Days N' Daze

Days N' Daze is an American band formed in Houston, Texas performing a type of folk punk they have called 'H-Town Thrashgrass'. Promoting a strong DIY ethic, Days N' Daze independently records, produces, and promotes all their own music. Song themes range from anarchism and environmental issues to anxiety, alcoholism, and parties. They are known for their energetic live shows. Days N' Daze have toured extensively in the US, Canada and Europe, playing anything from house shows to festivals, playing alongside the likes of Leftöver Crack[2] and Weezer.[3]

Days N' Daze
Also known asDnD, Days N Daze
OriginHouston, Texas
GenresFolk punk[1]
Instruments
Years active2008–present
LabelsGoathead Record Collective, Escape From the Zoo Records, Fat Wreck Chords
Associated actsDecathect, Escape From The Zoo, My Pizza My World, Chad Hates George, Night Gaunts, Rail Yard Ghosts, Broken Bow, Brando Chemtrails, Chicos Del Muertos, Arroyo Deathmatch, Leftöver Crack
MembersJesse Sendejas
Whitney Flynn
Geoff Bell
Meagan Michelle
Past membersMarissa Sendejas (2011–2013)
Freddie Boatright   (2011–2013)

History

Days N' Daze was founded in 2008 by Whitney Flynn and Jesse Sendejas who both grew up in Rosenberg, Texas,[4] one of Houston's suburbs. They knew each other since high school and had been sweethearts before the founding of the band.[5] In the beginning they were the band's only members: Whitney Flynn, with a musical background of classical piano lessons at a young age, followed by years as a trumpeter in her junior and high school's marching band. And Jesse Sendejas, a self-taught guitar player, who was introduced to music at an early age by his father, a Houston Press music writer. Yet in the band's early days the now characteristic trumpet sound was still absent, as Sendejas felt it wouldn't fit the musical style they were playing. However, he changed his mind after about two years of Flynn's persuasive efforts to give it a try.[4]

Flynn graduated a year early from high school and enrolled at Texas State University in San Marcos. Sendejas, still attending high school, soon afterwards abandoned education altogether and joined Flynn in San Marcos, a college town both started to loathe early on.[5] In the following years, still being a couple, they started touring extensively and recorded their first four albums. These recordings took place in a closet in the house of Sendejas' father in Richmond, Texas, the same place the band is still recording their albums today.[5] It was during this time that the band grew by two more members: Marissa Sendejas, Jesse's sister[6] playing washboard, and Freddie Boatright, playing the gutbucket. According to Sendejas this initial choice of instruments was purely a matter of cost. He and Flynn wanted to play punk music from the start but did not have the funds to buy expensive equipment like drums.[7]

Eventually Flynn dropped out of university without a degree, a decision that has been attributed by some to the immense touring schedule of DnD at the time.[5] However, according to Flynn herself, it was a series of circumstances that led her to leave university education. Among those were the death of her grandfather and the nearly contemporaneous separation from Sendejas as her partner. In the course of these events she left the university city of San Marcos in 2012 to live for a couple of months without a fixed address.[4] Today Flynn manages Days N' Daze pretty much on her own and not only takes care of their finances but also handles tour booking.[7] As Days N' Daze's popularity has grown over the last couple of years and management has become more challenging, Flynn mentioned ideas to continue her education in the area of "music business".[4]

"We record everything ourselves; we book everything ourselves; we manage ourselves"

— Whitney Flynn[8]

Instead of quitting the band after their breakup, Sendejas and Flynn channelled this emotional turmoil into writing and recording their sixth album Rogue Taxidermy. As of today (08/2018) Rogue Taxidermy is their most regarded and top selling album on Bandcamp. The video of the album's song Misanthropic Drunken Loner has gathered over 5 million views on YouTube. The album was released the same year as Oogle Deathmachine. In March 2017 they released Crustfall, which features amongst others Leftöver Crack's Scott Sturgeon. The album title is a wordplay between Crust-Punk and a group exercise called Trust fall.[9]

"Closure's overrated"

— Jesse Sendejas[5]

