Blending folk, funk, rock and rap influences, local band Daisygrim are bursting on to the UAE music scene with their unique sound. Nerses Sanassian catches up with them in the recording studio.
Imagine Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam singing over rock guitars played by The Beach Boys and Johnny Cash, now sprinkle in some psychedelia and an edgy rock beat, and you (hopefully) get the idea.
Daisygrim were once a well-kept secret of Abu Dhabi, performing monthly at a small open-mic venue in the city. They used the forum to practise their stage show, and have recently exploded on to the national and international arenas.
The five-member band consists of vocalist Greg Brown, lead guitarist Theo Mahmuti, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Kal Al Hashmi, bassist Brandon Vear and drummer Sultan Al Ameri.
Having just returned from a show headlining in Goa, India, the band have returned straight to the studio where they’re recording their next single, and are in the midst of planning and recording their highly anticipated debut album.
Meanwhile, the band continue to promote their unique sound through social media and the local live circuit. Vocalist Greg explains they don’t prescribe to any one format, ‘Everybody comes from different backgrounds. There are funk, folk
and hard rock elements, and even a slight rap influence, too.’
The band’s name symbolises a battle of light versus dark – daisy versus grim – and you get a sense of this as you read through the band’s lyrics. The name for the band was an idea that stemmed from a pal of Sultan’s. ‘An old friend’s name is Edith Grim, and I thought if you are going to have a name like that, you should have a pretty first name… and then it just clicked.’ Greg explains.
As we sit with the band we realise that music alone wasn’t the only key to their recent success. The band members are full of energy and know how to have fun, both on and off the stage – and in both instances it’s contagious.
Guitarist Theo explains that nothing’s off limits when they’re on stage – anything to have fun goes. ‘We get feedback about our shows, and people tell us it’s a lot of fun. That’s what we want, for our audience to be up and dancing and just having a great time.’ They once used fish as props… and even though everyone in the band smelt like the Mina Fish Market by the end of the show, the audience was very entertained. Moreover, the band will always dance, share their lyrics and often hand out tambourines to get the crowd dancing, singing and playing along with them.
If nothing else, the band are resourceful – and not just for their creative stage props. They’ve strategically set up a rehearsal room at a horse farm called Rahal Ranch in the Al Wathba area located close enough to both Abu Dhabi and Dubai – helping them all make practise and stay up as late as necessary to nail their sets or write their next hit through hour-long jams.
They’ve also turned a blind eye to any social stigma against their choice of profession, and created opportunities to perform over the years, helping them develop as musicians and be heard by their growing fan base.
Being in an independent band is never easy – and at times the hardest part is simply being heard. Greg says, ‘Places like the open-mic night at the Sheraton were great for us to begin with, because there aren’t that many opportunities to perform in Abu Dhabi.
‘One of the biggest challenges we face is that we live in different cities – three of us live in Dubai and two live in Abu Dhabi. Right now, we are living in the moment – only time will tell where we will end up.’
Daisygrim’s music is accessible online. Check out Daisygrim on Facebook, Twitter and Soundcloud. To listen to Daisygrim, visit www.soundcloud.com/daisygrim, www.facebook.com/daisygrim.
