Hello to all on this somber Monday. Now I am going to let the other news outlets analyze & report the details. I just have to speak on the fans of Eagles of Death Metal who went out Friday night to Le Bataclan. They did something that us music lovers do every night in every major city all over the world. I cannot fathom that these cowards would do what they did to music fans looking to hear an awesome band. My heart is heavy but I hope we can come together against this evil enemy. So lets get to the news today, RoboBeat claims to be the world’s fastest music producer. RoboBeat is a program that makes urban instrumentals in seconds, according to the preferences of the user. RoboBeat’s tempo, genre, drums, key, etc. can be manipulated to produce a fully-mastered instrumental beat loop sounding professional and modern to today’s style of music – LEARN MORE! In Other news on this Monday, The Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) has arrested a man and a woman in Manchester on suspicion of being involved in the mass online distribution of copyright protected music software. The couple were arrested at their home in the north of the city (Irlam) following an early morning operation by the City of London Police unit. A search warrant was then executed inside the property, with detectives seizing a number of articles relating to the distribution of copyright protected music software. So I am so excited to introduce Daylight Down from Houston, TX. The group of five caught my attention with their single, “Demon You Love.” I find their music to be passionate, authentic, and very appealing. So lets get into as Lance & Jason speak on how they came together, music venues in Houston, the band’s current gear set-up, and so much more!
Stoli: What image do you think your music conveys?
Lance: The image of our music is represented in the name of our band Daylight Down. Sometimes our lives can be complicated, complex, and maybe a little dark. But when the sun goes down, there’s a resolution of hope with a new day. I think a lot of people can relate to DC’s lyrics because they are similar to the image of our music.
Stoli: Can you explain what a typical day in your life looks like?
Jason: I spend a few hours every day in the studio. If I’m not writing or recording new ideas for Daylight Down. I’m working on new production ideas or listening to other well produced work to learn what other producers have done to get there. I wouldn’t say I’m a gear junky necessarily, but I AM always in the studio chasing tone and tweaking things until I drive myself crazy. Then I have lunch. Haha
Lance: A typical day in my life includes waking up early to see our children off to school (we have 5 but we’re down to 3). Then I’ll usually head out with my wife to the gym or go for a long walk. After that I’ll make my way over to our studios, that my wife and I own, (Trademark Rehearsal Studios) to work. I am constantly on the phone talking with booking agents to secure new venues for us to play. I also check in with our producer, Gene Foley, weekly to get updates on the progression of our music career. When I get home, I make dinner for my family. Afterwards I sit down in my practice studio with a beer and go over our material or write new bass line prospects.
Stoli: So explain how you guys came together and how did you come up with the name Daylight Down?
Jason: Lance and I met through a website for musicians. We hit it off and started writing pretty immediately. We went through tons of names like most bands do. In fact, I still have a list of probably 50 names on my phone… One day Daylight Down just kinda came to me. I’m not sure where from but when I texted Lance, he liked it and it stuck. I think it works well for us because the name is uplifting and has a dark side all at the same time. Finding the other guys was a LONG process. I met Kyle when he was the drummer for Glass Houses and I was in another band here in Houston. We played on a couple of bills together as I remember. Kyle’s band had since disbanded, but I remembered him being a really solid player! The audition with him in my opinion was just a formality but he came in and killed it. He only had the songs a few days and knew them front to back. We met David through the same musician website in which Lance and I met. We sent demos back and forth and he was interested. Once he was on board we worked and worked; Played a couple of shows and he became really ill. He had a negative reaction to Cippro and was out of commission for over a year. During that time we searched for a second guitarist. We wrote and recorded the early songs with multiple guitar parts, so it just made sense that to have two guitarists to re-capture that sound live. Dakota sent us a video demo and we were very impressed! My only concern was he looked like he was about 12 in the video! Haha. He is the youngest of us, but not by nearly as much as I had thought! So, after about a year with no singer, David and I talked and he told me he felt he was able to come back. He’s still in pain and it’s a daily struggle, but you’d never be able to tell it by looking at him. He’s got more energy on stage than anyone I’ve ever met and would never guess he was feeling the way he does sometimes.
Stoli: What is life and the music scene like in Houston, TX?
DC: Life? It’s hot! It’s damn hot and humid and I even grew up here. It’s sweltering for a good 9 months out of the year and ridiculously overcrowded now for a Southern city. Growing up here, it just wasn’t like this. So many people moved here after the economy crashed in 2008 because we have such a strong local economy and now it just feels so fast moving and sterile…a lot of great opportunity but because of that, it’s become a machine of a city to me. As for the scene, well, a few years back that scene, at least for our genre, had some real strong buzz going. I remember playing local shows with some of the cresting bands here and that feeling was in the air..y’know? A certain record label was looking at a certain band and that kinda energy and artistic brotherhood/competitiveness was alive with shows packed out around town. These days, it’s just a few lone wolves. Things have definitely reflected what’s happened nationally where organic rock music has gone dormant.