The dynamic between Flynn and Sendejas has changed considerably over time. While both still consider each other BFF's and are still both equally responsible for writing the music of Days N' Daze, a process Sendejas described graphically as two Maelstroms rotating against each other,[7] it has become difficult for the both of them to travel in the same vehicle on tour without starting to hurt each other emotionally.[5]

Days N' Daze have been playing in their current lineup since 2014. As a replacement for Freddie Boatright, who left the band after having a child, Geoff Bell was recruited in 2013 as their gutbucket player at an open gutbucket night, five days before the start of an upcoming DnD tour.[10] Meagan Michelle joined the band in 2014 when their then washboard player was prohibited from crossing state borders due to legal reasons.[5] Days N' Daze have an extensive history of touring with several known bands and artists including: Leftöver Crack, We the Heathens, The Infamous Stringdusters, M.D.C., Morning Glory, Night Gaunts (NZ), Cancerslug or Black Flag founder Chuck Dukowski's Sextet.[11]

On December 20th, 2019 Days N' Daze announced that they are working on a new album.[12] On May 1st, 2020 the album Show Me The Blueprints was released.[13]

Side projects

Both Jesse Sendejas and Whitney Flynn are and have been involved in several side projects over the last couple of years. They play together in Decathect, a band that rather resembles a "normal" punk band with its layout consisting of vocals (Flynn/Sendejas), guitar, bass and drums (Sendejas). Flynn plays trumpet in this band as well. The name "Decathect" describes the act of withdrawing one's feelings of attachment from a person or idea in the anticipation of future loss.[14] Decathect has only released one demo EP to date.[15]

Together with his sister Marissa, Sendejas is active in a band called Chad hates George since 2012[6] which has put out two releases thus far.[16] In addition, he is mostly active with his band Escape from the Zoo with whom he has released two EPs and the album KILLACOPTER in 2017.[17]

Whitney Flynn was an integral part of the My Pizza My World collective, which she released four EPs and albums with,[18] before breaking up in 2016. Today Flynn occasionally plays solo shows as a solo artist under her own name or under her pseudonym "Death By Skwerl". Next to acoustic versions of Days N' Daze or My Pizza My World songs she also plays new songs of hers on guitar or ukulele. She toured as a solo act through New Zealand and Australia in November 2017.[4]

Both Flynn and Sendejas appeared on various songs of Dirty Harry's 2018 release Get Busy Living Or Get Busy Crying.[19]

Trivia

Whitney Flynn taught herself how to play DnD's songs on guitar in a single night, when Jesse Sendejas couldn't play one of their shows:

"[...] and then Jesse couldn't make a show one night in Oregon. And so I went to a Guitar Center and bought a guitar, like super-glued my fingers and went online, learned our songs and played in front of like 400 people. It was fucking terrifying! But then I kind of forced myself into learning how to play the guitar that way"

— Whitney Flynn[4]

In a 2017 interview, Flynn cited their biggest influences as Leftöver Crack and Neutral Milk Hotel.[1]

Sendejas described Days N' Daze as a "glorified acoustic emo band with some ska influences".[20]

In 2018 some DnD members started to put out videos of them playing Dungeons & Dragons. As a pun to the shared abbreviation of both their bandname and the game they called this DnDnDnD.[21]

Band members

Current members

  • Jesse Sendejas – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, accordion, banjo (2008–present)
  • Whitney Flynn – lead vocals, trumpet, ukulele (2008–present)
  • Geoff Bell – washtub bass, backing vocals (2013–present)
  • Meagan Michelle – washboard, backing vocals (2014–present)

Former members

  • Marissa Sendejas - backing vocals, washboard, piano (2011–2013)
  • Freddie Boatright - backing vocals, washtub bass(2011–2012)

Discography

Studio albums
  • We Never Said It Was Good (2008)[22]
  • Perfectly Dysfunctional (2009)[23]
  • Here Goes Nothin' (2010)[24]
  • Ward Off The Vultures (2011)[25]
  • The Oogle Deathmachine (2013)[26]
  • Rogue Taxidermy (2013)[27]
  • Crustfall (2017)[28]
  • Songs We Recorded For Splits (2019)
  • Show Me the Blueprints (2020)[29]

