Dayseeker, ‘Replica’ | The Album Story

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Way before Dayseeker became a part of his life – even before he harnessed the power of his voice – Rory Rodriguez always thought it would just be him and a guitar. From learning the chords of his favourite songs as a teenager to playing in coffee shops to friends and family, there was a comfort to the singer-songwriter role.

Fast forward to Blue Ridge Rock Festival in 2022, and Dayseeker’s equipment, for lack of a better word, was “fucked”. Rather than cancel their slot and move on, the muscle memory of just picking up a guitar and playing kicked in for Rory. Pulling together a few of the band’s tracks he had tinkered with stripped back in his own time, he stepped on stage and delivered a unique display that those there will tell you they were lucky to experience. 

“It was cool to know that I could pull that out of my ass,” he laughs, remembering the day with a mix of fondness and nerves.

“I see videos and think I look pretty poised and collected, but I was having an anxiety attack on the inside. It was high stakes. I thought half the crowd would leave, but it was cool to see that we could retain them. I even feel like the crowd expanded as it went along. I got a lot of cool messages afterwards saying how much it was appreciated because the easier thing to do would have been not to play at all. More than anything, it opened the door in a big way.”

What he means by that is that it triggered the inception of ‘Replica’, the band’s first full release of stripped-back offerings. Rather than a few tracks taped onto the end of a deluxe edition, that performance at Blue Ridge got the cogs moving on how they could commemorate what they had achieved with their last two records, 2019’s ‘Sleeptalk’ and 2022’s ‘Dark Sun’ in a more memorable and significant manner. The result is a testament to Dayseeker’s songwriting prowess and the emotional depths they are willing to dive into. Taking songs that speak of love, loss and learning curves, stripping away the layers and revealing their atmospherically touching and starkly beautiful core, this release is as stunningly affecting as it is wonderfully enthralling. Every heartbreak feels the heavier, each account of grief more gargantuan, and all of the celebration of life feels even more joyous. Creating a mood that is brilliantly synonymous with solely them whilst exploring how time affects the things that life throws at us, it’s an astonishing timestamp for a band with so many wonderful tricks still up their sleeve.

“Usually, when you make a record, there’s internal and external pressure that comes with making new songs that must be really good and appease your fans,” Rory explains.

“This was so easy, just making it with our producer, Dan Braunstein. The songs were already written; we just had to do them in a way that we thought was cool. It felt low pressure and one of the most painless recording experiences I have ever had.”

So, to discover more about what went into this gorgeously grand collection, Rock Sound sat down with Rory to peel back even more layers…

THE SOUND

Anyone who has followed Dayseeker from post-hardcore prospects to dancefloor-filling showmen throughout the past decade will know how layered their music is. Creating an atmosphere, be that smoky and neon-stained or pitch black and daunting, is a vital part of the recipe. So, when it came to taking things back to the basics for ‘Replica’, no ingredients were changed. Rather than just recording acoustic guitar and vocals and calling it a day, Rory and Dan Braunstein approached each track as they did during the original album sessions.

“Daniel has a really nice profile full of different soundscapes that he uses,” Rory explains.

“It was a case of putting together three or four layered things that could go all the way through the song. So, there would be a really airy layer and then something that has a movement and cadence to it to carry the song. Those are my favourite kinds of records and sounds, where things are pulled back, yet it still feels like you’re listening to God come through the speakers.”

That’s why ‘Sleeptalk’ sounds like driving through the city as dusk bleeds into dawn, ‘Homesick’ channels the stillness of the middle of the night rather than the wind on top of the mountain, and ‘Neon Grave’ shimmers with the brightness of lightning rather than the chaos of thunder. The tracks still achieve the intimacy you would expect from stripped-back refrains, but they also feel entirely transformed from their blueprints. By allowing themselves to be just as creative with these new takes as they were the first time, Rory feels he has found new admiration for the Dayseeker discography.

“It feels like we fell in love with some of the songs all over again. Getting a chance to recreate them in these different ways really ignited that. We’re recording this so we can make it as cool as we want to and go all out on it.  It was really nice to breathe new life in such a way.”

THE COLLABORATORS

As well as enjoying being able to play for so many people over the last few years, making new friends on the road is also an essential aspect of band life for Rory. From scene associates to full-time buddies, ‘Replica’ has allowed him to invite some of his nearest and dearest to do their thing and help them out. On the breath-taking ‘Without Me’, Amber DeLaRosa matches Rory’s tearstained performance effortlessly, Holding Absence’s Lucas Woodland pops up on the heartbreaking ‘Starving To Be Empty’, and Beartooth’s Caleb Shomo showcases his pop chops on a stirring ‘Burial Plot’. They are a formidable trio who all give their appearances their all.

“I’m a huge fan of Amber’s band, Moxy The Band, and their last record, ‘Dream Feeling’, is my favourite thing I’ve heard in the last couple of years. She has such distinction and character to her voice. You can tell it’s her over anyone else,” Rory starts. 

“Lucas has one of the best voices in our modern scene right now. A few years ago, we did a tour together honouring ‘Sleeptalk’, where we played it in full. That song on the album has a female feature. We didn’t have a girl on the tour who could help sing those parts, but Lucas has the range of a woman, so I asked if he would do it live. It was a no-brainer to have him on this version.”

