Ed O’Brien (Radiohead) ‘Great Stuff, and very Manchester, too’ ,
Clint Boon (Inspiral Carpets / XFM) ‘Daystar are a band I’ve been listening to a lot lately’
‘Don’t Need This’, the latest Daystar single, is set for release on March 12th. Captured by legendary Liverpool producer Ronnie Stone, it’s a beautifully crafted song comprising raking, shimmering guitars, ice-cool licks, nonchalantly assured, cascading bass-lines, laid back somersaulting grooves and the sweet, soaring melodies from front man Simon Monaghan. Monaghan sings his heart out here (’what goes on in here?’, ‘look at the sly boy‘, ‘look at the shy girl‘), with unflinching feeling and belief, on a subject matter close to home … in his own words; “This song is about the pretension and conformity of the murky underbelly of the Manchester club scene and the social whores who frequent it”. There’s evidence aplenty of the band’s respect and admiration for the work of Syd Barrett from Pink Floyd and perhaps more than a passing nod to the classic harmonies of Brit-pop heroes such as Mansun and The Charlatans.
Daystar’s rise over recent months has been impressive to say the least. With a sound drawing expertly from contemporary influences whilst effortlessly tapping into the feel-good aspect of sixties mod culture, the band have rapidly developed a reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting up-and-coming indie acts.
Daystar songs charm through the noble art of storytelling whilst creating eclectic soundscapes that conjure fond recollections of classic tunes by The Smiths, The Stone Roses, The La’s, and bands of the ilk, along with song craft reminiscent of legendary groups like R.E.M. and even The Beach Boys. Lead singer, Simon Monaghan, has a voice that exudes distinction and class, delivered amidst a sound that, while unashamedly steeped in familiarity, resonates with a fresh urgency and vitality that has won the band many high profile fans, including Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien, BBC Radio 2’s Janice Long ‘They Said I’d like this. They were right.’, presenter Terry Christian and BBC DJ Gary Crowley ‘I’m absolutely loving this, I can certainly hear the Syd Barrett and Brian Wilson influences’.
To mark the release of ‘Don’t Need This’, Daystar are staging live shows at;
Manchester’s Dry Bar (18th February)
London’s This Feeling at the Vibe Bar (February 24th)
Manchester’s This Feeling at FAC251 (16th March).
Join the revolution…
Here is the video produced by Tunafish Media
Fast Tube by Casper
