, Lady Gaga…the list is long !! but we’ll cap it there for now.

IR: The album is coming out on October 28th (just before Mina’s birthday). Any plans for how you’re going to celebrate the dual occasions?

DtG: We will probably have some kind of party to listen to the album with our best friends and celebrate Mina’s birthday and then go out for a drink after

IR: You’re touring the rest of the year. What are your plans for 2023?

DtG: We are planning a big album tour in 2023!! Stay tuned!! Can’t wait to play the new album for everyone

IR: Finally, If you could make one lasting impact or change to popular music as it is now, what would it be?

DtG: There is something about the way that music is circulating now that I’m still trying to figure out. Often with social media playing a large part of music getting heard, it’s only a small part of a song that makes the rounds and reaches the bigger audience, rather than being able to hear the full song. I think that can be a blessing and a curse, and I hope that people listen to full songs and full albums and seek out the opportunity to listen to the music as the artist intended it to be heard. Eat the whole cake”.

I have been a fan of Daisy the Great for a while, so this is a sort of recruitment drive! I can attest at how amazing the duo are. With a tour ongoing and a new album courting a lot of good reviews and praise, things are getting better and better for them. Make sure Kelley Nicole Dugan and Mina Walker are part of…