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Meet Your New Favorite Band: Deadbeat Daycare

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Picture this. You’re in high school sitting at the lunch table with your best friend and contemplating what a great idea playing music together would be. So, you start the band and realize that you need a drummer and a name. You find the drummer. You decide on a name that is unlike any other. You start writing music in one member’s garage and realize that you need a bass player to round things out. You find a seasoned bass player who is a fit, and suddenly it all makes sense. That’s the story. I am just the messenger. That’s Deadbeat Daycare’s story and they’re not only sticking to it, but they’re ready to rock your world as they start to ramp up their live shows, hitting as many local venues as they can this summer. Most recently, they performed at the notable Brudder’s Bar and Burlington Bar in Chicago. The band is ready to kick it into high gear since they are all now finished with college.

Formed on the outskirts of Chicago, Deadbeat Daycare is four parts equal to one sum. Their manic energy, catchy tunes, and power punk sensibilities are what makes this four-piece unit one of the tightest bands around, as their live show is a testament to their desire to give 500% to their audience. Featuring Joaquin on vocals and rhythm guitar, Ethan on lead guitar, Bobby on drums, and Dan on bass, the band is firmly planted in a genre-less existence which doesn’t give audiences the opportunity to pigeonhole their unique sound.

Influences are many for each member of Deadbeat Daycare, which is one of the many reasons the band veers off the beaten path from many of its contemporaries when it comes to songwriting. Instead of relying on one or two people in the band to create, which they did in the beginning stages, it’s now a shared responsibility which allows the band to build their arsenal of songs at a more rapid pace. As the band states, “Songwriting has always been a mix of a split responsibility and solo. Often times Ethan or Joaquin will write a chord progression and lyrics, and bring it to the band where Bobby provides a beat, Ethan provides lead ideas, and Dan writes a bass line. More recently Bobby and Dan have been bringing lyrics and riffs to the table for the band to create a song around.”

The songwriting isn’t the only part of the band that is unique, all the members of Deadbeat Daycare make sure to stay true to who they are as individuals. They dont try to fit in with other bands or even with each other. While they recognize that a band should be a unit, they also know how important it is to be authentic, which is just another reason why Deadbeat Daycare is one of the tightest bands around!

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Waz-u drops ambient gem ‘Vermillion’ ft. Lilyg

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London-based multi-instrumentalist and producer Waz-u returns with his second album, Preludes: Dusk Psalms, set for release on 16 May 2025 via independent label Biodiversity. The 15-track record further refines the artistic depth of his debut, blending electronic textures and classical compositional techniques in an intricate, immersive listening experience.

Ahead of the album release, Waz-u is dropping an exclusive vocal version of ‘Vermillion: G Major’ from the album, accompanied by its original instrumental version. ‘Vermillion’ with Lilyg will be released on 18 April 2025, evoking intimate indie-folk and pop and follows the release of a vocal version of ‘Lament’ with Tom Norrington. ‘The singles are a way to give a voice to the atmosphere of the record and to lyrically encapsulate some of the themes explored,’ explains Waz-u. ‘Lily and Tom are good friends of mine and have both been listening to early iterations of these preludes – it felt right to involve them directly on this record.’

‘Preludes: Dusk Psalms’ marks a new branch of Waz-u’s emerging sound, guided by the duality of tradition and innovation. Combining his musical roots in early ‘90s dub techno and classical music, the album weaves carefully layered synthesizers and electronics to evoke the ambience of sacred music — from the gentle timbres of a choir or an organ to the quiet, open, and reverberating spaces of a church. Also featured throughout the album is experimental musician G9 LUV, who creates textures and drones by bowing his bass guitar, resulting in cello-like sounds. The release follows Waz-u’s 2024 debut LP, Prayer For Dawn, which merged dub, techno, and electronica in an exploration of the ritualistic traditions associated with both organized religion and dance.

Bringing the album’s themes to life, Waz-u will celebrate the release of Preludes: Dusk Psalms with a special performance at Our Holy Redeemer in Clerkenwell, London on 14 May 2025. Set against the church’s resonant acoustics, the event will feature live performance arrangements, including a choir, with further details to be announced soon.

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