As the members of Daisychain recall their connection through classic bands they admired, their initial encounter and formation seems kismet. There was a general understanding of what they wanted from the beginning, but the psychedelic rock trio’s debut album All in a Name takes the band’s bluesy beginnings and cranks the dial- adding fresh influences and lively production courtesy of renowned producer Sylvia Massey. Before the LP’s release on June 27, the band shares how they bonded through influences, the process of experimentation, and the album’s diverse dynamics.

From the in-your-face attitude to the ferocity of the live experience, it’s hard to ignore the magnetic force of rock ’n roll during your first introduction. What can sometimes be forgotten is the foundation of rock: the blues. Chicago in particular has a rich history with the blues. Chicago blues was more electrified and distorted than what was happening in the South. The heaviness of guitarists like John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters trailed right into the beginnings of rock ’n roll. 

“There’s a saying that everything cool about America comes from Chicago, and then the blues is very much the quintessential American art form that’s gone on to inform how many… an endless number of artists,” Daisychain’s lead guitarist Frankie Sripada remarks. Bassist/vocalist Nickole Regala adds that the blues was “magnetic” and the raw emotion was always appealing. The Chicago-based three-piece has had a significant relationship with the blues, considering that’s how the band met in the first place. 

Vocalists/rhythm guitarist Sophia Williams and Regala met at a blues open mic night in 2017 and started jamming only weeks later before Sripada joined in for rehearsals at a local coffee shop’s basement. They bonded over a shared love for the pioneers of the 70s such as The Velvet Underground and Patti Smith. There was room for experimentation and treading new ground at a time when rock was still a relatively new concept. The blues still seeped out of rock, but there were early signs of punk, metal, and progressive rock blooming. Every band felt like a fresh idea springing up. Well, it’s called “classic rock” for a reason.

“I think the cool thing about just classic rock and rock in general… that’s where all of our commonalities met,” Williams shares. “We all like slightly different kinds of music, so that was really our bonding, or where we started, and then kind of grew and branched off of that.” 

Their love of that era was a gateway to diving deeper into more modern influences, and also the influence that bandmates’ taste had on each other. Because of Frankie, Nickole started listening to Audioslave and Soundgarden. Nickole’s love of Megan Thee Stallion rubbed off on Frankie, and then Frankie introduced Sophia to more metal. As all of their preferences became intertwined and expanded, Daisychain became its own unique blend of the past and present. They just wanted to write pop/rock songs together, but their individual tastes could still shine through- whether its Megan Thee Stallion’s witty prose or the heaviness of alternative rock and metal. “We all just brought a slightly different flavor to the table and we’re all open to different kinds of music, and different routes and veins,” Williams says. 

All in a Name nods to the bluesy rock that connected them, but it’s a step forward from the trio’s 2022 EP Different Shades. Since the EP’s release, The Black Angels had been on regular rotation during long drives on tour, Regala had been hooked on Ty Segall, and Sripada wanted to incorporate the hazy, tremolo-laced guitar tones of shoegaze acts like Catherine Wheel and Ride. 

Drifting into soaring solos, heartbreaking ballads, and monumental buildups, Daisychain experiments with established sounds without taking it too far into experimental territory. Opener “Shadowfax” tinkers with warping sounds and moody atmospherics, catchy single “Waste Your Time” blends 70s rock with garage rock edge, and album ender “Kerosene Lover” toys with dynamic, grandiose crescendos.  “In our EPs, there is still a little bit of diversity there. I think you can kind of tell we’re trying on different things,” Ragala explains. “I think All In A Name is just a more matured iteration of that- of just trying a bunch of different sounds, but it all still has a cohesion somehow with all of the songs.” 

One of the most daunting parts of writing for the album was getting started. “What’s the vibe? What’s the feel of the record? What do I want to create?” These were all questions Daisychain had as the bare bones of the project were constructed. Once the band got started though, they didn’t stop- eventually churning out a jaw-dropping 100 songs in three months that were then whittled down to ten. 

The challenge to write 100 songs was a task laid out by legendary producer Sylvia Massey, whose credits span from Tool’s first album Undertow to Unchained by Johnny Cash. “If we had the chance, we wanted to work with a woman, and Sylvia Massey is just in a caliber of her own. Everything that she’s done… her catalogue speaks for itself,” Williams says. It felt impossible to say no to such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with a producer who has worked with such a broad range of musicians.

Massey’s ethos of exploration were an open opportunity to experiment without the pressure of solidifying it as a song. The band could be spontaneous and relax- having time to develop an idea without hesitation. 

Regala learned to not be afraid to try literally anything and put her ideas out there without hesitation. Massey even expanded Regala’s understand of what she was capable of. Regala exclaims, “I learned that I can write, with someone’s help, ten songs in one week, which is, like, crazy!”

Yeah, it does appear a little crazy, but considering Massey’s track record, it’s encouraging to bring out something never though possible.

Once Massey narrowed down the songs that would make the cut and the band had the arrangements and parts completed, Massey encouraged the band to stop practicing them so the recording would feel fresh and alive. “She definitely believes that music is emotion,” Regala adds. “So it just felt really good to be able to be as emotional and out there as possible with the expressions, with the instrumentation and everything. A huge reward is just being able to say that I’ve worked with Sylvia Massey and we’re just like in the same room as her. That was like the highlight of my life.”

As they reflect on the making of All in a Name, there’s a clear reverence for this marker in their lives. “It was frankly a highlight of my life, I’m sure everyone’s life. It basically was like what you imagine doing a record is when you’re a teenager,” Sripada says as he speaks enthusiastically about the album being the biggest undertaking of his life, but also the most rewarding aspect.

The challenge of balancing day jobs in Chicago with writing 100 songs and recording at a studio in Oregon makes the moment feel even more significant. As exciting as it is to complete such a hefty project, there’s still the anticipation of how fans will react.

“I just want to see people’s responses to it, just if they like it and what they think about certain songs,” she says. “This being our first full-length album and our first step out there with just this massive piece of work to me is really cool. I think it’s definitely a milestone for us. I’m always going to look back on this album and be particularly proud.” Williams agrees. “The most rewarding part is having a phenomenal album that I’m super excited about just to share and have as a mile marker of our lives,” she adds. 

Judging from the reactions so far, people can feel the heart and commitment they’ve put into the ten songs. They’ve been configuring how to perform the new songs live, but Daisychain will rock no matter what.