Q&A: Daily J

If you’re on the search for some blissful indie/psychedelic tunes to add to your summer roadie playlist or just bring positive vibes to your ears, then look no further! Originally from Blenheim, the now Auckland-based band Daily J have racked up over a million streams on Spotify and have recently released their highly anticipated debut album “Venus Ate Mars” .

We’d love to know a little bit about your musical journey so far!

We are originally from a small town in the South Island, Blenheim. The three brothers moved up to Auckland 3.5 years ago to better their chances of a career in the music industry, and this is where they met the other two bandmates - Rick & Cody.

What’s the meaning behind the name “Daily J”?

All the names of the brothers start with the letter J - Jayden, Jesse & Jonny. Also, we feel it reflects nicely on the summer/psychedelic vibes that is our brand.

We’re in love with the summery, psychedelic vibes of “Venus Ate Mars”! What’s the meaning behind the name here and would you say is the overall theme of the album?

The name “Venus Ate Mars” is an earwig that just seemed to suit the record perfectly. A psychedelic space adventure with a common theme of new & old love, the challenges of life. Men are from Mars & the all-consuming planet, Venus - representing all the honey’s out there.

What were some of your main highlights working on the album?

We had the opportunity to record with our talented friend Joe Faris, who did an amazing job producing the album. We had fun experimenting with a lot of different sounds. We discovered a love for the vocoder, the Rhythm King Maestro, and you’ll even hear a kombucha bottle.

“Left Me Like Summer” is one of our absolute faves, and it’s clearly the same for a lot of others too with it having over a million streams! Can you tell us about the meaning behind this track and what inspired you to write it?

It’s a tune about kids falling in love over summer, ignoring that it would soon have to come to an end as they would be forced to go separate ways. It’s seriously conflicting song that resulted in the vibrant idea of summer being a seasonal reminder of the one that got away.

Who are your biggest inspirations in music?

Being a family we have always loved & been inspired by Kings of Leon. There is just so much passion & feeling in their music. We can relate to who they are and their humble beginnings. Recent inspirations & musical geniuses inc. Tame Impala, Mac DeMarco, The Growlers, MGMT & Empire Of The Sun.

If there’s anything you could change about the current music industry, what would it be and why?

We’ve been stoked to see more funding opportunities presented by NZOA (NZ On Air), giving fellow Kiwi artists a chance in an odyssey. Otherwise, no one can tame the beast. Tis what it is.

Who are some of your favourite NZ artists right now and are there any songs in particular that you love or connect with?

We released our album on the same day as our mates The Leers dropped theirs - “The Only Way Out Is In”. To pick one favourite tune is hard enough, but we’d have to go with “Let's Pretend”, it’s an absolute tune. Another band that we’ve been seriously impressed by is new comer’s No Cigar. These guys have hit the ground running with some great debut singles, “1999” being our favourite track.

Some other great Kiwi artists that would be rude not to mention are IPSY, Forest Club, Grove Lagoon, Heavy Chest, Nicholas Franchise, Half Moon Baby, Arjuna Oakes, & The Knews.

What do you love most about living in New Zealand? Do you have any favourite places to travel to or local spots to visit?

The Marlborough Sounds is one of our favourite places on earth, it’s where our family is & it’s home. Since moving up north we often like to escape the big city and head down to Whangamata. It’s a great place for us to relax, soak up the sun, catch a wave, and make new music.

What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learnt in your career so far?

We’ve learned that patience is a virtue & believing in yourself is very key. It’s so easy to slack off but having something in the pipeline & working harder than the rest pays best. Also being appreciative of the helping hands around you goes a long way. So cheers to all you legends who have been a part of the Daily J story, we frickin' love yahs.

Lastly, if you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would it be?

Thank you to all our supporters out there!! And please listen to our new album on repeat so we can make another one xx

Thanks guys! Make sure to keep up with Daily J on Instagram, Facebook, Spotify & Apple Music.