almost monday is on fire right now... They have just released their latest single, "Tidal Wave," and are on tour opening for indie giants AJR, captivating audiences everywhere they go. The trio, made up of Dawson Daugherty (vocals), Cole Clisby (guitar), and Luke Fabry (bass), formed in 2020 in San Diego and have been making waves ever since!
Read on for more about this indie-pop trio on the rise!
MSM: First of all, how has the tour with AJR been going?
It’s been so mental! It’s very, very surreal to be playing shows like MSG and the Kia Forum - places you dream about playing. Also, the guys and their crew have been so accommodating and supportive. Such an amazing tour!
Tell me about your journey with creating music. How did you get started, and what first ignited your passion for music?
We all started our musical journeys differently. I (Luke) started playing piano when I was a kid, but picked up a guitar because my dad was always playing it around the house. What really got me interested in live music was going to a show at my local venue and experiencing the energy that the sweaty club emitted.
How has living in California helped to shape you as musicians?
I think it naturally just attached itself to our sound. I guess it comes back to trying to be who you are authentically and letting that be what defines you. The truth is we met surfing and started the band in the back of a surf shop - so those “California” things are just truly our world.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences, and how have they helped to shape your sound?
We all come from different influences but some of them that have influenced us are The Kinks, The Strokes, The Beach Boys, Phoenix, Arctic Monkeys, Cage the Elephant, and Foster the People. Growing up and listening to these artists have made their way somewhere into our sound, but its much more of a subconscious process than a conscious one.
How do you balance staying true to your artistic vision while also appealing to a wide audience?
I think trying to appeal to a wider audience can be a dangerous game to play. At the end of the day, truly being yourself is the best bet you have at being successful— we just try to make music that we like and feels authentic to what we’re about!
Your music defies easy categorization, blending elements of different genres and styles. How do you approach genre and style when writing and recording music?
When we first started writing a bunch of music together, we hadn’t truly discovered a distinct sound yet so we were writing songs all over the place, from more punk-sounding songs, to very pop / R&B sounding songs. It was a bit of trial and error. We had to write a ton of bad songs to get to writing a good song. And eventually, I think we kinda figured out what works well for us and know kinda the parameters that sound good while still spanning a pretty wide spectrum of genres. It’s a lot easier for us to identify what is in the realm of almost monday nowadays and what works for us.
When fans recommend almost monday to others, what song do you think would be the best introduction to your music?
Probably a song called “life goes by”. That one feels like it encapsulates the whole identity for what almost monday is.
How would you describe your latest single release, “Tidal Wave”?
"Tidal Wave" is another song that feels like it encapsulates the sound and world of almost monday. Another beachy, summery, feel-good track.
Can you talk about any other upcoming projects or collaborations in the works?
Yes! We have our debut album coming later this year, and we couldn’t be more excited. It’s something that we’ve dreamed of making and putting out since the beginning of the band! I’m excited because I think the album has something for everyone on it!
Can you share any interesting or surprising facts about the band or its members?
Here’s some stuff you’d probably only know if you were close friends or on tour with us: Dawson is cracked at Mario Kart and Cole is pretty nice with it at Smash Bros. We’ve been playing a serious amount on this tour lol. Luke is an ice cream connoisseur and knows where the best places are everywhere we go. We like to find waterparks/wave pools if we have off days. We tend to rank/rate things a lot — anything from diners, venues, cities, etc… We each have a Rolodex of like 20 nicknames with everyone on our tour.
Lastly, is there anything else that you’d like to share with your fans?
So excited to finally give you guys an album! And keep an eye out for touring!
