INTERVIEW & GALLERY: almost monday
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI | JULY 6TH, 2024 | BY KARLI TURMAN
almost monday's concert on July 6th in St. Louis, Missouri was an electrifying experience from start to finish. Opening up for AJR on their “The Maybe Man Tour”, they set the energy of the night in motion. The band consists of Dawson Daugherty (Vocals and Guitar), Luke Fabry (Bass and Keys) and Cole Clisby (Guitar). They are a group of best friends from San Diego, California whose love for music, collaboration and friendship really shows through their music and stage presence. I had a chance to sit down with the band prior to the show. We talked all things music, fun and tour. It is very obvious that music is their passion from our conversation and their time on the stage. Check out their latest single “Tidal Wave” and be on the lookout for new songs on the horizon!
What was it like growing up in San Diego?
Dawson: It was truly maybe one of the biggest blessings in my life growing up there because of just the community and the friendships. It's a really community driven place and I feel like that's one of the most important things in life. Good friends that love you, a lot of activities you can do, and a great music scene. I really really enjoyed growing up there.
Was music encouraged for you guys growing up or was that something you found individually on your own?
D: I think we all had different paths to it.
Luke: Yeah I think..
D: What was your path Luke?
L: Well… my dad was always playing guitar around the house and my sister played guitar and a few different instruments and so I originally wanted to play drums and my mom wanted me to play piano so you know she won out in that battle. Dawson and I grew up playing at church together and we joke about it sometimes but what other establishment allows you to just get in there and be really bad, play and just be terrible but still be encouraged to keep doing it again and again. Dawson and I had a similar upbringing in that.
Cole: My dad played trumpet in highschool but other than that not a very musical family. I grew up around a lot of musicians growing up and going to concerts at a young age. That definitely influenced me to start playing guitar.
So Luke and Dawson met at church, how did you meet Cole?
L: Dawson actually met Cole.
D: I met Cole through surfing. I was out there with a buddy and Cole is a really great surfer and I remember just seeing him out there in this orange and blue wetsuit just ripping around. I just remember thinking “that kid is really good at surfing”. It was kinda odd I ended up at his house and my friend who knew him was like yeah just go through the back to the jacuzzi and I'll be there in a sec. I remember I just went to this full strangers house and just sat in the jacuzzi. I met Cole's dad and he was like “Hey” and I was like “hi nice to meet you”. It was honestly very strange. I found out Cole played guitar and me and Luke were starting the band so we asked to jam with cole. He came over and Almost Monday was started.
Who were some of your musical inspirations growing up?
C: I really like The Strokes. I remember that was one of the first CD’s I had in my car in highschool. They’re a big inspiration to being a band.
D: A lot of what my dad was listening to. U2 was what we listened to a lot growing up and oasis, the psychedelic furs, echo and the bunnymen. A lot of cool bands so yeah just kind of whatever my dad was listening to.
L: I remember having an Ipod Nano and me and my sisters just shared music. I didn't even know how to download music at the time. But I remember Phoenix was one of those artists that was kind of the first thing that I guess now looking back was cooler music. I just enjoyed it and it caught my ear. I also like Foster the People. It was cool to grow up around the time people first started streaming music but also in a time where people were still burning cds.
What is it like being on the road together?
D: Yeah, it's good! I feel like we… It's a funny time to ask that. Yesterday I think we all realized how much we’re gonna be in that van and kind of already have been. This has been a six week tour and then we’re home for just like a few weeks and then doing 6ish weeks in europe. Just a lot of touring plans on the horizon. It's amazing. It's what you love. I think anybody, when you're in the van and you allow yourself to be like, “this for another month. How are we gonna do it” but we’ve been touring together for such a long time and you know we're all really close friends. You know you do your own thing sometimes and try to stay out of each other's way when you can but honestly it's really good. It's a lot of fun.
What's your favorite and least favorite thing about touring?
D: The show is always the best part. It's a lot of hurrying up and then waiting around. You drive in and you kinda sit in the green room for hours. The best part really is definitely the shows. You just sit around like “well we did sound check and there's still two hours till the show”. When we have an off day we are always trying to do fun things. We're going to Waco next and we're gonna surf in a wave pool at a waterpark. So we're gonna go surfing in Texas. Very different from San Diego.
L: Mine’s kind of the same. It's the pro and the con of getting to go to new places again and again. The cool part about that is you start becoming familiar with them. It's funny I forget when it was and where we were but we were at a restaurant and they asked “oh have you been here before” and i was like “yeah i have” but its like obviously I don't live there, I'm just passing through. So it's fun to get to build your map everywhere in the country and the world and have familiarity in places that you really should have never seen.
C: I guess to start with the worst part. It would probably be sometimes sitting in a 15 hour drive. That can be pretty brutal even if you're entertained with streaming. You get some brain rot scrolling on tiktok or something. The best part is I love traveling, so just being able to be in a new area almost everyday and go check out something interesting or cool about the city when we have some down time.
Have you gotten to see anything cool in St. Louis yet?
C: I went up to the top of the arch today
Whenever it's a windy day it sways, did you get to feel it?
D: NO WAY
L: Can you feel it?
YES
D: I ran under it and it looked MASSIVE. If you're afraid of heights.
D: I was bummed. I wanted to see a Cardinals game. I kind of, I guess… well cole’s apart of it now too trying to do like all the ballparks on tour and go see them. We went to Wrigley Stadium and it was so cool.
Do you have a favorite venue or show you've played so far?