“And Caleb is a new friend in my life. We toured in Australia last summer and hit it off so well. I haven’t made a friend in the touring world like that in a long time. Because Beartooth is always so balls to the wall, hearing him rein his voice in a little was cool. More smooth and sultry.”

Each voice and personality is very different, but they are all connected by the blossoming relationships with Dayseeker and Rory. It feels like a culmination of the moves the band have made over the past few years and the community they have been able to build within that.

“They are all individually my favourite people I have met over the years,” Rory adds with a smile.

“It is surreal because I am also a fan of their bands. I love them as musicians as much as friends.”

THE LYRICS

For many artists, writing lyrics is their chance to get a feeling out of their chest, put it into art and then close the lid. Things that are so raw, real and honest that revisiting them can be quite a trial. Considering the things Rory has been through over the last few years that have inspired his lyrical content, most notably the loss of his father, which hangs heavy over ‘Dark Sun’, the prospect of returning to those emotions is tricky to navigate. However, it was on a song-by-song basis that this process was tested, dependent on exactly what it was inspired by. 

Take the stunning ‘Burial Plot’ for example. Rather than being written about one of Rory’s own experiences, it stemmed from a friend’s break-up. By channelling what he was told about that and the faults that may have led to it, he felt more chilled in returning to the heart-wrenching storytelling. But, on the other hand, when you have a song like ‘Afterglow’ written about Rory’s daughter Hazel when she was still a baby, the emotions around it are constantly changing. As Hazel gets older, Rory’s perception of the song changes with the life that they are now living. By allowing himself to dive back into these snapshots, no matter their origin, he has reminded himself of why he loved creating music in the first place.

“Recording these songs in such a bare and intimate way means you’re forced to confront a lot of feelings you had whilst writing the songs. But it is what I love about music. From a young age, listening to this kind of sad music was really cathartic for me. Then, finding my ability to get into songwriting helped me deal with things as well. With something as horrible as my dad passing away, it’s sad. Still, there’s something so freeing and emotionally liberating to write about it on a raw level.”

This stark songwriting is also reflected in the choice of cover song at the end of the release. That’s ‘My Immortal’, the iconic piano ballad from Evanescence, a song Rory has been threatening to cover for nearly 20 years. Returning to such mournful moments within Dayseeker’s songs, the gorgeous grief within that track felt just right. 

“With the feelings of loss and grief, the song is pretty straight to the point of what it is about. It feels like it parallels what ‘Dark Sun’ is about. We almost did a My Chemical Romance cover, but this song came up. I’ve had the key figured out since high school where it would comfortably fit in my range. Dan brought it up as an idea without knowing that, but this was the one if there was a song for us to cover. It has been in the making for a long time.”

THE ARTWORK AND TITLE

There’s something quite lovely about finding a title that means a collection of reworked versions can slot into your discography without it standing out as such. ‘Replica’ works perfectly for that. On the surface, it does exactly what it says on the tin. A replica of something that already exists but is also different simultaneously. It’s a word that has stuck with Rory for a while, something he actually had lined up for a song idea. 

“It was a working title for a song I never quite finished. I liked the idea of relating the feeling of losing a former girlfriend or lover and replacing them with a carbon copy version. The concept is still cool but not something we ever fleshed out in Dayseeker or any of my other projects. Then, when we were putting this all together, I had it in my brain. These are carbon copies, different versions of songs we have done.”

That idea of carbon copies can be found within the artwork as well. By taking the shape of the eclipse seen on the cover of ‘Dark Sun’ and replacing it with the disco ball spinning above the bathtub on the cover of ‘Sleeptalk’, it brings this modern era of Dayseeker together cohesively and clearly. Honouring both records, tying into the 80’s stylized theme that has defined much of their backbone whilst still delivering decadence and darkness, shows how much care and precision goes into everything that Dayseeker put their name to.

THE FUTURE

Though this may feel like a really lovely stopgap for Dayseeker before they think about the next step, the truth is that they are just loving where they are right now. Taking in the sights and sounds and revelling in the size of the crowds that are coming out to see them, for Rory, it’s the most wonderful moment he can remember the band being in.

“I definitely feel like this is the happiest that any of us have been playing music. The time right now is very exciting because the trajectory keeps on rising. I think it’s something we talk about a lot. A lot of bands have their day in the sun, and then a few years later, they are not as popular. I feel like the people with us are lifelong die-hard fans.”

From supporting Staind in stadiums across the US and Pierce The Veil in arenas around Europe, the amount of ears that have the chance to become lifetime members of the club is higher than ever. And while enjoying these moments, Rory is also aware that they haven’t come easily. There was a time when they were scraping to take any tour they could, playing to anyone who would have them. Having this steady upward trajectory, honing their skills and picking up the pace where necessary, has allowed them the space to look around them and take it all in now. So whatever may come next, you know they will do it with a huge sense of pride.

“It’s been nice to pick what is best for our band now. We’re super lucky to have what we have because we were on the other side for so long. So, we will enjoy it for as long as it lasts.”