Collaborating In Energy & Sound, almost monday Creates For All

SpotlightMusic

Apr 27

☆ By Jamie Imperial ☆

READY TO TAKE OVER YOUR SUMMER 2021 PLAYLIST — Pop trio almost monday declared that this year marks a “new era” for their sound. The band consists of San Diego natives Dawson Daughtery on vocals, guitarist Cole Clisby, and bassist Luke Fabry. Fabry describes their sound as “more emotional, but also … about trying to really live in the present and not worry too much about the past or the future.”

Their newest single, “hailey beebs,” reflects that, with surprisingly emotional lyrics about a girl who wears high socks just like Hailey Bieber. Their new sound emphasizes the importance of not taking relationships or time for granted, and they manage to package this raw concept up and still make it catchy enough to play on repeat all summer.

With two new EPs on the way and several festivals lined up for fall —including Bonnaroo in September —almost monday is clearly on an exciting upward trajectory. Their most popular single, “broken people,” has over 5 million streams on Spotify to date.

And it's easy to see why — the single itself is catchy, and the lyrics are especially compelling. They acknowledge the near-universal feeling of being “broken,” but also recognize that we’re strong enough to keep trying, even when things are falling apart.

While answering questions, it becomes clear to me how the respect they have for each other has allowed them to make it as far as they have in their career. When Daughtery trails off, Clisby or Fabry picks it back up easily and finishes his train of thought. They never speak over each other, and they take the time to carefully listen while the others are talking.

Clisby says that they work together so well because they each bring something different to the table. “We all have strong opinions, which means we disagree a lot, but we respect each other and hear each other out,” he explains. “As long as we can keep it together, it’s a good way to make good decisions.”

The band has its roots in San Diego, where Daughtery and Fabry grew up together as childhood friends. They met Clisby while they were in high school, when Daughtery was surfing with a mutual friend of theirs.

Once they linked up, they started a band called The Mondays — but the name was already taken. In a stroke of genius, they decided to call themselves almost monday. The three got serious about music when they got into college, and eventually made the leap to pursue it full-time. This led to their first EP, don’t say you’re ordinary, which was released in 2020.

Their collaboration has led to some really cool projects, such as the music video for their single “don’t say you’re ordinary,” which was completely animated. In the music video for “live forever,” the trio goes on a quest to find the Holy Grail. Their journey includes stealing surfboards, hijacking cars, and standing fully clothed in the middle of a pool, all against the backdrop of one of their best singles.

As they start to prepare for touring again, Daughtery shares his favorite advice that’s he’s heard:

“When we opened for Switchfoot in San Diego — one of our first big shows — Jon [Foreman, lead vocalist] came up to us and said that when we’re performing, we’re basically like a mirror for the audience,” Daughtery says. “So if you go out there and have a good time, or you’re having fun and you’re confident, people are gonna reflect that energy back to you. That’s advice that [has] really stuck with me.”

It’s exciting watching the band take off with their new era of sound. They want to get into the mindset of “loving what [they] do and loving the songs [they] make.” They also want to remind everyone to never take anything for granted and live in the present moment as much as possible. At their core, almost monday wants to get out there and have a good time with their best friends, and they hope that people can feel that energy and join in on it. It’s clear we already have.

Be on the lookout for their upcoming EPs and festival shows!

CONNECT WITH ALMOST MONDAY

INSTAGRAM

SPOTIFY

Listen

INSTAGRAM

Our fav Kid Hastings is back with a track & story you’re never gonna believe ✨ “Off Guard” follows his indie pop soundscape but has moments of mellowness when intertwined with the upbeat melody & soft vocals. After being thrown off guard by two consecutive break-ups & in the more literal & physical sense, being taken aback by being hit by a car, the singer’s time in hospital led him to create “Off Guard” as a catharsis to make sense of the situation. 💘Check out our full thoughts on “Off Guard” on our site + tune into our story today for a take over from Kid Hastings 🤩

“We’ve been having a lot more fun in the experimentation stage of the creative process. Usually when we make a record it’s similar to a Jackson Pollock painting - we just chuck tones of stuff at a canvas and hope it comes out alright. With this next project we’re spending a little longer exploring influences & sounds before putting anything down properly. I think it’s easy to get caught up in what comes the quickest & not necessarily what feels the most exciting.” - Alex Headford of Jadu Heart in Issue 14 💘 🌟Print copies of Issue 14 are currently sold out on our site but you can still cop a digital copy as a Monday treat for yourself ✨

Submission opportunity 🗣 Sure has been a year that’s allowed us to think about what really matters & get back to our roots. As always, we look forward to your submissions 🥳💘🌟✨