D: Probably The Greek Theater in LA. That was a pretty bucketlist venue to play. It was pretty surreal. It was outside and we had friends and family there.
C: That one and also probably the show we did in Mexico City. I think out of all the shows we've done that one to me was the best crowd that we've played in front of. The fans there are just like crazy.
L: All of these shows with AJR have been pretty insane and very surreal. There's a moment where people get their flashlights out and you'll see a light from somebody like way out in the distance that you can’t consciously perceive that there is somebody there because it's dark and you see that there IS somebody there paying attention and participating and you didn't even realize. It's a pretty surreal moment.
What does a typical day off look like?
D: Honestly for me, it's trying to kind of rest a bit. Especially since on this tour you'll sometimes do like 3 or 4 shows in a row. You'll just be dying for some sleep and honestly as funny as it sounds just some time to just be in your own space cause you're just in the van or in the venue at most times. I try to rest and move my body a bit.
L: I just try to do something that I can remember because if you don't do things then you don't have any point of reference so it all blends together. So like runs are good or just any little marker or random thing. It's just fun to do things that you can look back on and be like I did that in St. Louis and I was there on this date.
C: I think definitely sleeping in cause it's like any chance you have, take it. And then other than that it just depends on where we were at or what city we are in. We tend to do a lot of biking. It's easy to just grab a city bike and just go see the city.
Do you guys have any hobbies outside of music?
D: I have recently… This is really random and isn't even that cool but I've recently been getting super into making sandwiches. Which is really basic but I've really tried to make my sandwiches really good! I don't know why that came to my head but it's what I've been into. We're all also pretty into mario kart and super smash bros.
L: I'm trying to find the best ribs in the country.
Tidal Wave is your latest single. What was your creative process like when writing that track?
D: That song was really, I remember we made it really quick. Cole brought in some chords and a guitar line and just sang out what became the verses and the chorus. Sometimes you get lucky and make songs that way and sometimes it takes FOREVER to discover the song. That one was just kind of a nice little flow state. Like oh woo fifteen minutes and there's the song and then you just fill in the lyrics. Whenever you get songs like that you're like yes that wasn't too hard
C: It's not always that easy.
D: yeah it's not sometimes it's like a struggle but that one was like wooo that felt good, only took an hour to make and it's done so lets go swim.
Is your creative process the same or different for most songs?
D: I'd say it's pretty different. We generally try to do the same things like coming in inspired and trying to come in with chords or ideas but when you get in the room it tends to just unravel in its own way. Sometimes there's similarities but it tends to be different. Sometimes you come into it with a title. We have a song called “Sunburn” and that song we just had the title and kind of the challenge of it was “alright let's just write a song that's called sunburn”. We know it's called that and then we just filled it in. So it's always changing and different but I think that's what kind of keeps it exciting and fresh and fun.
Do you have any advice for new musicians just starting out:
L: I think maybe just doing it alot and not being overly precious about it. Just try to be open and receiving and not try to force anything.
C: Probably just to have a lot of fun. I remember just having a lot of fun learning songs and playing in a band with friends doing cover songs. I think just do that alot and you become a better musician over time.
D: i think if you genuinely truly love it and you wake up and are excited to write a song or play on stage just follow that passion and see where it takes you. That's kind of what we did. We all loved music and have just loved it enough to keep chasing it and it just takes you to crazy places. I can't believe we're playing Madison Square Garden in a few weeks. It's just like… You would never in a million years think that your path would be there. If you love it just keep doing it. Chase the fire.
These next questions are gonna be more fun questions. If you could collaborate with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?
D: Ooh, Probably David Bowie. That would be cool.
L: I like Empire of the Sun a lot. I think it would be cool to do something with them.
C: Maybe like Daft Punk or Justice. I think it would be an interesting combination.
What is the number one song on your spotify on repeat playlist?
L: Oh no this is gonna be revealing
D: Mine is Gentle On My Mind by Glen Campbell. I love this song. A little country tune.
C: Mine is Soft Spring Rain Sound. This is how I drown out everyone's snoring. My next one is “I’d Like To Teach The World to Sing” by The New Seekers. I just finished Mad Men and if you've watched that show it's a big part of the entire show. I just like that song alot.
L: Mine is Keep Those Teardrops From Falling by Natalie Bergman. I've Been listening to her a lot and it's so good.
Do you guys have any song/artists your fans would be surprised you listen to?
D: I love the Espresso song alot its not even a guilty pleasure, it's just pleasure.
L: Before I left I was listening to alot of Iration.
C: I’ve been getting deep into the lore of Bjork.
D: I just love Glen Campbell right now. You know there is one that people may not think is shocking but everyone needs to know about it is Lisa Ono. She is so good. It's like the best vibe. She does Portuguese covers in Japan. It's very good music. EVERYBODY GO LISTEN TO LISA ONO.
What is your favorite song to perform live? What was your favorite song to write?
L: I think right now… hmmm… i was gonna say “Life Goes By” but i don't want to give a stock answer. It was ready but I had to override that. So I'm gonna say “Jupiter”. It's one we are playing tonight that's really fun to play and it's unreleased. But yeah it's always kind of…
D: That one is fun to play
L: It's fun to play the newer ones. It has a really good feel. That's my honest answer, not the stock version.
D: I’ve been really enjoying playing Tidal Wave recently. I love getting the crowd involved. That's fun. And I love that tune on the record too. So double Tidal Waves for me.
C: Mine would probably be Tidal Wave as well. But Life Goes By is up there for me. And my favorite song to write i would maybe also say Tidal Wave because how easy it was for us to write.
