I've followed the Orlando-based band Day Joy for quite some time now! Richly organic, yet also distinctly dreamlike, their tunes have proven to be some of the best new songs that help me de-stress and unwind after a long day. Their songs pretty much translate into a waking dream through nature.
Led by duo Peter Michael Perceval and Michael Serrin, I've highly anticipated the release of their official LP, Go To Sleep, Mess, which is set to be released very soon on Small Plates Records.
I had the chance to ask the duo a few questions about their process and work!
MF
Who is in the band and what are their roles?
Peter Michael Perceval
Initially it was just me (Peter Michael Perceval) and Michael Serrin, but we recently added three additional members (Artie Burer, Travis Reed, and Adam Ibrahim) so that we could play our songs with a fuller sound live. Michael and I write all of the music, switching off between ukelele, banjo, guitar, and synth. Travis and Artie primarily play bass and guitar, however, sometimes synth and aux percussion. Adam stays on the drums.
MF
How did you guys all meet?
PMP
Michael and I met in college- in Spanish class. I could tell he was cool young hipster and I at the time considered myself to be a music aficionado. When I found out he played music, we just quickly became friends. Then there was one night we went to go see Helio Sequence, ingested some chemicals-- and listening to the ruby suns on my roof, fell in love. We started playing music on the roof that night, and decided that if we ever found the time one day, we would record the songs we wrote and make an album. When Michael's band at the time broke up, we decided to finally work on our stuff. The tracks being released on the upcoming LP is a combination of material we have been working on for the last three years. Michael has played with one of our band members, Travis, since they were kids and, then also with Artie in another band we have called Loud Valley. The Orlando/Central FL music scene is pretty incestuous.
MF
Why "Day Joy?"
PMP
Well… Believe it or not, picking a name was actually the hardest thing that we had to do as a band. We probably tossed around different band names for about a year, and we were constantly at odds with them. Michael had been operating under the alias Day Joy for his solo stuff and it just worked, so one day I suggested we just use that! We also felt that the name "Day Joy" was somewhat appropriate out of irony. We tend to write pretty mellow music that is lyrically emotional, so the name "Day Joy" is just pretty much the opposite of our sound, and so we liked that.
MF
Where are you from and how has this impacted your sound and music?
Michael Serrin
Peter grew up in a dreamy, somewhat isolated beach town called Pensacola, Florida (the West Coast panhandle for those unfamiliar). I definitely attribute his upbringing there to some of the down tempo acoustic influences you can hear in our music. Also, any beachy elements probably come from that part of our collective as well (it's just easier to bring a ukulele to the beach than a synthesizer!). As for me, [Michael Serrin], I lived in and out of Orlando suburbs my whole life without ever leaving the general central Florida area. I can't say too much as to how the area has affected the music. I guess I'm still figuring that out. It can get unreasonably hot-- as in, sticky wet sauna hot. Growing up, I'd spend a lot of time on summer afternoons cooped up inside writing songs- some of which I'd forget the next day. But I think a lot of those melodies never left me - they just cooled in my subconscious until they had an avenue to travel down.
MF
What is your earliest musical memory?
MS
My good friend Ted and I were in elementary school and his father played in a cover band for this club at Universal Orlando. They'd cover everything-- from the Stones to current hits of that time, like Third Eye Blind's "Jumper" and "Semi-charmed Life." Anyway, Ted took after his father and started playing the guitar and was naturally gifted. He started bring his guitar over and we'd make up little songs to make fun of my mom and my brother.
PMP
I'm not sure what my earliest musical memory was, but I remember when I was in 5th grade and discovered Jimi Hendrix! I remember becoming obsessed with his music and Fender and definitively deciding that one day I would play guitar. That was really the jump off point for me-- when I fell in love with music and exploring different sounds and bands out there. Shortly after that I started getting into Zeppelin and more classic rock. All of that really shaped my childhood.
MF
In what ways do you feel your sound has evolved since you have started to play music together?
PMP
We have grown a ton since starting this project. We are so excited for our LP to come out, but at the same time, are so ready to work more on our new material! It just excites us more. Lately, our music has had much more emphasis on structure. Even just the experience of tracking and being in the studio has taught us a lot and evolved us in ways we didn't expect.
