Undiscovered Musicians: Daughter

It all started last year, when I clicked on a Tumblr follower’s blog. They had a song on auto-play, and although I usually pause them (as I’m listening to something else myself), I couldn’t help but leave it on. The tune, the edge, the beautiful voice accompanying the lyrics… it was unlike anything else I heard. It was a different to my music taste at that time (alternative rock), and yet, I found myself googling the lyrics and uncovering the song. I left it on an endless loop that day.

I found Daughter that day, of the Genres: Indie, folk, alternative rock, with ambience.

Thus marked my first introduction to the Daughter song, “Smoke.” As I later realised, Smoke wasn’t a one-off from this band —everything they write is filled with depth, emotion and ideas. I cannot find the words to express my love for indie-folk band, Daughter, who have the most beautiful music. But the lyrics are extremely thought-provoking as well.

To mark the first song I’ve ever heard from them, here’s “Smoke” below:

Then a woman, she screams
It’s a terrible night
As the mood changes to dark from light
Tell the doctor what’s become of me
So you can analyse, analyse my dreams
Of a smoke filled room
Of a smoke filled room

—> That is possibly my favourite fragment of the entire song. The incredible flow of the song is expressed greatly here through its fluent rhyming scheme, but yet never appears forced. With the harsh sounds, strong ambient atmosphere and Elena Tonra’s soft, haunting voice, the song is immediately wonderful to my ears. And so I play it again. And again.

But Daughter has an uncanny ability to convey various moods and themes in their songs.

Medicine – Inspirational yet sad, heavy ambience. Possibly to do with health and uncontrollable events. It’s also about dreams and aspirations, and picking yourself back again after a large fall. “Pick it up; pick it all up / And start again.”

Landfill – Hating and loving someone at the same time. Electricity. Possibly romance, but a rather broken one at that. The lyrics are especially beautiful, I think, because they all emphasise acts of cruelty that are somehow balanced by the positive chorus.

In the Shallows – Possibly Daughter’s most relaxing song; extremely easy on the ears, with the slightest touch of melancholy in the song. A lot of repetition of lyrics, but causes them to appear more powerful. “Come out, come out, to the sea my love… / and just, drown with me…”

They are, in short, such a wonderful band with breathtaking works. I highly encourage any fans of the indie/folk/alternative rock genre to check them out.