Get To Know Daisy The Great
By Arwen Vira Marsh
Tell me a bit about the band! How did it begin? How did you guys meet? What's the significance behind the name "Daisy the Great"?
We met in college as acting majors at Tisch at NYU. We ended up writing a song together for a comedy class in school and then later that year we started writing a musical together about two kids in a band who accidentally take over the lives of two pop stars that get struck by lightning. We started to show each other songs that we’d written in the past as potential songs for the “band” in the musical, and we realized that we loved each other’s music and really felt at home sharing those songs with each other. So Daisy grew from there and now it’s the two of us along with our sweet band Bernardo Ochoa (guitar/bass), Matt Lau (guitar/bass), Matti Dunietz (percussion) and Brie Archer (additional vox). The name Daisy the Great came from the idea that there is power in vulnerability.
What is your creative process like in writing songs? Do you ever get into "tiffs" with one another? How do you come up with lyrics and music?
We never fight lol. We really don’t, it’s kinda bananas. We have a very good flow and our writing styles and personalities really balance each other out. When we first started writing with each other, we would show each other songs we’d already written and edit them together. And now, we write most of our songs together. One of us will show up with a nugget of a song or a chorus or a topic we want to get off our chest and just workshop it together and spitball till we find the words and sounds we’re looking for.
You've released several songs in 2020, all of which I'm obsessed with, by the way :)) How have you guys managed to stay creative during these crazy intense and chaotically emotional times? How has your process changed during the pandemic?
Writing the soft songs EP was definitely something that helped to ground us at the beginning of the pandemic. We’ve flowed in and out of creative states since then but in the beginning it was really helpful to have a project to work on together while sifting through the giant tangle of thoughts and feelings we were having. We ended up writing songs over Facetime every day for two weeks and ended up with a collection of songs that we thought would be nice to share during a really hard time. We also released a few collabs with Sipper and Lazylazy, which were so fun to work on because it really helped us feel connected to our world of musician friends even when we can’t see anyone in person. That said, sometimes we write in order to stay sane, but we also sometimes need a break from trying to be creative for a while, and we try to be soft with ourselves in not trying to force a creative moment if it’s not happening right then. The writing and recording process is really different because everything is remote, so it’s a lot more emailing ideas back and forth or facetiming for hours and hours to write. We’ve also been working on recording our album!! Woohoooo :)
I'm also curious to know more about the cover art for the 2020 singles/EP "Soft Songs". There are so many adorable photos of you guys as kids. What's the meaning behind that decision?
Soft songs comes from a pretty vulnerable and nostalgic place. At the time we were writing it, we were feeling the need to come back to the simplest versions of ourselves, so we thought using baby pics was a good way to capture that.
Your music is always so rich with these lines that come off one way, but when you really sit to think about it, you're hit with tidal waves of emotions you weren't even aware were present. I know I often find myself laughing at some lines, but then I shift to nostalgia, and then all the rich bittersweet feelings hit. How do you guys knit all those happy joyful lyrics but then balance them with some of the more intense "sad" subject your music discusses?
We usually write about the things we can’t stop thinking about, and it’s always a complicated jumble of emotions and conflicting feelings. Most of the time the dark things are funny in some way. So when we’re talking about something even if it’s a really tough subject, we find those moments of lightness and humor because we’re just telling the truth.
And with that, having to dive into maybe some of your own trauma's for the purposes of art must be really exhausting. How do you guys take care of your own mental health and prevent risking your mental well-being?
It can be scary to write a song that is really really honest and open yourself up that way. I think everyone has their own boundaries and their own timelines with it as well, and you definitely don’t need to push yourself to write about something that feels too hot in order to write a meaningful song. You can also always just write a song for yourself! That said if it’s something that we’re comfortable sharing then it can be very comforting to turn something difficult into a song and set it free into the world. Writing songs is really special in that sense because you have the opportunity to take all of the thoughts in your head and turn them into something new that can be passed on and will mean something different for everyone who listens.
Congrats on the release of the new song "Persephone"!! I'm interested to know more about some of the symbolisms in the lyrics. How did you guys come up with 'Persephone'? What was your inspiration for the song and music video?
Thanks! “Persephone” was initially inspired by the story of the sirens, in which the sirens were companions of Persephone who asked for wings in order to be able to search for her when she was taken to the underworld. Typically sirens are depicted as a symbol of danger & desire -- temptress mermaid monsters luring sailors to their death (and dying themselves if the sailors were able to resist them, as if they were a temptation or they were nothing.) but we were really interested in the story from the sirens’ point of view. The verses lay out the ways in which the siren is typically described and misunderstood, while she is calling out to Persephone in the chorus.
The video started from there, and were lucky enough to be able to collaborate with our friend Matilda Sakamoto, who is a brilliant dancer and choreographer. In the video, we see someone pushing against their routine, playing with their identity, and messing with the boxes that they normally find themselves stuck in; while aching for a love that can see them for who they truly are.
What do you want listeners to take away from the song?
We’re happy to have listeners finding their own interpretations of the song, but from our point of view we hope maybe the song can be a comfort for anyone who feels misunderstood or like they don’t know who they are yet. We’ve definitely written a lot about that feeling, and are still always learning that you’re not defined by what others think of you!
What advice would you give to young people wanting to maybe form a band or even just start writing their own songs?
Trust yourself & your ideas! Practicing is cool! You don’t need a bunch of fancy stuff to make music! Work with friends! Other peoples’ success is not your failure! Sometimes the silliest idea is the best one! Follow ur <3
How do you deal with feelings of frustration and being unsatisfied with your music? How do you get over writing blocks?
We get over writing blocks by letting them happen. Sometimes you just need a break and there’s no shame in having time for input. I think there’s a lot of unnecessary pressure to constantly be making something, but creativity and inspiration comes in waves and we just try to ride them and trust ourselves. Sometimes we’ll write 5 songs in a week and sometimes we won’t finish a song for months. Sometimes you write a song you don’t like and then you listen to it a month later and realize it’s the best thing ever, and sometimes it’s still bad. And what is great is that you can always write more songs! We try not to overthink it. Moods change frequently and it’s very easy to compare yourself to others, so we try to find inspiration rather than getting sucked into comparison holes.
If you could go back in time and speak to your 13 year old self, what would you say to them?
Learn guitar and stop wearing eyeliner on the waterline of your eye.
Where do you want to see the world 6 months from now?
This is ambitious but we want everyone to have access to healthcare and shelter and basic living necessities no matter who they are or at least be moving towards that as a country…. we also would love to perform safely.
Thank you so much for the interview! It's legit a dream come true to be able to interview you guys! :))
WHERE TO FIND DAISY THE GREAT:
Website: https://www.daisythegreat.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daisythegreatband/
Link to “Persephone” new music video: https://youtu.be/ne9RA1nCX8Q
Link to listen to “Persephone”: https://orcd.co/daisythegreat