MF
What are some of the themes or things that inspired the few songs you have out now, Animal Noise?
Who is in the band and what are their roles?
Peter Michael Perceval
Initially it was just me (Peter Michael Perceval) and Michael Serrin, but we recently added three additional members (Artie Burer, Travis Reed, and Adam Ibrahim) so that we could play our songs with a fuller sound live. Michael and I write all of the music, switching off between ukelele, banjo, guitar, and synth. Travis and Artie primarily play bass and guitar, however, sometimes synth and aux percussion. Adam stays on the drums.
MF
How did you guys all meet?
PMP
Michael and I met in college- in Spanish class. I could tell he was cool young hipster and I at the time considered myself to be a music aficionado. When I found out he played music, we just quickly became friends. Then there was one night we went to go see Helio Sequence, ingested some chemicals-- and listening to the ruby suns on my roof, fell in love. We started playing music on the roof that night, and decided that if we ever found the time one day, we would record the songs we wrote and make an album. When Michael's band at the time broke up, we decided to finally work on our stuff. The tracks being released on the upcoming LP is a combination of material we have been working on for the last three years. Michael has played with one of our band members, Travis, since they were kids and, then also with Artie in another band we have called Loud Valley. The Orlando/Central FL music scene is pretty incestuous.
MF
Why "Day Joy?"
PMP
Well… Believe it or not, picking a name was actually the hardest thing that we had to do as a band. We probably tossed around different band names for about a year, and we were constantly at odds with them. Michael had been operating under the alias Day Joy for his solo stuff and it just worked, so one day I suggested we just use that! We also felt that the name "Day Joy" was somewhat appropriate out of irony. We tend to write pretty mellow music that is lyrically emotional, so the name "Day Joy" is just pretty much the opposite of our sound, and so we liked that.
MF
Where are you from and how has this impacted your sound and music?
Michael Serrin
Peter grew up in a dreamy, somewhat isolated beach town called Pensacola, Florida (the West Coast panhandle for those unfamiliar). I definitely attribute his upbringing there to some of the down tempo acoustic influences you can hear in our music. Also, any beachy elements probably come from that part of our collective as well (it's just easier to bring a ukulele to the beach than a synthesizer!). As for me, [Michael Serrin], I lived in and out of Orlando suburbs my whole life without ever leaving the general central Florida area. I can't say too much as to how the area has affected the music. I guess I'm still figuring that out. It can get unreasonably hot-- as in, sticky wet sauna hot. Growing up, I'd spend a lot of time on summer afternoons cooped up inside writing songs- some of which I'd forget the next day. But I think a lot of those melodies never left me - they just cooled in my subconscious until they had an avenue to travel down.
MF
What is your earliest musical memory?
MS
My good friend Ted and I were in elementary school and his father played in a cover band for this club at Universal Orlando. They'd cover everything-- from the Stones to current hits of that time, like Third Eye Blind's "Jumper" and "Semi-charmed Life." Anyway, Ted took after his father and started playing the guitar and was naturally gifted. He started bring his guitar over and we'd make up little songs to make fun of my mom and my brother.
PMP
I'm not sure what my earliest musical memory was, but I remember when I was in 5th grade and discovered Jimi Hendrix! I remember becoming obsessed with his music and Fender and definitively deciding that one day I would play guitar. That was really the jump off point for me-- when I fell in love with music and exploring different sounds and bands out there. Shortly after that I started getting into Zeppelin and more classic rock. All of that really shaped my childhood.
MF
In what ways do you feel your sound has evolved since you have started to play music together?
PMP
We have grown a ton since starting this project. We are so excited for our LP to come out, but at the same time, are so ready to work more on our new material! It just excites us more. Lately, our music has had much more emphasis on structure. Even just the experience of tracking and being in the studio has taught us a lot and evolved us in ways we didn't expect.
MF
What are some of the themes or things that inspired the few songs you have out now, Animal Noise?
PMP
When we first started, we just threw some of our songs on Bandcamp and called it an EP. They hadn't really been mixed or mastered or anything!
