An ode to the ’70s: Daisy Jones and the Six
The first season of “Daisy Jones and the Six” aired on Amazon Prime Video starring Riley Keough and Sam Claflin as lead singers of the fictitious ‘70s rock band. The book by Taylor Jenkins Reid of the same name combines the stories of the free-spirited vocalist Daisy Jones and the charismatic front-man Billy Dunne as they rise to fame with their band “The Six.” While the plot of this mockumentary is enough to keep the audience watching, the series’ original music is an impressive tribute to rock bands of the past.
Not only did Reid describe the tune and melody for the songs the band performed in the book, but she actually wrote lyrics for many of them. While many episodes stuck to the main arc of the book, the lyrics for many of the songs have been changed from those written by Reid.
The original lyrics for “Regret Me” were written by the character of Daisy Jones about a failed romance with the fan-favorite line “And, baby when you think of me / I hope it ruins rock ‘n roll,” but the show took the song in a different direction to create an up-beat duo between the lead singers. While many fans have cried in outrage over this change, this song is an example of the producers portraying a unique dynamic between our lead characters.
While episode three, “Track 3: Someone Saved My Life Tonight,” featured the first song performed by both Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne, the first two episodes highlight the talent of both singers as individuals. As The Six gain exposure for their song “Look Me in the Eye,” the song itself expresses their amateur beginnings as songwriters while revealing their potential as musicians.
On the other hand, the first episode, “Track 1: Come and Get It,” reveals Jones’s ability to belt out ballads and her knack for songwriting when she performs “By Myself.” When episode three finally reveals the two singers recording a song together, it’s like magic.
“Look At Us Now (Honeycomb)” gives us a view into Billy’s soft undertones while accentuating Daisy’s strong vocals within the song. The group set expectations very high with the start of the album for the rest of the series.
It is no surprise that many fans love the sound of Daisy Jones and the Six because the book’s author found much of her inspiration from Fleetwood Mac. With this in mind, producer and composer Blake Mills created a strong, multifaceted team to nail down the sound of the band. He recruited artists such as Phoebe Bridgers, Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons and Madison Cunningham, all of which are well known in the indie-folk genre.
In a video posted by production team Hello Sunshine, the band members reveal which songs are their favorite from the album. While the actresses of Daisy, Camila, Simone and Karen reveal their favorite song to be “The River,” the men of the band, including Eddie and Warren, choose “Kill You to Try” as their favorite song to play.
Update:
While Daisy Jones and the Six has ended, Daisy Jones fever has not ended yet. Between the style of music written by current artists and a throwback to the fashion of that decade, the modern era has been thrust back into the era of the ‘70s. From the show’s partnership with clothing brand Free People and the band reaching over two million monthly listeners on Spotify, the Daisy craze has no end in sight.
While “Look At Us Now (Honeycomb)” remains the top song from their album “AURORA,” “Let Me Down Easy” steals the spot for the second most popular song. The latter of the two songs showcases the rock n’ roll sound of the band by highlighting the electric guitar, drums and the voice of Daisy Jones.
Actress Riley Keough, who plays Daisy Jones, channels that 70’s look and energy perfectly. In the song “More Fun To Miss,” her solo performance is soft and sensual while also passionate and raspy. Keough is not the only artist with a powerful solo on the album. Although actor Sam Claflin is not known for his musical talents, he delivers in the song “Please.” Claflin did not take it easy while performing this song; the piece shows the full range of his singing ability.
Spotify has also released the songs played in each episode including singles by Daisy Jones, The Six, and Simone Jackson. The tracks from Episode 2 feature a Dunne Brothers classic, “Flip the Switch” that is dominated by Billy’s vocals and a soft background of guitar and drums.
Songs from Episode 5 include a soft solo, “Type of Guy,” by Daisy Jones, accompanied solely with an acoustic guitar. This song is the perfect reminder to show the audience why Daisy Jones is the lead vocalist of Daisy Jones and the Six. While “Flip the Switch” introduces the Dunne Brothers as having potential, “Type of Guy” reveals what the band was missing: a powerful vocalist and an even stronger songwriter.
Episode 7 features multiple songs by Simone Jackson that represent her rise in the disco-inspired music era. While these disco tracks are fun and funky, Simone’s ballad, “A Song For You” in Episode 2 and solo performance in “Up To You” in Episode 4 introduce the audience to her powerful and raspy voice.
If you are not interested in watching the show and just want to hear some new ‘70s inspired music, listen to the progression of Daisy Jones and the Six from Episode 1 to Episode 10.
