INTERVIEW: Almost Monday
By Madison Brattoli
Alternative rock trio almost monday consists of friends Dawson Daugherty (vocals), Luke Fabry (bass) and Cole Clisby (guitar). Last year, the band debuted their first single, “broken people,” which has seen great success; since its release, they teamed up with Sofi Tukker to create a remix. Most recently, however, the band dropped their debut EP, don’t say you’re ordinary, which is composed of songs that are sure to make you dance around your room alone and forget about all your worries.
We recently got a chance to talk with the band about their upbringing and what they have planned for the future.
How did almost monday form? Where does the name come from? What is your songwriting process like?
Dawson: Through friendship. Luke and I grew up together and I met Cole through surfing; we all played music and loved it so we started a band. When we started, we just focused on throwing shows in our friend’s surf shop and we didn't really consider recording music or really even know how far it would take us. We were just playing music for the pure fun of it, which is always the perspective I want to keep.
The name ‘almost monday’ came to us because we wanted to be ‘The Monday’s,’ at first, but we later found out there was already a band [with that name] so we talked for hours about random names and ended up just landing on ‘almost monday.’ It’s one of those things that you could go crazy trying to think of a band name or trying to ascribe a cool meaning to why it's important, but honestly, for us, we just kinda liked how it sounded and stuck with it.
In terms of our songwriting process, it really changes….I would say even daily. For me, writing music has a lot to do with being inspired and inspiration comes in so many different ways, whether it be other music you're listening to, or a book you just read, or just what you've been feeling lately. Whatever it might be contributes in some way or another to the creative process.
Tell us about inviting Mark Needham to one of your shows. How did it feel when he contacted you back?
Luke: We didn’t know Mark aside from his work so it was kind of intimidating to have such a legend come see us at our local venue. We had initially reached out naively because we were trying to get a song mixed and saw he had worked on Hot Fuss by The Killers.
He came to the show and left early. We emailed him after asking what he thought of it and he basically said that the songs weren’t there yet but to let him know if we had any new songs in the future. We thought this was a nice way of saying ‘No thanks,’ but we reached out regardless, a couple of months later. To our surprise, he actually liked it and our relationship started from there. It’s crazy we got a response and even crazier that Mark has become a good friend.
How was the experience teaming up with Sofi Tukker for the remix of your song “broken people?”
Cole: We’re big fans of Sofi Tukker so we were stoked when they wanted to remix the song. Hopefully, after quarantine is over, we can meet them in person.
You guys have played shows in many interesting places such as surf shops and weddings. Where is your favorite/most obscure place you have played?
Cole: Ya, we’ve definitely had our fair share of obscure shows in our early days. Probably the weirdest show we ever played was when we decided to put on our own show out in the desert with a bunch of friends. We literally built a stage out there with lights and everything and just had a good time camping and playing music. My favorite show we’ve played was this January; when we opened for AJR at Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. It was the first big show we’ve ever played and the energy and excitement from the night is going to be burned into my memory forever.
What do you miss the most about live shows? What are you most excited about regarding starting live shows back up again?
Luke: There is nothing better than playing live. The energy of a group of people coming together for the same purpose to enjoy music is something that is magic. I think we're just excited to get back on the road and share those moments again. It's honestly so fun.
How have you been spending quarantine as a band? What has been your biggest challenge as a band during this time?
Cole: We’ve been quarantined together for the past few months, writing music, surfing, skating, and just enjoying San Diego. Probably one of the biggest challenges for us as a band during this time has been adjusting to making music remotely with our producer, Simon Oscroft, who’s in New Zealand.
What are you most excited about for the future of almost monday? If you could leave our readers with one message what would it be?
Dawson: I think sharing music with the world is super exciting. You kind of watch people take something you made in your bedroom and make it their own thing. Music has honestly helped me process life with all of its ups and downs and, if our music could do that for someone, that would be the best.
Message to fans: DSYO
Keep up to date with almost monday!
Watch the band’s latest music video below!