MS
Animal Noise was one of the first songs we ever wrote-- and that must have been about three or so years ago! I think length of time between the writing of the song and the actual recording greatly affected the tone of the EP. After giving the songs on that EP a few years to cool and then reigniting them-- it just gave the them a whole different flavor. The "Animal Noise" theme came from a drunken memory I have of wandering into the woods one night as hundreds of young drunk kids partied away in my yard. As I walked the banks of the river a few acres back, I could hear the distant chatter of the raging party juxtaposed with the peaceful arrhythmic lull of frogs, crickets, and night owls. That night I felt the peace and balance of the woods. It seemed that chaos and destruction only existed as human creations. That feeling never really left me and I think it kinda floats in and out of the music.
MF
Do you have plans on recording an album? If so, what point is at and when can we expect to see it out?
MF
Do you have plans on recording an album? If so, what point is at and when can we expect to see it out?
PMP
Yes! We were picked up by a small but awesome label called Small Plates Records. The release date has been moved around a lot, but it should be out soon!
MF
Can you describe your songwriting process? what comes first - the lyrics or the music?
PMP
Michael and I write pretty organically together; There isn't really a formula! But it normally starts with me writing a song or a couple of chord progressions-- or just with a general idea of a melody. A number of the songs that we write just come from us sitting on the porch. I play what I've been working on for Michael, and we just build it even more, together, from there. Michael will hear something in a progression I'm playing and will make me stop, keep playing, or go back-- and so, the song just sort of magically reveals itself to us. We then lay it down, record it (so we don't forget it!), and then after that, build the other instrumentation around it. Typically speaking, the lyrics will change a lot from the beginning to the end of the song's creation. We might initially just have some words we mumble, but then go back and sort of fill it in.
MF
Your favorite song to play?
MF
Your favorite song to play?
MS
My favorite is definitely Talks of Terror. The song seems to catch people off guard when we play it live. It's a really heavy song.
MF
If you could play alongside any current band, who would you pick and why?
MS
Probably Grizzly Bear. Those guys are so incredible live and I just want to hang out with them and pick their brains.
PMP
Probably Grizzly Bear as well... and maybe LCD Soundsystem or Animal Collective…
My favorite is definitely Talks of Terror. The song seems to catch people off guard when we play it live. It's a really heavy song.
MF
If you could play alongside any current band, who would you pick and why?
MS
Probably Grizzly Bear. Those guys are so incredible live and I just want to hang out with them and pick their brains.
PMP
Probably Grizzly Bear as well... and maybe LCD Soundsystem or Animal Collective…
MF
If you could play alongside any band in history, who would you pick and why?
MS
Impossible question. Are The Beatles a cop-out?
PMP
I wouldn't want to play with the Beatles I would feel so insignificant and dumb next to those guys! I'd probably stick with a more recently deceased band Broken Social Scene. They are one of my all time favorites and I just love everything about them...
MF
if you weren't a musician, you'd be a __________
if you weren't a musician, you'd be a __________
MS
A bleeding heart; a low paid lobbyist for energy reform
MF
First album you ever purchased?
PMP
Hm... It had to be one of these three:
MF
First album you ever purchased?
PMP
Hm... It had to be one of these three:
R.E.M.'s Out of Time
Spin Doctors' Pocket Full of Cryptonite
Red Hot Chili Peppers' Blood Sugar Sex Magic
MS
Third Eye Blind's Self Titled album or Nirvana's Nevermind
MF
Favorite spots in the world?
PMP
I've traveled a good bit and I love Africa. I think we all really want to tour Europe badly.
MS
Chiapas, Mexico is was beautiful; I've visited to do charity work. In the States? I love Chicago and Athens, Georgia.
MF
Favorite city to tour and why?
MS
Athens, GA, is always amazing. There is such a tight-knit, supportive music community there. And you can still feel the ghosts of Aeroplane Over the Sea in the air. Austin, Texas is a lot of fun as well, and for the same reasons.
Athens, GA, is always amazing. There is such a tight-knit, supportive music community there. And you can still feel the ghosts of Aeroplane Over the Sea in the air. Austin, Texas is a lot of fun as well, and for the same reasons.
MF
Favorite films?
MS
MS
Magnolia... Adaptation, Rushmore, Igby Goes Down, and 21 grams.
PMP
I'm a sucker for historical time pieces... I love movies like Gladiator and Braveheart... and Prometheus! I'm also a fan of anything Wes Anderson does, along with Terry Gilliam and Tim Burton.