Splits
  • Days N' Daze // Arroyo Deathmatch Split (2012)[30]
  • Days N' Daze // Rail Yard Ghosts Split (2014)[31]
  • Days N' Daze // Broken Bow Split (2014)[32]
  • Thanks Mom! Split w/ Chicos Del Muertos (Live Recordings) (2015)[33]
  • Days N' Dayze // Night Gaunts Split (2015)[34]

Music videos

References
  1. XVX, Mittens (14 March 2017). "Days N' Daze: Punk is a Movement and a State of Mind". DIY Conspiracy. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  2. "Days N Daze / Bio - ReverbNation". ReverbNation. Retrieved 3 April 2015. Days N Daze has opened for several national acts, including Leftover Crack, The Infamous Stringdusters, M.D.C., Morning Glory, New Zealand's Night Gaunts, Cancerslug and Black Flag founder Chuck Dukowski's Sextet.
  3. "Days N Daze - All We've Got Records". allwevegot.com. All We've Got Records. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  4. McDevlin (23 October 2017). "Cast From The Sewer #51 - Whitney Flynn (Days N Daze)". Retrieved 2018-04-14.
  5. Barry Thompson (22 March 2017). "Closure's Overrated: The Crust Punk Love Songs of Days N' Daze". Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  6. Shea Serrano (6 April 2012). "Days N' Daze: The Most Charming Riot of All Time". Retrieved 2018-04-14.
  7. Troll2 (6 October 2017). "Days N Daze : Noise Complaint w/Troll 2 (Interview mit Sendejas / Flynn)". Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  8. Matthew Keever (23 March 2017). "Days N Daze Cook Up One Fun, Messy Party With New Crustfall". Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  9. McDevlin (14 June 2017). "Cast From The Sewer #35 - Jesse Sendejas (Days N Daze, Escape From The ZOO)". Retrieved 2018-01-14.
  10. Joey Steel (23 February 2016). "Dispatches From The Underground - Episode: 303 - Geoff Bell". Retrieved 2018-08-08.
  11. "Reverbnation Artist Bio". Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  12. Punknews.org. "Days N Daze new album to be released via Fat". www.punknews.org. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
  13. Sacher, Andrew (April 30, 2020). "Stream Days N Daze's new album 'Show Me The Blueprints'". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  14. Houston Press (27 October 2016). "Houston's 10 Worst Band Names". Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  15. "Decathect Bandcamp". Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  16. "Chad hates George Bandcamp". Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  17. "Escape from the Zoo Bandcamp". Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  18. "My Pizza My World Bandcamp". Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  19. Dirty Harry (31 March 2018). "Dirty Harry". Dirty Harry. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  20. Thompson, Barry (21 March 2017). "Closure's Overrated: The Crust Punk Love Songs of Days N' Daze". Noisey. Vice. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  21. "DnDnDnD". 26 March 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  22. "We Never Said It Was Good - days n' daze". days n' daze. 1 June 2008. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  23. "Perfectly Dysfunctional - days n' daze". days n' daze. 1 June 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  24. "Here Goes Nothin' - days n' daze". days n' daze. 1 June 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  25. "Ward Off The Vultures - days n' daze". days n' daze. 3 June 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  26. "The Oogle Deathmachine - days n' daze". days n' daze. 2 February 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  27. "Rogue Taxidermy - days n' daze". days n' daze. 24 August 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  28. "CRUSTFALL | Days N Daze". Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  29. "Show Me the Blueprints". Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  30. "Days N' Daze//Arroyo Deathmatch Split - days n' daze". days n' daze. 1 January 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  31. "Days N' Daze // Rail Yard Ghosts Split - days n' daze". days n' daze. 27 February 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  32. "Days N' Daze//Broken Bow Split - days n' daze". days n' daze. 14 June 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  33. "Thanks Mom! Split w/ Chicos Del Muertos (Live Recordings) - days n' daze". days n' daze. 26 February 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  34. "DAYS N' DAZE//NIGHT GAUNTS SPLIT. - days n' daze". days n' daze. 2 April 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
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