Interview: Michael Roe of Daisyhead

Daisyhead is a band that needs to be on your radar, and soon. Their debut full-length, The Smallest Light, is bound to see the band headlining venues very soon. It’s a very competent, sometimes spectacular slice of alt-rock that evokes memories of Balance and Composure’s early work, and Superheaven’s Jar, but with a flair that’s unmistakably Daisyhead.

Michael Roe of Daisyhead stopped by to answer a few questions for us. Check them out after the jump!

Text and Image by Nick Zimmer. 

First off can you state your name and what you do in the band?

My name is Michael Roe. I play guitar and sing.

Can you give us a little background information on Daisyhead?  

Daisyhead is a band that started off as a side project, and it became more serious of a thing as people gained more interest. We all live in Nashville, TN. The members consist of myself, Zach Chiarizzio, Curtis Durard and Tate Mercer.

March was a big month for the band with the release of your album, The Smallest Light. How has the reaction been so far?  

We have gotten a great response so far. A lot better than I expected. It being our first LP, we wanted it to be somewhat successful, and I think it has the potential to be.

You had your album release show, played SXSW, and were support to Pianos Become the Teeth in your hometown of Nashville. How were those shows? 

Each show was an incredible experience. The release show was one of the best nights of my life. SXSW was a really cool opportunity, and we all needed the vacation. The Pianos show was pretty special because we got to play at Exit/In for the first time, which is cool because of its history, and the sound was ridiculous for all of the bands. Pianos is made up by some really nice people so it was cool to meet them. Not to mention their music is way too good.

Nashville has this huge misconception of being solely a city for country music, but it has a fantastic scene outside of that, who are some other bands in the area that you enjoy? 

I literally told someone at SXSW about that misconception because he was surprised we were from Nashville and not a folk or country band.

I can’t name all of my favorite Nashville bands because there are so many. Some that I/we enjoy are Cove, Nest, Better Off, Muir, Synecdoche, and on a larger scale, we’re all big Paramore fans.

Best place to eat in Nashville? (My vote is for The Wild Cow)

Oh man, that’s tough. I honestly haven’t had The Wild Cow yet. I really need to try it, because I’ve heard nothing but good things.

Whenever someone visits Nashville and I want to take them somewhere, The Pharmacy is my personal go-to. Great burgers, and I’ve heard their black bean burger is really good as well, for the veggies.

Do you guys have any touring plans for the summer?  

We are going out on the road in May/June with You, Me & Everyone We Know and Future Crooks, which we’re all really excited about!

How did you hook up with No Sleep and what has it been like working with Chris?

Chris found us on the Internet super randomly. We hadn’t been a band very long, and we didn’t send our music out to anyone. We didn’t expect to do much with this band, but I guess he saw something in us.

It’s been a great experience. No Sleep was my favorite label before signing, and I like them even more now.

You released a split with Have Mercy a little over a year ago. Can we expect any other splits/7 inches coming out this year?

We are about to start writing again, so we’ll see what happens there.

If you could play with any 3 bands (past or present) who would they be?

Ohhh man… I could probably change my answers around 1,000 times, but I’ll go with Yellowcard, Boxcar Racer, and/or Simon & Garfunkel. That would be an awkward tour package.

Anything else you’d like to add for your fans and readers?

If you bought any of our music or have checked us out or took the time to come to a show, I luv u.