Stoli: Would you say that the (5) of you guys are friends away from the band and how much time per week is devoted to Daylight Down?
Jason: We ARE all friends away from DD too. We were just talking the other day about trying to do MORE together. Houston is over 600 Square miles and none of us live near another, but we rehearse regularly and hang out at shows and text/facebook each other all the time.
Stoli: Your web site says you are currently in the studio. Do you have an estimate on when the new material will be out?
DC: Here’s the deal…we are basically always in the studio. We write like maniacs and we entertain 85% of those ideas as songs. So I think that having a good solid output is great. As for when it will be out? Well, we basically add new material every few weeks at most. It may be new music, new live footage, new site updates, etc. – We work!!
Stoli: Offer us a glimpse into your songwriting process and how do you all work together to make sure you are all heard?
Jason: For me, I have to record everything I come up with so I don’t forget it. You kind of have to. Then, I’ll go back and visit the sound clips later. If it has legs, I’ll record it with a simple drum track to complete the idea and send it to the guys. If they all like it, we’ll start working it up. Sometimes, like a lot of bands, one of us will have an idea at rehearsal and we all will add things, suggestions and direction and we’ll just expand on it until it’s good and cooked. Then hopefully someone will record it with their phone so we don’t forget it. haha.
DC: Mixing takes care of a lot of that from the literal side (ha,ha – just kidding). The guys bring in riffs or skeleton song structures and we build on them. Jason will send me something, I’ll track my vocal ideas over it at my own home studio set-up and send it back and then we put the “theory” into practical application when we get together in the studio. That’s just one of many ways.
Stoli: Your live show looks amazing. What has been some awesome venues that you’ve played and how do you guys get into a zone to play live?
Dakota: Scout Bar is definitely one of my favorite venues in Houston. The entire staff is great and the sound engineer is amazing! To get in the zone, I look at it like, if you’re playing a venue with 30 people or 1,000 people, play like you’re playing in front of 10,000 people. You know, make it memorable! After our shows, I’m usually pretty sore the next day from bouncing around the stage (haha).
Kyle: Well, for me personally, I walk around the venue when the previous band is playing, running through my rudiments with a pair of sticks thinking about our songs and just trying to make sure I cross all my t’s and dot all my I’s. And a Redbull and a shot of Tequila always helps.
Stoli: I am loving your single “Demon You Love”. Please offer background into what inspired you to write that song in real life.
Jason: The music was one of the first songs that Lance and I wrote. I was thinking about nixing it from our list, but David wrote the lyrics and melodies and breathed new life into it and now it’s one of our favorites.
DC: I really kind of shy away from defining lyrical meaning because, as cliche as it sounds, I want the person hearing it to have their own meaning. However, this is one that’s pretty specific. Without going in to too much detail, it’s about trying to get clean of a habit or an addiction and how self-loathing you can become as you fail over and over again. You try, you fall. It’s about asking forgiveness and basically laying down for the person you love, who you may have ruined, or one day may ruin, a relationship with because you couldn’t keep your act together. In the case of the song, it doesn’t end on a very positive note. But part of the vibe is accepting that you got what you deserved but when the dust clears, you can start over. We have a billion tomorrows.
Stoli: What’s your band’s current gear set-up?
Lance: I run between Gallien Kruger and Mesa Boogie for bass gear. My “live” rig consists of (2) GK 2001 RB’s, (2) Ampeg 410 HLF’s, (2) Ampeg Pro-Neo 1×15’s. I’ve got some “secret” pedal combos. I primarily play MusicMan and Fender bass guitars.
Jason: I use PRS and MusicMan Guitars with a Fractal Axe-FXII with a Matrix GT1000FX into (2) Mesa 4×12 Cabinets.
Dakota: I am using a Mesa Dual Rectifier with a (2) 4×12 Mesa cab. The guitars I’m currently using are a Charvel Desolation Skatecaster and Ibanez Iceman, and, of course, I have my pedal board which is pretty basic. I like paring my Chorus pedal and Phaser a lot. I don’t use any rack equipment.
Kyle: Ddrum kit with sabian AAx cymbals, sample pad and Gibraltar rack.
Stoli: What is coming up for Daylight Down and where can we find you online?
Lance: Well, we’re currently finishing up a full-length album which we’re very excited about and will hopefully be released around the first of the year. Daylight Down is constantly playing live shows around Texas and making new fans. We’re in the process of securing a record label with the help of our producer, Gene Foley. You can find us online at:
https://www.reverbnation.com/DaylightDown
https://www.facebook.com/DaylightDownMusic
http://daylightdown.com
