INTERVIEW: The Daylights
E-mail The Daylights
By: Alex Steininger
Alex: How would you describe your sound?Scott (vocals, guitar): Rock 'N Roll. Fast. Sometimes slow...Moody, emotional alternative music with brush like changes.
Baker (guitar, vocals): I don't know, it's...the best way to answer that is that we listen to punk, straight edge music, rap, and all that shit. Straight ahead rock is what I would call it.
Alex: What are some of your musical influences?
Scott: Zan Fear and hauntingly beautiful melodies.
Baker: Master of the pan flute!
Scott: Punk, hard rock...
Baker: I like Hagfish a lot! Yeah, they're a fucking killer band.
Alex: Have you released anything besides "Vehicle?"
Scott: No...
Baker: We've just released some songs that are off the CD onto a 7".
Scott: We're not done doing stuff for "Vehicle" yet. We did record a new song for a snow boarding video compilation by Prophecy Entertainment, what's the name of the compilation? It's a video that's going to come out on CD-ROM, DVD...
Alex: So what local bands are you into?
Scott: Thresher, Sweaty Nipples.
Steve (drums): My favorite local band is Village Idiot.
Alex: Do you have any favorite places to play around town?
Steve: Rose Garden!
Scott: A place that gives us money and free beer! All the places we play are pretty cool around here. Satyricon is cool, there all pretty straight up cool.
Alex: What are your band goals for the rest of 1997 and 1998?
Scott: We're working on writing for the new album, which will hopefully be out by the end of next summer.
Baker: In 1998 we would like to be on a major label.
Scott: Or we could be on another label, because we won't get into our current label...
Baker: Tie up some loose ends and look forward to recording some new songs.
Alex: Are you looking forward to North by Northwest to possibly get signed by a major label?
Steve: It's a possibility, sure!
Scott: We're playing with Village Idiot and Jolly Mon at that show, so there's going to be three great bands at the show. It's all ages, so it should be a good show. North by Northwest should be cool. This is the first year we've gotten into it.
Alex: Have you guys ever played outside the Northwest?
Steve: Yeah, we've played about five states.
Baker: California, Idaho, Washington...we played at the Coconut Teaser (laughter).
Alex: Out of all the cities you've played, is Portland your favorite?
The Daylights: Oh yeah! Of course! It's our hometown...we love it!
Alex: Do you have another favorite besides Portland?
Baker: Missoula, Montana!
Alex: What made you want to get into the music business?
Scott: For the chicks!
Baker: Mine would have to be for the playing and the entertainment. When I saw Kip Winger swinging his bass, that would be...I always knew I would play music. Actually I didn't even know I'd be doing music like this until three or four years ago these guys called me. No really, I didn't think I'd be where I'm at now.
Scott: Seriously though, I do it all for the fun. It's very fun.
Josh (bass): I'm still learning to play. I'm their fifth bass player, I'm really new at this.
Baker: That's the thing about it, you can be a great song writer and all that shit, but to find three other guys you can write songs with and hang out with, because your going to fight with guys no matter what, but to find the right guys to be able to be around constantly that's where you luck out. Finding the guys you can just be around and write songs with. That's the hardest thing in the world.
Alex: What goes into good music making for you guys?
Baker: Lots of fucking beer...
Steve: Lot's of practice...
Scott: Oh yeah...lot's of practice. Party's.
Steve: Actually when we fight and then fucking kick out a tune it's like...
Baker: It's really cool man. The way Scott puts vocals onto stuff, he puts a little spin on it. It's amazing.
Alex: Do you all cover lyrics or does one person handle them?
Scott: I handle the lyrics.
Josh: I'm new, I don't even know the lyrics to the songs. Except for the choruses.
Steve: I do all the drums!
Baker: One time I came to Scott with a song. The vocals were done and so were the lyrics. But he put better vocals to the song and better lyrics, so I said, "OK, what the hell." (laughter)
Alex: What do you enjoy and hate about the music industry?
Steve: I hate all the hype about all these stupid bands.
Baker: Guys that say they're going to do something for you, and then don't. That's the worse things. The hype sucks.
Scott: Yeah, people blowing smoke up your ass. That's fucked up. We're going to do this, we're going to do that.
Baker: Like getting a local following and you think things are going good, then you go somewhere else and play for like two people. In our own little world we think we're stars (laughter).
Alex: Would you change anything in your bands history?
Josh: Less bass players.
Baker: I wouldn't have played with these assholes. But no, not really...
Scott: Better management (laugher erupts as the manager gives Scott the finger.)
Baker: I wouldn't make the mistakes I've made. I would also change and have less bass players.
Alex: What are the highest and lowest points you've experienced as a band so far?
Steve: We're all like saying, "Scott doing this, Scott doing that." I've fallen on stage and I can't get up...
Scott: That was awhile ago!
Baker: Taking my shirt off at a show. Yeah, that was the fucking coolest thing.
Scott: The high point? Putting out the record was really a high point.
Josh: Probably when I joined the band...
Scott: That was a low point.
Steve: Playing a big show with Sweaty Nipples. The last show we played with them with about eight hundred people.
Baker: Another high point was when I thought we were doing good with the label, but I was still in the fantasy world.
Scott: Basically getting the record out and seeing peoples reactions to it. It's gotten really good reviews.
Alex: So, are you trying to work your way off the label and find a new label?
Baker: Yes, we're trying!
Scott: We're pretty much there for the most part.
Alex: So your next album will definitely be on a different label?
The Daylights: YES!
Steve: Hopefully a much better label!
Josh: Something like Heavy Metal Records!
Alex: Any local labels you have in mind?
Scott: Not really, but any label that will do what they say they're going to do and get us...our label put us through all sorts of shit, and the only thing good that came out of it was that we got a CD.
Baker: Lesson learned...even if your new and think you have no bargaining power, don't sign the first thing put down in front of you...we made that mistake once.
Alex: So if you could tour with any band, who would it be?
Baker: Village Idiot! Going out with Sweaty Nipples is really fun!
Steve: NOFX would be cool...
Baker: How about John Tesh? (Lots of Laughter)
Scott: Ozzy...
Alex: So what inspires you guys to write songs? Life?
Scott: Just to make music...
Baker: Basically we write in practice and just start going off on a riff. Scott does scratch vocals, and after it's done he'll go off and write the lyrics.
Scott: The lyrics are usually abstract. It's about life experience, and about what others go through around me.
Alex: Do you have a favorite song you've written?
Scott: I like all the new ones...
Baker: "Ride" is one of my favorites.
Steve: "Ride" is good.
Scott: Some songs are better to play, and others are better to listen too.
Alex: What do you want the listener to get out of your music?
Scott: Rock. We want them to rock out. And put our CD in and drive real fast.
Alex: Are you guys excited about opening for Sweaty's last show?
Baker: Hell yes!
Josh: I've been listening to these guys since high school. They were like one of my favorite bands in high school.
Baker: Plus there is a huge special guest.
Steve: We get to open for Everclear.
Alex: Are you excited that Everclear is going to be there?
Scott: Yes, I've never seen them before.
Steve: I'm excited to blow them away! We're going to rock harder then them.
Baker: I'm excited because Art is going to check us out. That's why I'm excited.
Josh: I know we'll rock harder than Everclear!
Baker: Still, I'm excited to see them. They're a good band, and he's a good songwriter.
Alex: Anything I left out that you guys would want to cover?
Baker: If anyone sees me live, after a show I'd appreciate it if you come and get me stoned. I'll be your friend forever.
